Learn Adobe Photoshop CC for Visual Design: Adobe Certified Associate Exam Preparation, Second Edition

Photoshop skills are most useful when they serve a design purpose. In Learn Adobe Photoshop CC for Visual Design, Rob Schwartz teaches through projects that move from correcting and restoring images to building finished visual pieces—and then looks beyond the software at the design thinking and professional habits behind the work.

This second edition is structured for learners preparing for the Adobe Certified Associate exam, while also offering a practical introduction to visual design with Photoshop CC. The lessons pair explanatory text with video-based instruction and place techniques in the context of hands-on work.

Learn Photoshop by making things

Early chapters introduce Photoshop CC and guide readers through photo fixes, damaged-image restoration, and colorizing black-and-white photographs. The projects then expand into print design, including an event flyer, followed by compositing, selections and masks, digital decoration, and preparing artwork for different uses.

That progression helps connect individual tools to the decisions involved in shaping an image: what to repair, how to combine elements, and how to prepare a design for its intended output.

Design skills beyond the tools

The book also devotes substantial attention to visual-design fundamentals, including hierarchy, the elements of art, and the principles of design. Other chapters address communicating with clients, understanding industry terminology, considering audiences, and working with copyright responsibly. These topics put Photoshop techniques in a broader creative and professional context.

For exam preparation and a first design foundation

Chapter objectives and an exam-objective reference help readers connect the lessons to Adobe Certified Associate preparation. The project-based approach is aimed at beginning learners, but the material may also suit students or aspiring designers who want a guided refresher in Photoshop workflows and design concepts.

From a repaired photograph to a considered layout, the emphasis is on learning the choices behind the finished image—not just where to find a tool.