Previous edition: 2013.
"Creative Cloud edition"--Cover.
"A project-based introduction to Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC, InDesign CC"--Cover.
Includes index.

1. Welcome to the land of OS. The Mac OS X environment : The dock ; Mac OS X Windows ; The hard drive ; Mac OS X finder desktop menus ; System preferences in the Apple menu -- The Windows 7 environment : The start menu, Windows Explorer, and the computer function -- The Windows 8 environment : Windows 8 start screen ; Customizing your start screen application tiles ; Navigating the Windows 8 desktop and using "hot" corners ; Windows 8 charms bar ; Windows 8 desktop: using file explorer, libraries, and ribbons ; File explorer's computer function ; Windows 8 help and support, and the control panel -- Macs and Windows working together : Saving and reading Mac OS X and Windows files ; Same function, different name ; Mac and Windows keystrokes ; Keystrokes to increase productivity ; Options for viewing and transporting portable media -- 2. Designing for the client. Elements of design : Lines and shapes ; Texture ; Value ; Depth perception ; Perspective and angle of view ; Using motion ; Color ; Formats, guidelines, and grids -- Design principles : Balance ; Use of negative and positive space ; Emphasis ; Rhythm ; Harmony (unity) -- Design stages: from concept to completion : Working with the client ; The designing process -- Typography : Character and line spacing ; Categories of type ; Using type in print media ; Using type for electronic media ; Installing fonts for text assignments (optional) -- Imagery : Saving graphic file formats -- Understanding the importance of color : Creating colors on the computer -- 3. Adjusting images in Photoshop. The Photoshop environment : Working with bitmap (raster) images ; Photoshop tools panel ; The tool options bar ; Using Photoshop help -- 4. Working with selections and channels. Photoshop's selection tools : Marquee tools ; Editing selections with the tool options bar ; Lasso tools ; The magic wand tool ; The quick selection tool ; The channels panel --
5. Using layers. Photoshop's layers : Displaying and hiding layers ; Layers panel and layer menu ; The background layer ; The move tool ; Saving images with layers -- 6. Restoring and coloring a black and white photograph. Tools and panels for editing : Retouching tools ; Painting tools, special tools, and panels ; Color tools, swatches, and color panels ; Special filters -- 7. Creating shapes with Illustrator. The Illustrator environment : Working with vector images ; Illustrator views ; The Illustrator tools panel and control panel ; Fill and stroke boxes and panels ; Using Adobe Illustrator help ; Live color in Illustrator -- 8. Working with brushes, symbols, and layers. Making digital illustrations from drawings : Creating templates in Illustrator ; The pencil, smooth, blob brush, and path eraser tools ; The direct selection tool ; Symbols, symbolism tools, libraries, and the symbols panel ; Brushes, brush libraries, and the brushes panel ; Working with type -- 9. Precision with the pen tool. Pen tool basics : Creating straight lines ; Crawing Bzier curves ; Making corners from curves ; Direct selection and lasso tools ; Path type tools -- 10. Integrating Photoshop and Illustrator files for web use. Combining Illustrator and Photoshop graphics : Vector images versus bitmap images ; Setting up files for the web ; Web colors ; Saving graphic file formats -- 11. InDesign fundamentals. The InDesign environment : Desktop Publishing versus word processing ; Measuring in inches and points ; The InDesign Creative Cloud (CC) tools panel ; Creating frames ; Displaying panels and the window menu ; The control panel and Pages panel ; Typography basics ; Welcome and help screens -- 12. Working with multipage documents. Designing multipage documents : Nameplates and continuing banners ; Type design for multipage documents ; Converting inches to decimals or picas and points ; Master Pages and the Pages panel ; CMYK process and spot colors.

Each chapter includes a client assignment relevant to that chapter's information.