Pre-class preparation - please go through this before classes begin.
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time to complete this Pre-Class Preparation section! Our face-to-face students on the Logan campus will be using Macintosh computers in the ITLS or YETC lab during class time. However, all USU student open-access labs on campus have the software installed on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Most of the course videos have been created on a Macintosh OS X computer, it is important that you understand how to navigate around that platform, even if you're working on (or are used to working on) a Windows operating system.
DescriptionYou probably grew up using a computer and much of what is below may already be familiar to you. If so, that's great! However because of the differences between operating systems and student experience levels I have found it helpful if we all start off with the same information. Below you will find software requirements, a Mac/PC command key printable cheat sheet, and an introduction to different elements of the course. USU students will find instructions for formatting and submitting their files for assignments .
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Objectives
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Software RequirementsTo succeed in this class you must have the correct software installed and ready to go for Lesson 1. If you are attending USU in Logan, Utah all of the Adobe software you will need is installed on the computers in the YETC lab on the main floor in room 170 of the Jones Education Building, as well as in EDUC 280 - the ITLS Macintosh Lab. It's also available in most of the other student open-access computer labs on campus. If you are working from a personal computer, please make sure that it has the following:
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Screenshot: Adobe Photoshop CC 2020. Click image to enlarge.
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Adobe Photoshop CC (click on the "Individual" tab to see the $9.99/mo. option)
Every year or so Adobe releases a new version of Photoshop. Most version releases have some new features and occasionally have drastic changes. The version that is currently available through Adobe is Photoshop CC 2020 and this is the version that I'll be teaching from. Utah State University students can apply for and download the Adobe Creative Cloud applications for free. Not a USU student? If you don't have this version of Photoshop I recommend getting the monthly Photography plan subscription which will be the most current version of Photoshop. Photoshop Elements will not work for this class.
A Word Processing Program
A word processing program such as Microsoft Word (USU students can download and use Microsoft Office 365 free), Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice (which are free and are compatible with the Microsoft Office Suite), or Google Docs (comes free with your GMail or AggieMail account)
A Reliable Internet Connection and Web Browser
This may be a foregone conclusion but you do need regular access to the internet for this class. Any of the major internet browsers work just fine with the website and video tutorials.
Every year or so Adobe releases a new version of Photoshop. Most version releases have some new features and occasionally have drastic changes. The version that is currently available through Adobe is Photoshop CC 2020 and this is the version that I'll be teaching from. Utah State University students can apply for and download the Adobe Creative Cloud applications for free. Not a USU student? If you don't have this version of Photoshop I recommend getting the monthly Photography plan subscription which will be the most current version of Photoshop. Photoshop Elements will not work for this class.
A Word Processing Program
A word processing program such as Microsoft Word (USU students can download and use Microsoft Office 365 free), Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice (which are free and are compatible with the Microsoft Office Suite), or Google Docs (comes free with your GMail or AggieMail account)
A Reliable Internet Connection and Web Browser
This may be a foregone conclusion but you do need regular access to the internet for this class. Any of the major internet browsers work just fine with the website and video tutorials.
Utah State University's Canvas
We will be using Canvas extensively in this course - for announcements, grades, assignments, discussions, messaging the instructor, and more. If you are unfamiliar with using Canvas, please go through the Canvas Student Guide! Knowing this will help you a great deal for most USU courses that use the Canvas Learning Management System.
We will be using Canvas extensively in this course - for announcements, grades, assignments, discussions, messaging the instructor, and more. If you are unfamiliar with using Canvas, please go through the Canvas Student Guide! Knowing this will help you a great deal for most USU courses that use the Canvas Learning Management System.
Getting to know the operating system we'll be using in the face-to-face classes.
Inside their housings computer hardware is much the same regardless of what brand it is. The operating system that runs on that hardware is what makes the real difference between computers. Microsoft Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux are currently three of the major operating systems in use today and their user interfaces are similar but just different enough to cause some confusion. The course tutorials are mostly taught from a Mac so if you are used to Windows please use the chart below. I work on a Macintosh almost exclusively and will refer to hotkeys and shortcuts in the tutorials by their Mac names and key combinations.
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Right Click / Ctrl Click
The standard mouse that comes with a iMac does not have a right click feature automatically set up. You can set up a right mouse button click in the System Preferences. However, if you don't, holding down the Control key when clicking will bring up the right click menu features on a mac. Some mice may be set up to have a right click feature. I work with a wireless trackpad that has a right click function so I will most likely say "right click." |
Video: Mac vs Windows Keyboard (5:55)
Gary with Mac Most Now - a thorough explanation of keyboard differences between a Mac and a PC
Gary with Mac Most Now - a thorough explanation of keyboard differences between a Mac and a PC
For this class you will need to check Canvas at least weekly for announcements or personal messages I may send you.
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Lesson Material and Tutorials
Each Lesson has multiple video tutorials demonstrating Photoshop tools, design principles, and techniques. I've curated together helpful videos from other Photoshop pros, and created many myself. These videos are currently residing on YouTube and have been recorded mostly at a high resolution. Once you've clicked on a video link you have some viewing options to choose from. To see a video at it's best (and biggest) first click on the settings gear (pictured A) and choose the highest possible resolution from the pop-up list (Pictured B). To see the video larger you can click on the Full Screen icon (pictured C) or the mid-screen icon to the left of C. To end Full Screen mode push ESC (escape.) |
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Getting around on an Macintosh
If you are new to Macintosh, and will be using Adobe Photoshop in the YETC or ITLS labs, this video will be well worth your time to watch. Macs aren't that much different than Windows PCs, but it will speed things up for you to know what those differences are! The video is a bit over a half hour long. |
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USU Students: How and Where to Contact or Visit with Me
This course is both a face-to-face class, and an online class - a blended course. Please click on the INSTRUCTOR/CONTACT link in the header above to learn how you can interact with me.
USU Students: How and Where to Turn in Assignments
1) Your assignments in this class will usually consist of several files. To save both you and me time, please compress (or "zip") your files into a single archive file and submit that. Your archive should end with a .ZIP file extension. Let me show you how to zip files into a single archive file:
Video: How to create a "ZIP" archive on Macintosh (1:25)
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Video: How to create a "ZIP" archive on Windows (1:10)
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2) Please submit your assignments to me in Canvas. Here's are instructions on how to do that.
Video: Assignment Submissions (Students) (4:34)
If you have issues submitting an assignment, you can use one of these alternatives:
You can use BFT - USU's big file transfer. Send your file to Nathan.Smith@usu.edu. Be sure to leave #6 blank!
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Or you can use one of many other free large file transfer sites. Send your file to Nathan.Smith@usu.edu. This one is WeTransfer, which lets you send up to a 2GB file for free.
If you still have trouble submitting an assignment, please contact me in Canvas inBox. |
This one is FireFox Send, which lets you send up to a 2.5 GB file for free.
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This page last updated March 26, 2020. This lesson combines my own work (images, text, videos) which are ©2020 by Nathan Smith. All other images, videos, and cited text sources are curated from the internet, and are publicly available.
