Table of Contents
Table of Contents
DESIGN BASICSDESIGN BASICS ... 4 ... 4 Essential Glossary of Designing
Essential Glossary of Designing ... 5 ... 5 How Colors Affect Us
How Colors Affect Us ... 6 ... 6 Introduction to Typography Introduction to Typography ... 7 ... 7 Terminology of Typography Terminology of Typography ... 7 ... 7 HANDS ON PHOTOSHOP HANDS ON PHOTOSHOP ... 9 ... 9 What to Expect What to Expect ... 10 ... 10 Eligibility for the Crash Course
Eligibility for the Crash Course ... 11 ... 11 Initial Steps Initial Steps ... 11 ... 11 Workspace Workspace ... 12 ... 12 Options Bar Options Bar ... 13 ... 13 Panels Panels ... 13 ... 13 Workspace Selector Workspace Selector ... 13 ... 13 Tools Tools ... 14 ... 14 Move Tool Move Tool ... 14 ... 14 Marquee Tools Marquee Tools ... 14 ... 14 Lasso Tools Lasso Tools ... 16 ... 16 Magic Selection Tools
Magic Selection Tools ... 18 ... 18 Cropping Tools Cropping Tools ... 19 ... 19 Eyedropper Tools Eyedropper Tools ... 19 ... 19 Healing Brushes Healing Brushes ... 21 ... 21 Brush Tools Brush Tools ... 23 ... 23 Stamp Tools Stamp Tools ... 24 ... 24 History Brushes History Brushes ... 25 ... 25 Eraser Tools Eraser Tools ... 26 ... 26 Fill Tools Fill Tools... 26... 26 Refinement Tools Refinement Tools ... 27 ... 27
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
DESIGN BASICSDESIGN BASICS ... 4 ... 4 Essential Glossary of Designing
Essential Glossary of Designing ... 5 ... 5 How Colors Affect Us
How Colors Affect Us ... 6 ... 6 Introduction to Typography Introduction to Typography ... 7 ... 7 Terminology of Typography Terminology of Typography ... 7 ... 7 HANDS ON PHOTOSHOP HANDS ON PHOTOSHOP ... 9 ... 9 What to Expect What to Expect ... 10 ... 10 Eligibility for the Crash Course
Eligibility for the Crash Course ... 11 ... 11 Initial Steps Initial Steps ... 11 ... 11 Workspace Workspace ... 12 ... 12 Options Bar Options Bar ... 13 ... 13 Panels Panels ... 13 ... 13 Workspace Selector Workspace Selector ... 13 ... 13 Tools Tools ... 14 ... 14 Move Tool Move Tool ... 14 ... 14 Marquee Tools Marquee Tools ... 14 ... 14 Lasso Tools Lasso Tools ... 16 ... 16 Magic Selection Tools
Magic Selection Tools ... 18 ... 18 Cropping Tools Cropping Tools ... 19 ... 19 Eyedropper Tools Eyedropper Tools ... 19 ... 19 Healing Brushes Healing Brushes ... 21 ... 21 Brush Tools Brush Tools ... 23 ... 23 Stamp Tools Stamp Tools ... 24 ... 24 History Brushes History Brushes ... 25 ... 25 Eraser Tools Eraser Tools ... 26 ... 26 Fill Tools Fill Tools... 26... 26 Refinement Tools Refinement Tools ... 27 ... 27
Color Editing Tools
Color Editing Tools ... 28 ... 28 Pen Tools
Pen Tools ... 29 ... 29 Text Tools
Text Tools ... 30 ... 30 Path Editing Tools
Path Editing Tools ... 31 ... 31 Shape Tools
Shape Tools ... 31 ... 31 Navigation Tools
Navigation Tools ... 32 ... 32 Color Picking and Preview
Color Picking and Preview ... 33 ... 33 Quick Mask Mode (Preview Mode)
Quick Mask Mode (Preview Mode) ... 34 ... 34 Screen View Modes
Screen View Modes ... 35 ... 35 Panels
Panels ... 37 ... 37 Colors and Swatches
Colors and Swatches ... 37 ... 37 Adjustments Adjustments ... 37 ... 37 Layers Layers ... 38 ... 38 Channels Channels ... 39 ... 39 Opacity and Blend Modes
Opacity and Blend Modes ... 39 ... 39 History History ... 40 ... 40 Paths Paths ... 42 ... 42 Properties Properties ... 43 ... 43 Saving for Web
Saving for Web ... 45 ... 45 ADOBE PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS... ... ... ... 49... 49 Shortcuts of Tools Shortcuts of Tools ... 50 ... 50 Online Resources Online Resources ... 55 ... 55 Ending Note Ending Note ... 58 ... 58 Credits Credits ... 59 ... 59
DESIGN BASICS
Every area of human activity has its basics, and design is no exception from this rule.
Needless to say, there are hundreds of terms, practices and pieces of information you need to command, if you want to become a good designer.
We shall begin with rough and simple mentions of the most important terms and you'll be constantly given outbound links for more detailed information.
Essential Glossary of Designing
Canvas: Even the digital images are painted on a digital canvas. So if you ever need to add some vacant space at the edge of the picture, enhance the canvas size.
Color Palette: In almost every designing and publishing application, there’s abar containing colors. This is called the Color Palette.
DPI/PPI: DPI is “Dots per Inch” and PPI is “Pixels per inch”. Printing standard is DPI, while PPI is for virtual publishing, such as websites.
Gamut: This is the range of colors that is available for a particular output device or a given color space, for instance a laser printer. If the color range is too wide for that specific
device, you will receive an error ‘out of gamut’.
Hue: One of the three basic colors. A hue is actually a range of colors, such as, red, blue green or yellow, and this works as a wheel. Using hue command, you can change the color tilt of your image.
Kerning: The spacing between letters in a line of text.
Web-Safe Color: This is also a color table - but it contains 216 out of a possible 256 colors. These 216 are the colors which are displayed alike in all web browsers.
WYSIWYG: “What you see is what you get”. This term is usually used in web designing. When you are designing a site, you don’t have to save the web page coding and open it in a browser, rather the designing application provides you with a live preview.
Please visit the Designing Theorems and Terminology - The Prerequisities for a Designer for further reference, you will also learn about the difference between:
Vector vs Bitmap graphics RGB vs CMYK colors
Pixels and Resoultion
How Colors Affect Us
Colors and psychology coexist in a tight bond and every good designer should have a decent understanding of the color psychology. Even the general public has
(maybe a bit limited) knowledge of this, e.g. you wear a black suit to the funeral, so black represents death.
Several other examples might be: - Red- attention, emotions, sex - Green- healing, fertility, life - Blue- optimism, sadness, men - Cyan- wisdom, loyalty, team color
- Magenta- royal color, strength, governing
- Yellow- optimism, anger and frustration if overused
Introduction to Typography
It is vitally important to have at least a basic understanding of typography, i.e. the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts and how to choose their proper combination.
Several of the most basic typographic factors are:
use sans-serif for headlines and serif for body
one font type in the headlines and other in the body
choose exactly 2 fonts and stick with them through the whole article look for design collisions
Terminology of Typography
There are of course many more categories of fonts, other than serif vs. sans-serif. Those are: Blackletter Calligraphic Inscriptional Non-alphanumeric Ornamented Script
In case you are interested in the other kinds of fonts, feel free visit Typedia -they have covered this issue very well.
Tip:For avoiding widespread mistakes in font selection, you can visit Ann Davlin’s article on common typography mistakes and font selection.
At times, designers might get confused by the terms "typeface" and "font", so let's describe both right away to avoid any misunderstanding.
Typeface - a group of fonts, it unites a family of a particular font, like Lucida Sans, Lucida Typewriter, etc.
Font - a subset of a typeface, it is a particular style and set of characters Examples of a Serif font:
Baskerville
Century
Sans Examples of a Sans-Serif font
Lucida Sans Unicode
HANDS ON PHOTOSHOP
We are going to teach you Adobe Photoshop CC in just 30 minutes by guiding you through every tool and basic commands. This is Photoshop learning on steroids. It's safe to say that it will be far from being a complete instruction manual, but with our help, you will be able to perform rudimental tasks with Photoshop.
The basic purpose of this eBook is not to make you a Photoshop legend, rather it is only supposed to give you enough knowledge that you can easily be able to follow online tutorials and take help from the official Help website.
What t o Expect
In case you need more information, you will easily obtain it in the user guide(provided by Adobe with every copy of Photoshop and also available forDownload Online).
You can see a [page #] written in brackets after every command. Thatindicates the page number in that PDF help Adobe provides. Assuming thatyou already know that what Photoshop is and what it does, let’s just start thepractical part right away. Bonus: The terminology and tools are almost identical in Adobe Photoshopand Adobe Illustrator, so you are also learning a great deal about AdobeIllustrator at the same time. The difference between these two programs isthat Photoshop is for Bitmap Graphics and Illustrator is for Vector Graphics.
Eligibili t y fo r t he Crash Cour se
You know the difference between vector and bitmap graphics and how they work.
You know the basic terminology used in graphic designing.
You know the basic image editing functions, for example contrast and brightness enhancement or how to crop an image. These functions are available in all famous picture viewers such as Picasa, ACDSee or IrfanView. You have Photoshop installed in your computer.
Note:If you're not sure whether you meet these criteria, please read Graphic DesignMethods and Terms for further reference.
Init ial St eps
Install Adobe Photoshop in your computer and immediately test everytool or command you are learning here. I think that’s the best way tomemorize a command.
One more thing I would like to clarify is that many questions might pop-up inyour head while reading this chapter, like how can we do this and that?
Should that be the case, just keep on reading please. If I had to explaineverything at once, we would waste a lot of pages. All of your questions willbe answered in due time.
This book is not written in reference style mode, so it may not be a good idea to study it from the middle. We already have F1 help for quick reference; so it wouldn’t make sense to create an alternative F1 help. This book is designed to be read start
to end, and to be studied it in one go (that’s why it is kept so brief). You can however, skip the first chapter if you are already familiar with those articles.
Workspace
Undoubtedly, the most important set of elements in Photoshop is Toolbox. We'll cover each tool individually, but a little later. Right now, let’s take a look at the Options Bar.
Note:The same bar is called Control Panel in Adobe Illustrator. Therefore,
Options Bar
Options Bar shows advanced properties for the currently selected tool. So its options change as you switch between tools.
This is one of the elements which is not covered explicitly, because most of
itscommands are self explanatory. However, we will be describing essential and important functions along the way, so no need to worry though.
Panels
These options are used frequently, but their functions can’t be filled up to a single tool (such as a color bar), take place on the right side of the workspace in
Photoshop.
The most important panel is of course the Layers Panel, and we will be covering it in just a moment. But before we can do that, we need to have a little knowhow of all
the tools in the toolbox. So let’s check out the most magical feature of Photoshop, i.e. the tools!
Workspace Selector
The workspace is the whole general area where you are working. Collectively, the term workspace refers to the way the tools, panels and menus are arranged. There are multiple workspaces in Photoshop. Professional 3D and CAD users make use of a different workspace while digital artists and painters use another.
You can select the workspace according to your needs. However, this book is featuring the default workspace called Essential which contains all the important tools and panels.
Tools
When you move your mouse pointer upon any tool, a yellow message pops out, that message is called Tooltip. There’s occasionally a letter written in a parenthesis, that’s the hotkey (shortcut key) for that particular tool. We have also covered these, and many more shortcut keys in the last chapter of this book, but first, let’s check out the tools one by one.
Move Tool
You can see Move Tool selected and its options bar.
The tool to perform basic actions on a selected area, such as move, resize, rotate etc. This works in the same way as any Arrow Tool in graphic designing applications. Marquee Tools
This is a set of tools. Click and hold for a second to view all the tools.
Ma rq uee Select ion Tool’sOpti ons Bar
This tool is for selecting a rectangular area of the photo you are working on. Selection method is simple, click and drag over the area you want to select and then perform actions with Move Tool.
Elliptical Marquee Tool
Same as the previous tool, except the fact it selects area of an oval type shape.
Single Row/Column Marquee Tools
The two Line Tools select one pixel in a row or a column, in other words it selects a horizontal or vertical line in the image.
Options Bar
It stays almost the same in all of the tools of this set. When the first button is
selected, every time you start to make a selection, it creates a new and discards the old one. But if the second one is selected, it adds the new selected area to the
previous selection.
The other two buttons perform similar functions, like subtracting or creating an intersection. Give it a try, you’ll figure these tools out in your first attempt.
Style
Surprisingly, it is a selection for styles. Normal means freeform style, with Fixed Ratio you can create an aspect ratio for your selection. Fixed Size is self
Feather
Creates a gradient type effect at the edges, see the example below to view what it does. Anti-alias is a light feather, quite useful when cutting something out of an image. See the example below.
Image courtesy of: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Refine Edges
This dialog box contributes with the advanced options for your current selection. Make a selection and toggle with commands, they explain themselves very quickly in the preview box.
Tip:to remove selection, i.e. to unselect everything, just hit “D”. Lasso Tools
Only the Magnetic Lasso Tool has new commands in the options bar, rest of everything stays the same with Marquee Tools’ Options Bar.
So let’s go through options for Magnetic Lasso Tool.
Width refers to the margin from the edge of the object you are selecting. Contrast value should be high, if the object has similar color value to the
background, but usually, default value of 10 works best with almost everything. [Page 266]
Lasso Tool
Same as the last tool set, except that you can create a custom shape selection with this tool, rather than just rectangular or elliptical. Hold your click and draw the desired shape to make a selection.
Polygonal Lasso Tool
This tool also helps you to create a custom shape selection, but here, click and release the mouse button, then click at another place - it draws a straight line between the two points (called anchor points). Then click on another point, it draws another line, now click back at the first anchor point, this will close your selection and you have your selection.
Magnetic Lasso Tool
This is a newbie’s best friend. An intelligent tool that can distinguish between the contrast ratios, so if you try to select an object from an image, this tool magnetically sticks the selection to the edges of the object so you can easily cut it and place it on another background.
Magic Selection Tools
M agic Select ion Tool ’s Opt ion s Bar
Contiguous means to select only the colors that are connected to each other. If it’s not selected, then the color will be selected in the entire image.
Tolerance helps you to select a greater range of colors. If its ratio is set high and you click over a green color (say from light green to dark green), all colors will be selected. This will not be the case if Tolerance value is low. Sample All Layers command will be described later on. [Page 277]
Quick Selection Tool
A relatively new tool, it selects one color that you click on from the whole image. It works great for removing backgrounds.
Magic Wand Tool
This tool has been in Photoshop since the old times. It works in similar fashion to the Quick Selection Tool, you click an area and that color is selected. This tool gives you more control over your selection compared to Quick Selection Tool.
Cropping Tools
Cro p Tool’s Opt ion s Bar
It works as any other crop tool in other picture viewing programs (such as Picasa). Slice Tools will be covered later, with the option Save for Web & Devices.
Height and Width set the aspect ratio. [Page 426] Eyedropper Tools
Eyedrop per Tool’s Opt ions Bar
Eyedropper Tool
Same old story, this also works in the same way as any eyedropper tool works in other programs (such as Microsoft Paint). It reads the color value from wherever you click so that you can fill that color to any other place. [Page 175]
3D Material Eyedropper Tool
This tool selects the material surface (concrete, metal etc.). You can take example as if it is a pattern selecting tool, not just a color selecting tool but it is designed
specifically when you are working with 3D modeling and CAD software.
Color Sampler Tool
This is the same as normal eyedropper tool except that it lets you check color values of four different points simultaneously.
Ruler Tool
It measures the distance between two points. Just click and drag.
Note Tool
It allows you to add notes to your file. They are like comments so if multiple people are working on the same file, you can leave notes/comments for the next person who will be working.
123 Count Tool
This tool counts the total number of objects in an image. It is one of the least used tools in Photoshop, along with Art History Brush.
Healing Brushes
Healing Brush Tool’s Opt ions Bar
We shall cover Mode in just a bit.
Source options are for selecting a color pattern from the opened image you want to paint with Healing Brush using a predefined patter.
Aligned means after you select a color pattern from the image and then move your pointer up or down (vertically), the target source location also moves and stays at the same distance. [Page 410]
Spot Healing Brush Tool
This is a great tool for making finishing touches. This tool copies the color pattern specifications from its surroundings and pastes it in the center of the brush.
Example: You have a portrait and there’s a mole in the face, you want to remove it, just move your brush (mouse pointer) over that mole and click it. Voila, it’s
removed. The skin is copied from the surroundings and pasted over the mole. You don’t even have to make a selection.
Healing Brush Tool
Great Tool, works in a similar manner to the previous one, except here, you can copy the color pattern from anywhere, even other images.
Hold your Alt key and click to select the color pattern, and then draw it wherever you want, this tool will draw the pattern and as soon as you release it, the pattern automatically merges with the surroundings.
The only difference between this tool and Spot Healing Brush is that this tool gives you more control because it lets you select the source pattern. So bottom-line is that Spot Healing Brush is good for making minor edits, because that’s quick.
Healing Brush requires more effort but it gives you control so you can make major edits.
Patch Tool
You can make a freeform lasso like selection, and this selection can be patched anywhere you like. This tool is really helpful if you are renewing old, torn photos.
Content Aware Move Tool
This is a new tool, earlier this option used to be buried up in a dialog box.
This is a very intelligent tool. It recreates the background if you remove an object from an image. We covered this option in a tutorial when it was introduced in Photoshop CS5.
Red Eye Tool
This should not be a new tool. Picasa and all other picture viewers contain this
option. Sometimes, when you take a photo in night, the flash turns the eyeballs into blazing red dots. This tool fixes such photos.
It creates a rectangle when clicked and dragged. Just click and drag over the reddened eyeball.
Brush Tools
Brush Tool’s Opti ons Bar
Mode changes the method your brush stroke is applied to the image in the background.
The difference between Opacity and Flow is that if opacity is low, you can paint over a point many times. The opacity will stay the same, while Flow works the same way as if you were painting over a canvas. Blending Modes and Opacity options are covered in the “layers” section below. [Page 474]
Brush Tool
For digital paintings and web designing, this is one the most used tools in
Photoshop. It works as if you have a paint brush in your hand. Click it and drag it around. Press "]" enlarge the size of the brush and "[" to shrink it.
Pencil Tool
A solid stroke of color, click and drag, it will create a line of that color, that’s it.
Color Replacement Tool
It adds a color filter to any place of the image you brush it with. It works great when you want to convert one object (or area) of an image to Black and White (grayscale) colors. To do this, just pick black color and paint over anything. You can pick colors using eyedropper tool or selecting colors from Colors Panel. We’ll talk more about picking colors, later.
Mixer Brush Tool
This tool creates quite dramatic effects in digital paintings, but to be honest, this is not much useful in portrait or image editing. Just click and drag around in different Modes, you’ll understand what it does.
Stamp Tools
The commands of the options bar will be cleared at Layers section below. [Page (Cloning) 407 (Pattern) 523]
Clone Stamp Tool
Congeneric to the Healing Brush Tool, the difference is that it doesn’t merge the painted image with its surroundings. You can select the sample pattern using the same Alt + Click as it is with Healing Brush.
Pattern Stamp Tool
Same as Brush Tool, except it paints a predefined pattern, rather than a color. History Brushes
History brush will be explained in the History and Undo panel. [Page 66]
Histor y Bru shes’ Opt ions Bar
There’s relatively no new command on the options bar for these tools, so we’ll be jumping over options bar until we reach Vector tools. We are doing this to sa ve
time.
Art History Brush
This has to be the least used tool in Photoshop. We’re not even going to define what it does. Just open any image, click and drag over it and you’ll know what it does. Mind you, it does not do anything else, it does just what you’ll be seeing there.
Eraser Tools
Eraser Tool
It does what its name suggests. It removes the foreground and reveals the background color below. This is the same is as Microsoft Paint.
Background Eraser Tool
It removes the background color and makes that part of the image transparent.
Magic Eraser Tool
Click anywhere and that color will be deleted from the entire image. Fill Tools
Paint Bucket Tool
It fills the selected color or area with your chosen color. Again, this tool is same with MS Paint.
Gradient Tool
Rather than solid colors, as in Paint Bucket Tool, this tool fills gradients. The working is exactly the same as Paint Bucket Tool. [Page 503]
3D Material Drop Tool
The 3D Material Drop tool works much like the traditional Paint Bucket tool, letting you sample and apply materials directly on 3D objects. [Page 795]
Refinement Tools
Blur Tool
Absorbs the sharpness and makes that portion of the image seem blurry. This tool is often used in image editing.
Sharpen Tool
An absolute opposite to the Blur Tool.
Smudge Tool
Creates the effect of finger painting, i.e. smudge painting. Some newcomers use this tool for portrait editing, such as I mentioned earlier, removing a mole from a face - but that is the wrong way to do it. Proper method is to use Clone Tool and Healing Brush Tool.
Color Editing Tools
Dodge Tool
It exposes the colors in range of Shadows, Midtones or Highlights of the image. You can switch the range from Options Bar.
Burn Tool
Opposite to Dodge Tool, it does not expose colors; rather burns them.
Sponge Tool
Painting with this tool helps you to saturate (or desaturate) a part of image. You can change the setting from Options Bar.
Pen Tools
Pen Tool’s Opt ion s Bar
Options Bar will be defined later in the section of Layers and Paths. [Page 494]
Pen Tools
Creates a Vector shape in the same way you make with a Polygonal Lasso Tool and also an anchor points with every click.
Freeform Pen Tool
Creates a shape according to the method of Lasso Tool, click – hold – drag.
Add Anchor Point
Does it need any explanation?
Delete Anchor Point
No, it does not need any explanation!
Convert Point Tool
Click on an anchor point of any vector in Photoshop and drag it. It gives thevector boundary line a swirl.
Text Tools
Type Tool’sOpt ion s Bar
The Options Bar of these tools contains only the options which are present in common word processor. So we don’t need to look deeply in it. [Page 546]
Horizontal Type Tool
Click anywhere and start typing. If you want to make a text box, click and drag to make a rectangular text box.
Vertical Type Tool
Does the same thing, but in vertical order.
Horizontal Type Mask Tool
This tool is covered below, in the Masks section.
Vertical Type Mask Tool
Path Editing Tools
Path Selection Tool
This tool selects and moves parts (fragments) of a path.
Direct Selection Tool
This tool can select, move a path as well as select an anchor point and change its specifications. [Page 483]
Shape Tools
Almost all of these tools work the same way, so let’s just jump to the last one.
Custom Shape Tool
This tool can create various predefined custom shapes such as arrows, pop-outs etc. Working method is still the same, click and draw. [Page 471]
Navigation Tools
Hand Tool
This works exactly in the same manner as any Hand Tool in other applications. When are viewing an image from a zoomed-in viewpoint, and you want to navigate to your right/left or up/down, just select this tool to navigate through. You
temporarily enable this tool while using any other tool by pressing and holding the Spacebar. When you let go your spacebar, you are automatically reverted back to the tool you were using prior to pressing spacebar.
Rotate View Tool
This rotates the canvas. It is a helpful tool if you are a digital artist.
Zoom Tool
This tool isn’t a hard guess, is it? It zooms in and out of an image. This tool is hardly ever used because zoom functions are performed via shortcut keys. We have
Color Picking and Preview
You see two colors, the top one is the foreground color and the bottom one is background color. When you erase something out of the image, the background color takes its place. And foreground color is the main color which will be painted if you use Brush Tool or some other painting tool. [Page 174]
The bent arrow button alters the colors. It turns the background color into foreground color and vice-versa.
The little preview-like button on the top left loads the default colors in the color preview box. The default colors are Black in the foreground and White in the background.
The color preview box works in coordination with the Colors Panel. So let’s start our panels section with Colors Panel.
Quick Mask Mode (Preview Mode)
You can enable quick mask mode using the button above.
Before we can understand this preview mode, we’ll have to understand the concept of masking.
There are many definitions for mask. In my words, it is a way of hiding a part of an image, without editing or removing it. They are applied on layers so you can hide a particular area without removing, changing or altering it. [Page 218]
Quick Mask Preview mode works in the same fashion. Since it is not being applied on layers, it applies on selections. The area inside the image remains clearly visible while rest if the image gets hidden by the Quick Mask so you don’t get distracted. Here’s an example:
Same selection in Quick Mask Mode
Screen View Modes
These are pretty straightforward tools. You actually never have to use the tools, you just have to press “F” to alter between screen view modes. Here are all three modes
Panels
The first panel is a set of three panels, Colors and Swatches.
You have seen the default “Colors” panel already (in the workspace preview image), let’s give you a preview of swatches.
Colors and Swatches
It’s a pretty straightforward panel. Whichever color you choose, that becomes your foreground color. You can choose your color using the color mixer in Colors Panel or you can select a color from the Swatches Panel.
These panels work in coordination with the color preview box (in the Toolbox). Adjustments
Enable you to change the values of brightness, contrast, colors, saturation, levels and similar functions. [Page 309]
Styles
Has a list of styles that can be applied to Vector Graphics/Paths, can be painted using Pattern Stamp Tool, or they can be applied as a fill on a Layer. [Page 237]
Layers
A blank layer works exactly as if you have aa sheet of transparent paper (tracing paper). If you place that transparent paper over a printed photo, and then draw or write something on the transparent paper, will it affect the image underneath? Of course not.
Layers perform the exact same function in Photoshop. At its core, the layers are suppose to help you perform edits on images, without disturbing the image underneath. Your layer can contain vector objects, such as a text (your name maybe), raster objects, such as other images so you can merge two different
images, you can also make an Adjustment Layer which only brightens/darkens and perform similar adjustments to the image underneath.
Mind you, the image underneath is also a layer.
A common web design can contain 100 to 500 layers (yes, 500 is not at all a big number for Photoshoppers). Why are there so many layers? Because there are so many objects. Now let’s take a couple of more examples.
Imagine a regular table with many pieces of paper on it. You can move them around, put one on top of another, or even cut a small chunk of the paper off. The basic idea is that you cansplit your image into multiple parts and work with each of themindependently.
Think of it as your work desk, where you have a large number of papers. You can move each of the papers independently, write on them, throw them away, cut them, glue them together and much more. The same principle applies to layers in Photoshop. Here are but a few examples:
Move a layer disregarding the othersMove a layer disregarding the others
Copy/cut/paste from one layer to anotherCopy/cut/paste from one layer to another
Blend layers together with one of many blend modesBlend layers together with one of many blend modes
Change opacity of the layersChange opacity of the layers
Apply styles to each layer, e.g. stroke, drop shadow and many moreApply styles to each layer, e.g. stroke, drop shadow and many more
Crazy Fact!
Crazy Fact! it’s difficult to imagine Photoshop without layers, but actually layersit’s difficult to imagine Photoshop without layers, but actually layers were not included in it until Photoshop 3.0
were not included in it until Photoshop 3.0 Channels
Channels
As you know, digital images are constructed from pixels which contain primary As you know, digital images are constructed from pixels which contain primary colors. By manipulating their ratio, the computer generates all the colors.
colors. By manipulating their ratio, the computer generates all the colors. So basically these are the color modes, RGB, CMYK. RGB is used for displaying So basically these are the color modes, RGB, CMYK. RGB is used for displaying colors on monitor screens and CMYK is used for printing colored graphics. If you colors on monitor screens and CMYK is used for printing colored graphics. If you are designing a graphic that is going to be printed, it will have four channels, Cyan, are designing a graphic that is going to be printed, it will have four channels, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. If your graphic is a grayscale one, it will only have one Magenta, Yellow and Black. If your graphic is a grayscale one, it will only have one channel. You can change channel values from panel.
channel. You can change channel values from panel. [Page 282] [Page 282] Opacity and Blend Modes
Opacity and Blend Modes
Each layer can have its own opacity setting which determines how opaque or Each layer can have its own opacity setting which determines how opaque or transparent the layer is. This is very useful when you want to do more complex transparent the layer is. This is very useful when you want to do more complex compositions, where you may want a little transparent background.
compositions, where you may want a little transparent background.
As you get more advanced with Photoshop, opacity will become your best friend, As you get more advanced with Photoshop, opacity will become your best friend, because it allows you to dial down the effects of some filters or adjustments. because it allows you to dial down the effects of some filters or adjustments.
Opacity is often used to adjust the effect of a modification you made, be it a blend Opacity is often used to adjust the effect of a modification you made, be it a blend mode or any filter. You can select a value from 0 to 100%, where 0 is completely mode or any filter. You can select a value from 0 to 100%, where 0 is completely transparent and 100% is completely opaque.
transparent and 100% is completely opaque.
To quickly set opacity value, just press the number representing the percentage on To quickly set opacity value, just press the number representing the percentage on your keyboard. For 50% press 5, for 70% press 7, for 56% press 5 and 6 in quick your keyboard. For 50% press 5, for 70% press 7, for 56% press 5 and 6 in quick succession. That's how you set opacity!
succession. That's how you set opacity!
You might have noticed that there is another value similar to opacity called
You might have noticed that there is another value similar to opacity called FlowFlow.. Simply put, Flow is just same as the Opacity until you start using Layer Styles, as Simply put, Flow is just same as the Opacity until you start using Layer Styles, as Flow doesn't apply to any styles, only to the layer itself. When you get more Flow doesn't apply to any styles, only to the layer itself. When you get more advanced, you will find out that Flow affects some blend modes differently than advanced, you will find out that Flow affects some blend modes differently than Opacity does, but that is not important right now.
Opacity does, but that is not important right now. [Page 181] [Page 181] History
History
Photoshop has only one undo. Don’t worry though, because it also has something Photoshop has only one undo. Don’t worry though, because it also has something much better - History. When you press Ctrl + Z it performs an Undo, if you press it much better - History. When you press Ctrl + Z it performs an Undo, if you press it again, Photoshop performs a Redo. To perform several Undos’ Press Ctrl + Alt + Z. again, Photoshop performs a Redo. To perform several Undos’ Press Ctrl + Alt + Z. You can view all your performed actions from History panel and perform several You can view all your performed actions from History panel and perform several Undos’ by just clicking at a position.
Undos’ by just clicking at a position.
Here, you can see the history of actions performed on a photo of a cute little Koala. Here, you can see the history of actions performed on a photo of a cute little Koala.
1.
1. Opened the image.Opened the image. 2.
2. Cropped unnecessary parts of the image.Cropped unnecessary parts of the image. 3.
4.
4. Moved the text to its proper place.Moved the text to its proper place. 5.
5. Changed the color of the text.Changed the color of the text.
History Brush ToolHistory Brush Tool
We promised we’ll be defining this tool here, so here it is. This tool works as the We promised we’ll be defining this tool here, so here it is. This tool works as the usual Brush Tool, but it does not paint a color, it rather re-emerges a previous state usual Brush Tool, but it does not paint a color, it rather re-emerges a previous state of things from History.
of things from History. Example:
Example: Desaturate an image > create a blank layer > Select History Brush Tool >Desaturate an image > create a blank layer > Select History Brush Tool > Select the pre-desaturation state from History panel > Paint over the blank layer, Select the pre-desaturation state from History panel > Paint over the blank layer, where you are painting, the image is retrieving colors again.
Paths
Every vector object in Photoshop is a Path. It is called a path for the line that forms the vector. In the screenshot above, you can see a vector polygon drawn with the help of Custom Shape Tool. You can also see same polygon displayed in the Paths Panel. [Page 482]
Properties
This is a new feature in Photoshop. Basically, this panel shows properties of the object and also it performs some edits. Here’s the example using same polygon that we drew for Paths Panel.
After changed some properties
Basically this panel is still evolving and it may change in the next version. At the moment however, it shows properties of vectors, adjustment layers, and linked objects.
Note:linked objects are the objects that are located externally. For instance, if you are working on a map of a building which is saved externally and only linked in the Photoshop document, all the changes made in the external file will be immediately updated in the Photoshop document as well. This feature is helpful when teams collaborating on the same project and one person is supposed to edit the file outside and
Saving for Web
Earlier, this command was called Save for Web & Devices. The basic idea for this whole set of commands is to optimize images for web. As you’ve already studied that web browsers cannot display all 256K colors, and you would also know that it is never a good idea to put large volume images on web, so this command takes care of all those things.
Let’s refer back to that Koala image and see how that looks opened in this command.
The top left side contains simple preview options for some tools such as the Quick Hand Tool, Zoom Tool etc. and some Preview Styles from which you can choose to only view the optimized view, comparative view etc.
At the top right hand side, you can choose the format of the optimized image(s) e.g. PNG, JPG, GIF and so on; and also their quality levels. Web Designers frequently toggle with quality levels to find the middle ground between image quality and image volume. If you reduce quality, the volume of the image is also reduced so its loading speed increases. However, it loses some details so it’s always a tough
decision when choosing between quality and loading speed.
You might be wondering what is color index. It’s a table/index of all the colors used in the image. It doesn’t work in JPG’s but it works in GIFs. So let’s move forward and see a live example.
Slice Tool
This is another tool which we promised we’ll clear later. So here it is.
Basically, a slice is a cropped image, but you can create multiple slices (hence, multiple cropped images) by using this tool. This tool enables you to divide your design into segments, and each segment can be saved as an independent image. This tool works as a partner with Save for Web. [Page 725]
You can create a segment in any image by just selecting Slice Tool and clicking & dragging over the area you want to make a separate picture. It becomes very useful when you create a design of a website (or its element), such as a navigation bar in Adobe Photoshop, and now you need to divide that design into separate segments.
This tool is used for creating web designs. When you create a web design and it is ready to be live, you have to make distribute the design into each independent segment. After all, you cannot just upload one big image as a whole website. So here’s how it works.
Let’s assume we have designed a web layout for Designzzz.com and now it is ready to be converted into HTML. So here it is sliced.
You can see that all social media icons, search button, logo and navigation bar icons are sliced out. All these slices will turn out as independent images and they can be incorporated in the HTML. Now let’s save these slices.
You can save only images, images and HTML or even HTML only (not used much). You can also select whether you want to save only one slice or all the slices
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP SHORTCUTS
Adobe Photoshop is a huge program with a large number of commands, butits a quite time consuming experience to perform a task when we don’t knowthe shortcuts (short keys). Let's go through some frequently used shortcuts andtips that will surely increase the speed of your work.
We have tested all these shortcuts on Adobe Photoshop CC Extended.
Tip:Open Photoshop and test these shortcuts right away. That's the best way to memorize them.
Shortcuts of Tools
1. Caps Lock switches your cursor to Plus sign for precision, while working with painting or editing tools.
2. To draw a straight line, click at the point from where you want the line to start, then go to the point where you want the line to end, hold Shift and Click.
3. Holding Ctrl will temporarily change you current tool to Move Tool.
4. Holding Spacebar will temporarily change you current tool to Hand Tool.
5. Holding Alt will temporarily change you current tool to Eyedropper Tool, if you are working with a painting tool.
6. Ctrl + Alt + Click and drag the image, it will create a duplication of the current image or selection and make an overlay on the top.
7. If you hold down Alt while using Burn or Dodge Tool, it switches the tool functions between them.
8. When you are done typing with any text tool, press Ctrl+Enter, Photoshop will understand you are done. You can also press the Enter key on numbering pad if you want a single key solution for that purpose.
9. Alt + Mouse Scroll changes the zoom level
10. While using Magnetic Lasso Tool, pressing Delete button will remove the previous anchor point.
11. While working with Zoom Tool, Ctrl + Spacebar zooms in the image and Alt + Spacebar zooms out.
12. Eyedropper Tool - captures foreground color. Hold Alt and click to capture the color for background.
13. When drawing a line with the Measure Tool, if you hold Alt and drawanother line from the end of the first line, it will also measure the angle.
14. When using Marquee Tools, hold down Alt and it will make the click pointas the center point of the selection.
15.When using Brush Tool, or any other Paint Tool, pressing the numbers on the numbering pad will alter the transparency. (3=30%, 4=40% and so on.Pressing 4 then 5 will get45%)
16. Hold Shift and press "+" or "-" it will change the layer and painting modes:
N = Normal I = Dissolve M = Multiply S = Screen O = Overlay F = Soft Light H = Hard Light D = Color Dodge B = Color Burn K = Darken G = Lighten E = Difference X = Exclusion U = Hue
T = Saturation C = Color Y = Luminosity Q = Behind 1 L = Threshold 2 R = Clear 3 W = Shadow 4 V = Midtones 4 Z = Highlights 4
Note: Some of these shortcuts require relevant tools to be selected. For instance the last three shortcuts require an Image Adjustment Tool to be selected. Shortcuts for Workspace
17. When you double click the gray background area, the “Open” command will run. (Works when no file is opened)
18. Double clicking on the title of any panel will minimize or maximize it. 19. All "Cancel" buttons in every Photoshop windows and tables, will be transformed into a "Reset" button by just holding Alt.
20. Pressing Tab will hide toolbar and panels, while Shift + Tab will only hide panels. This is one the most used trick in Photoshop.
21.Wanna have some fun? Change the gray background color outside the opened file? Select Paint Bucket tool, hold shift and click. Voila! (Works only when a file is opened)
22. Ctrl + Backspace and Alt + Backspace will fill in the whole image area with foreground color or background colors.
23. Pressing Shift + Backspace will pop-up the option window, Alt + Shift + Backspace and Ctrl + Shift + Backspace, will fill the image with foreground or background color but will not change the values in of the areas of alpha.
24. Ctrl+Jmakes a duplicate layer.
25. Ctrl + D to deselect all, and Ctrl+Shift+D to reselect what you deselected. 26. You can show or hide a path by pressing Ctrl+Shift+H.
27. Pressing Ctrl+Tab allows you to toggles between opened image files. 28. Alt drag a step from a serial action can copy it to another action.
29. If you want to import an object from Illustrator to Photoshop, just Copy and Paste. Photoshop will ask you whether to import it as a vector or bitmap.
30. Double clicking the Hand Tool provides you the largest full image preview. 31. Double clicking the Zoom Tool sets the zoom level to 100%.
32. Pressing X will swap the foreground and background colors.
33. Pressing D will resets the foreground and background colors to default
34. Ctrl+Shift+Nopens the new layer with a dialog box, Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N creates a new layer, no questions asked.
35. Press F to alter between the Screen View Modes.
Online Resources
Naturally, there are many more issues worth your attention. We couldn't possibly make our material as long as we would like to, because it would cover hundreds of pages.
As a result, we're providing a special chapter for bonus resources that you should check out yourself. You can obviously ignore it, but you will greatly enhance the utility of this material simply by checking out the links below.
There are just two categories:
Tutorials are meant to help you with a particular topic that either hasn't been covered that much here or it extends the information provided by us.
Free Resources will provide an excellent collection of free Photoshop Pluginsand Extensions, because good tools are almost necessary for creating a nicepiece of art.
PHOTOSHOP TUTORIALS
Phot o Man ipulat ions
Cool Break Dancer Pirate House Paint Dispersion Effect
Typograph y
Groovy Typography Neon Text Shattered Stone Effect
Web Desig n
Phot o Eff ect s
Dead Wood Zombie Digital Make Up
Advanced Funct ions
Creating a Brush Content Aware Fill Simple Equalizer Animation
Photoshop Resources
These are all links to downloadable resources
Mega Collection of Photoshop Actions 31 Free Photoshop Layer Styles
Photoshop Cheatsheets
60+ Free PSD Poster and Flyer Templates Photoshop Custom Shapes Download Free Photoshop Patterns
Top 10 Free Photoshop Plugins Photoshop Brushes
Ending Note
First of all, thank you for downloading and studying this book. Hopefully, by this time you should have grasped the Photoshop’s concepts and you cannot wait to start making your own Photoshopped graphics. We wish you all the luck in the world.
We also encourage you to visit Designzzz.com and visit this eBook’s homepage, share your thoughts, interact with fellow readers of this book and us.
One more thing, we are craving to talk to you. If you have any questions, need any further help or even if you want to criticize our effort, just come to the site, we’re waiting.
Credits
Although this book was prepared by the Designzzz Editorial team, it would not have been completed without valuable help OndrejDyrka and Jakub Arnold from Czech Republic and Eric Shafer of USA.
Designzzz.com’s editorial team consisted of Tayyub Ibrahim, WaseemAmjad and the webmaster, publisher of this eBook, Ayaz Malik.
But the biggest contributors in this book are of course, you guys, the readers of Designzzz.com. Your help, your feedback and your support has enabled us to present this eBook. Thank you for trusting us!
A little bit about Designzzz.com
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