It's already obvious that you need Adobe Photoshop in order to put these Photoshop tutorials into application, but if you don't you can purchase Adobe's current release of Adobe Photoshop either as a single software purchase or as a part of the Adobe Design, Web, Production, or Master Collection software suites.

The content of this blog will focus mainly on basic and advanced tutorials on Adobe Photoshop CS4 and some advanced tutorials on Adobe Photoshop CS3, but since Photoshop CS4 is the version available on Adobe's official site, we will focus mainly on its features.

If you have an older version of Photoshop, you can upgrade to CS4 for a minimal fee. If you have not acquired a licensed copy of Adobe Photoshop CS4 and are interested to purchase one, there are two current versions of Adobe CS4 you can check out: the Adobe Photoshop CS4, and the Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended versions. You can see an extensive list of the comparison of the two versions on Adobe’s official website. I will only point out the major differences and applications of each.

Adobe Photoshop CS4
If you are a professional photographer, graphics designer, or web designer, with normal to advanced graphic needs, then the Adobe Photoshop CS4 is right for you. It has all of the tools and features you will need from organizing, managing, retouching, modifying and recomposing your photos and artworks to suit your normal day to day needs. With its more intuitive user experience, greater editing freedom, and significant productivity enhancements, it meets the requirements of many professionals with wide area of fields and diverse needs.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
This version of Photoshop is geared towards professionals from the film, video and multimedia industry, as well as graphics and web experts using 3D and motion, manufacturing professionals, medical professionals, architects, engineers, and medical researchers. With the capability of working with 3D imagery, motion-based content, and advanced image analysis, Photoshop CS4 Extended is designed to meet the needs of professionals that need more than just working on regular 2-dimentional projects.

Is My Machine Compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS4?
Ok, before purchasing or upgrading to Photoshop CS4 or Photoshop CS4 Extended please check if your computer meets the minimum system requirements listed below:

Windows Users
• 1.8GHz or faster processor
• Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista)
• 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
• 1GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on flash-based storage devices)
• 1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
• Some GPU-accelerated features require graphics support for Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 2.0
• DVD-ROM drive
• QuickTime 7.2 software required for multimedia features
• Broadband Internet connection required for online services*

Mac OS Users
• PowerPC® G5 or multicore Intel® processor
• Mac OS X v10.4.11–10.5.4
• 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
• 2GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case-sensitive file system or on flash-based storage devices)
• 1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
• Some GPU-accelerated features require graphics support for Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 2.0
• DVD-ROM drive
• QuickTime 7.2 software required for multimedia features
• Broadband Internet connection required for online services
You can check for an updated list of system requirements from Adobe’s official website.
Now go get that software and let’s get started.