This excerpt is from Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks. Used by permission of New Riders. Copyright © 2009. Part of the Creative Edge Photoshop Resource Center.

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In this how-to, you'll start with a regular photo and end up with a powerful advertisement. Along the way, you'll learn Photoshop type and image techniques that you can apply to many projects.

First, download the resource files. Then follow along step-by-step to create a halftone pattern type look made popular by a slick series of TV and Web ads for Ford’s F-150 truck.

While the type effect itself is pretty simple, what makes the project a lot of fun (and a great learning experience) is going through all the steps you need to create the whole look of the ad from scratch.

You'll start with this:

And end up with this:

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