The following is a short list of interesting Adobe Photoshop features I’ve recently run across. Puppet Warp, Content Aware Scale and Content Aware Fill are new to CS5, but integrated 3D functionality and Photomerge were available in earlier versions.

Puppet Warp - This is probably my favorite new bell & whistle. I like to think of it as a “Stretch Armstrong” tool. It allows you to bend, stretch, & reshape any selection. Bend a Spaceneedle like rubber or twist a tulip like you’re braiding hair. You can find it under Edit/Puppet Warp and the object needs to be on its own layer. It is loads of fun.

3D Functionality - Who knew? I was playing around in CS4 one day when I came across the 3D Tab Group. Curious, I checked it out on Adobe TV.com. Not very practical for everyday image editing, I found it a little cumbersome to work with. But I’m sure, like everything else in life, the more you work with it the easier it becomes. You can achieve some interesting effects with it. I’ve included one of my sample images. I encourage you to check it out.

Photomerge - (File/Automate/Photomerge…) WOW! You talk about a time saver! Have you ever taken those sequential shots with your camera - with the full intention of later compositing them in Photoshop? In your mind’s eye you envisioned a beautiful seamless panorama. Well, even the most ambitious of optimists soon discover this is not an undertaking for the faint of heart. I’ve done a few and it can take hours - at least it used to. Now it is literally as easy as pressing a button. Photoshop does all the work for you. So now there’s no excuse to not pull out those old photos of your trip to the Grand Canyon and turn them into beautiful panoramas worthy of a gallery.

Content-Aware Fill - Another time saver, Content-Aware Fill is great for quick removal of unwanted objects in an image, just lasso the unwanted area and choose Edit/Fill…/Use: Content-Aware. Like magic the object disappears. Some cleanup may be needed, but I have found this a pretty robust tool.

Content-Aware Scale - (Edit/Content-Aware Scale) When you want to scale the background but leave specific objects untouched, this is the tool you want. This is particularly useful when scaling scenes with people in it. See the before and after photos - “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Thanks and happy Photoshopping - Eric