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Appendix Aappendix

A

Installing Photoshop

Photoshop’s an awesome program, but it’s not worth a darn until you install it.Whether you’re holding an actual Photoshop DVD in your hand or you’ve down-loaded the program from the Web, the Photoshop CS4 installer includes every-thing you need to get up and running fast. If you’ve got a relatively new computer,the whole process can take as little as ten minutes. If you have a vintage computer,it’ll take a bit longer.

TIP After you finish the installation, put your Photoshop DVD and serial number in a safe placein case you need to reinstall it down the road. If you downloaded the program from the Web, besure to back up the installer file.

Check Your SetupBefore installing Photoshop, make sure your computer has the right equipment torun the program. If it doesn’t, you may still be able to install Photoshop but it’llrun like molasses. Here are the minimum requirements for Photoshop CS4:

Mac OS X Requirements• PowerPC G5 or multi-core Intel processor.

• Mac OS X 10.4.11 (Tiger) or Mac OS X 10.5.4 (Leopard).

• At least 512 MB of RAM (memory).

2 Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual

Check Your Setup

NOTE Even though Adobe says you only need 512 MB of RAM, don’t even think about run-ning CS4 with anything less than 1 GB of RAM, as Photoshop is the biggest memory hog on theplanet. Buy as much RAM as you can afford—the more the merrier! See the next section (at thebottom of this page) for more info.

• 2 GB of free hard-disk space for the program to use during installation.

• A monitor that can display at least 1024 × 768 resolution (1280 × 800 is evenbetter) with a 16-bit video card.

• DVD-ROM drive (unless you downloaded Photoshop, in which case youdon’t need one).

• QuickTime 7.2 for Photoshop’s multimedia features like animation andvideo editing.

NOTE Some of Photoshop’s features require that your computer works with Shader Model 3.0(an image texture and shadow enhancement technology) and OpenGL 2.0 (see the box on page60 in Chapter 2). If your computer doesn’t, some things like flick-panning (page 59 in Chapter 2)and Rotate View (page 61 in Chapter 2) won’t work.

Windows Requirements• 1.8 GHz processor or faster.

• Microsoft Windows XP with at least Service Pack 2 (Adobe recommendsService Pack 3), or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, orEnterprise with Service Pack 1 (Photoshop CS4 is certified for 32-bit Win-dows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista).

• At least 512MB of RAM (Adobe recommends 1 GB)—the more, the better.

• 1 GB of available hard-disk space for Photoshop to use during installation.

NOTE You can’t install Photoshop on a flash-based drive like a USB memory stick.

• A monitor that can display at least 1024 × 768 resolution (1280 × 800 is evenbetter) with a 16-bit video card.

• DVD-ROM drive (unless you downloaded Photoshop, in which case youdon’t need one).

• QuickTime 7.2 for multimedia features like animation and video editing.You can download QuickTime for free from www.apple.com/quicktime.

Show Me the MemoryWhile Photoshop CS4 only requires a paltry 512 MB of memory (or RAM, whichstands for “random access memory”), don’t expect to get any image editing done ifthat’s all the free memory your machine has. The memory requirement refers tothe amount of memory that’s available for Photoshop to use, not the total amountof memory that’s installed on your machine.

Appendix A: Installing Photoshop 3

Check Your Setup

Remember, there are other programs fighting for pieces of your memory (muchlike spouses, exes, and in-laws) right alongside Photoshop, so the more memoryyou have, the better. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your computer has atleast 2 GB of free memory (or much more, if you an afford it). Memory is some-thing you can never have too much of, especially if you’re working with honkin’big files.

Luckily, memory has never been more affordable. A good resource for huntingdown the best prices is RamSeeker (www.ramseeker.com). Just tell the site whetheryou use a Mac or a PC and what kind of hardware you have, and it’ll scour theWeb for the best deals from the most reputable companies.

Give It SpaceIn addition to RAM, you also need plenty of storage space on your hard drive torun Photoshop CS4—a minimum of 1 GB, to be exact. That refers to the amountof free space—not the total space—on your hard drive. And just like memory,more is always better. Even if you’re planning to use extra hard drives for scratchdisk space (page 31 in Chapter 1) and file storage, Photoshop’s minimum harddrive requirements won’t cut the mustard if your hard drive is too small or nearlyfull, as there won’t be enough space for the temporary files Photoshop makes totrack the edits you make.

These days, it’s pretty common to see 200 GB (or larger) hard drives, though 500GB and 1 TB (Terabyte) drives are becoming more common. Faster hard driveshelp Photoshop run faster, too, so try to use drives that spin at least 5,400 RPM(revolutions per minute) in laptops and 7,200 RPM in desktop computers. (Formore about hard drives, performance, and scratch disks, flip back to page 31 inChapter 1.)

Video CardsSome of the coolest new CS4 features require a video card that works withOpenGL (see the box on page 60 in Chapter 2) and Shader Model 3.0. If yourvideo card doesn’t, Photoshop will still run, but some features like flick-panning(page 59 in Chapter 2), and rotating your canvas (page 61 in Chapter 2) won’twork.

Here are a few video cards that fit the bill:

• NVIDIA geForce 6000, 7000, and 8000 series.

• NVIDIA Quadro FX 350, 540, 550, 560, 1400, 1500, 3450, 3500, 4500, 4600,5500, and 5600.

• ATI Radeon 1000, 2000, and 3000 series.

• ATI FireGL 3300, 3350, 3400, 3600, 5200, 5600, 7200, 7300, 7350, 7600, 8600,and 8650.

4 Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual

Running the Installer

Running the InstallerThe Photoshop installer has a one-track mind: Its goal is to get all the bits andpieces of Photoshop CS4—and everything that goes with it—onto your machine,exactly where they’re supposed to go (see Figure A-1). Be sure to have your serialnumber handy because you’ll need to enter it during the installation process. Itshould be on the back of the DVD case that came with Photoshop or, if you down-loaded the program from the Web, Adobe should have emailed it to you.

Here’s how to install Photoshop CS4:

1. Insert the installer DVD into your computer’s DVD drive.

Alternatively, you can download the installer from Adobe’s Web site (www.adobe.com).

2. If the installer doesn’t start automatically, double-click it.

The installer looks like a little blue suitcase with “Ps” on it (see Figure A-1, top).

3. If the installer asks for your administrator password (the password you set upwhen you first got your computer), enter it and then click OK.

4. Enter your Photoshop CS4 serial number when the installer requests it.

5. Pick which Photoshop components you want to install.

Unless you tell it otherwise, the installer will copy the following items to yourhard drive: Photoshop CS4, Adobe AIR, Adobe Bridge CS4, Adobe DeviceCentral CS4, Adobe Drive CS4, and Adobe Extension Manager. If you don’twant to install everything, turn on the Custom Install radio button (seeFigure A-1, bottom) and use the checkboxes that appear to turn off the itemsyou don’t want. (If you’re not a computer whiz, it’s best to stick with the EasyInstall option so you don’t leave out anything important.)

6. Click Install.

You’ll see a progress bar showing how much the installer has completed(Figure A-2, top). When it’s finished, you’ll see the dialog box shown inFigure A-2, bottom.

7. After the installation process is complete, you’ll have the opportunity to acti-vate your freshly installed copy of Photoshop.

Activating the program ensures that it won’t stop working after the 30-day trialperiod, so it’s a good idea to activate your copy now. Instructions are on page 9in this Appendix.

8. Click Exit to quit the installer.

TIP Adobe’s user license lets you install and run Photoshop on two different computers, butyou aren’t supposed to run both copies at the same time. If you install Photoshop on more thantwo computers, it’ll politely refuse to run because you can only activate it on two machines (seepage 9 in this Appendix).

Appendix A: Installing Photoshop 5

Running the Installer

Figure A-1:Top: If the installerdoesn’t startautomatically, you canget it running by double-clicking this file.

Middle: The PhotoshopCS4 installer shows youexactly what it will installon your hard drive. If youwant to install everything,go with the Easy Installoption (selected on theleft).

Bottom: If you chooseCustom Install, you canturn off the checkboxesnext to the items youdon’t want to install(circled).

6 Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual

Running the Installer

Using the UninstallerGetting rid of Photoshop isn’t as simple as dragging the program to the trash can orrecycle bin. The installer stashes all kinds of files in the deepest, darkest reaches of yourhard drive, and unless you know where they all live, you’ll never find them. If you everneed to remove Photoshop from your machine, use the Uninstall Photoshop CS4 pro-gram instead. Follow these steps to eliminate all traces of Photoshop CS4:

1. Go to Help ➝ Deactivate to deactivate your Photoshop CS4 serial number.

If you don’t, you can’t install and use Photoshop on a different computer. Ifyou’re planning on selling or giving away your computer, be sure to turn on“Erase my serial number from this computer after deactivation” checkbox inthe Deactivation dialog box so no one else can try to install Photoshop usingyour serial number.

Figure A-2:The Photoshop installerkeeps you up-to-date onits progress (top) andthen shows you a list ofthe things it installed(bottom).

Appendix A: Installing Photoshop 7

Running the Installer

2. Launch Uninstall Adobe Photoshop CS4.

On a Mac, you can find it hiding in the Photoshop CS4 program folder. Win-dows users can open “Programs and Features” in the Control Panel, and followthe instructions there.

3. If prompted, enter your administrator password for your computer.

4. Choose the items you want to uninstall.

Turn on Select All to get rid of Photoshop CS4 and all its supporting programs(see Figure A-3).

5. Turn on the Remove Application Preferences checkbox if you want to zapPhotoshop’s preference files, too.

This option is useful if you’re uninstalling Photoshop because it’s misbehaving,though it’ll also zap all your custom goodies (actions, brushes, and so on). Ifyou don’t turn on this checkbox, the uninstaller leaves your Photoshop prefer-ences alone. The downside is that if Photoshop’s preferences were causing prob-lems, they’ll continue to cause problems even if you reinstall, so consideruninstalling preferences to help avoid potential headaches.

6. Click Uninstall.

You’ll see a status bar indicating the uninstaller’s progress, followed by a dialogbox announcing whether or not the uninstaller successfully removed all the bitsand pieces you chose.

7. Click Exit to quit the uninstaller.

POWER USERS’ CLINIC

Adding Custom Presets to Photoshop CS4If you’re upgrading from Photoshop CS3 to CS4 andyou’ve got custom actions, brushes, shapes, and so on,be sure to copy them from their home in Photoshop CS3to their matching Photoshop CS4 folder.

Here’s how to copy your custom goodies:

1. Adobe didn’t make your custom creations easy tofind. On a Mac, choose User/Library/ApplicationSupport/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS3/Presets (goto C:\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\AdobePhotoshop CS3\Presets on a PC). There you’ll findfolders for actions, brushes, swatches, and so on.

2. Copy the individual files into the same folders inthe corresponding Adobe Photoshop CS4 folder.

The next time you launch Photoshop CS4, all of your cus-tom stuff will be ready and waiting for you. If your presetsdon’t show up, you may have to load them with the Pre-set Manager (see page 34 in Chapter 1).

The process for copying over plug-ins is a bit different;flip back to page 711 in Chapter 19 for the scoop.

8 Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual

Checking YourVersion

Checking Your VersionThere may come a time when you need to know which version of Photoshop CS4you’re running, whether it’s for (shudder) technical support or to verify thatyou’ve got the latest and greatest update installed. To find that out, choose Photo-shop ➝ About Photoshop (on a PC, choose Help ➝ About Photoshop). You’ll seethe same screen that appears when you launch the program. The version number islisted beneath the program’s name and it should start with 11 (see Figure A-4).

Figure A-3:You can removeeverything associatedwith Photoshop or justspecific components. Besure to run theuninstaller if you plan toreinstall the programbecause it’s misbehaving,or if you’re bequeathingyour computer tosomeone else.

Figure A-4:Photoshop’s About windowshows you which version ofthe program you’re running,whether it’s the Extendedversion or not, and the namesof all the wonderful folks whomade the program happen(beginning with its foundingfather, Thomas Knoll).Photoshop CS4 is technicallythe eleventh version ofPhotoshop, but it’s called CS4because it’s part of the fourthversion of Adobe’s CreativeSuite (CS).

Appendix A: Installing Photoshop 9

Activating Photoshop

Checking for UpdatesNo matter how spectacular a program is, there’s always room for improvement.Adobe occasionally releases Photoshop updates to fix a bug or two, or to makePhotoshop more compatible with your operating system.

All the Creative Suite programs (including Photoshop) automatically check forupdates once a week, but you can check manually anytime (as long as you’re con-nected to the Internet) by choosing Help ➝ Updates (Figure A-5, top left). If theprogram finds a new update, it displays a dialog box listing the update(s); just clickUpdate to start the download and installation process. If it doesn’t find anyupdates, you’ll see a polite dialog box telling you that you’re up to date(Figure A-5, top right).

NOTE You need a live Internet connection if you want Photoshop to check for updates automatically.

Activating PhotoshopLast but not least, before you can actually use Photoshop you have to activate it.Activation unlocks Photoshop so it isn’t running in 30-day trial mode. If you don’tactivate Photoshop before the trial period ends, the program stops launching andshows you a dialog box asking if you want to activate your copy or buy a Photo-shop CS4 license.

Figure A-5:Top: The Help menu is hometo more than answers toyour Photoshop questions(see Appendix B). It’s alsothe place to go when youneed to activate ordeactivate the program (asexplained in the nextsection), check for updates,or register your copy ofPhotoshop.

Bottom: If you choose Help➝ System Info, you can seea list of information aboutyour system and thePhotoshop components youhave installed. This info canbe vital for a tech-supportperson who’s trying to helpyou solve a problem.

10 Photoshop CS4: The Missing Manual

Activating Photoshop

At the end of the installation process (page 4 in this Appendix), the installer asks ifyou want to activate the program once it’s installed, to which you should reply,“Yes, please.” When you do that, the installer takes you to Adobe’s Web site,checks your serial number, and activates the program. If you made a mistake typ-ing in your serial number or if you’ve exceeded the number of activations for yourcopy of Photoshop (you’re limited to two), you’ll see a dialog box inviting you totry again later by choosing Help ➝ Activate.

NOTE You need an Internet connection and a Web browser to activate Photoshop, so if you’reoffline, you can activate it later by opening Photoshop and choosing Help ➝ Activate.

If you need to uninstall Photoshop (page 4 in this Appendix), you can deactivatethe program by choosing Help ➝ Deactivate, which releases one activation of yourserial number, letting you install the program on another computer. Be sure todeactivate your copy of the program if you’re upgrading to a new machine andselling yours to someone else.