F

Feather

Feathering is a Photoshop technique that softens the edges of a selection. It can be achieved in a number of ways and in practice is a digital implementation of a traditional photographic technique. In Photoshop, a selection can be made and the feather tool can be chosen from a drop-down menu. It is then possible to enter a number for the amount of feathering that is required. The higher the number the softer, or more blurred, the edge of the selection will be.
 
The feather technique is used to apply soft edges to images, vignettes and to blend images together in montages. It is also possible to expand on the feathering feature by saving feathered selections as Alpha Channels and/or layers.

See also: Photoshop, Vignette

Filters

As with most digital imaging terminology, the term filter also has its roots in the world of conventional photography. A filter in an image editor such as Photoshop, is a tool that will apply a special effect to a digital graphic. This can vary from adjusting the image's colour, to stretching it, to distorting it in any number of ways.
 
Photoshop and other digital image editors, come with a number of filters built in. But it is also possible to add third-party filters to Photoshop as plugins.

See also: Plugins

Fireworks

Macromedia Fireworks is web graphics design tool. Fireworks can combine vector and bitmap graphics within the same illustration and is used extensively to build web site buttons and layout graphics for web templates.

It is similar to Adobe ImageReady, in that it has a number of effecti8ve tools for optimizing graphics and reducing file sizes. Fireworks is also capable of creating animated gifs and rollovers for web buttons.

Fireworks lacks support for CMYK and other print functions and so is limited to creating graphics for web site design.

See also: Reviews of Fireworks

Freehand

Macromedia Freehand is a vector based illustration program, that is used by graphic designers to produce illustrations, charts, maps and logos. Freehand has always lived in the shadow of its more popular rival from Adobe, Illustrator.

Now that Adobe has bought Macromedia, it remains to be seen what future Freehand has in the digital illustration market.

See also: Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Macromedia