Photoshop

Teppo Räisänen

LIIKE/OAMK 2011

General Information

Photoshop is an advanced image editing tool Web Graphics Printed material

UI is based on menus/commands floatable tool windows

Tools

Stages of use of tools Choose the appropriate tool Make the necessary adjustments Point the mouse into the image and

perform the operation with the tool

History

Previous commands are shown in the history window

Drag the operation into the recycle bin to cancel the operation

Otherwise undo/redo and step backwards/forward can be used

Opening a Image

File > Open Note: ”All Formats” shows also the

formats not compatible with Photoshop

Several images can be opened at the same time to be edited within Photoshop

Creating a new image

Steps: File > New (use presets) Adjust Height & Width Adjust resolution (72 ppi for Web

graphics) Adjust color model (RGB for Web

graphics)

Saving an Image

Photoshop’s native format is .psd .psd stores all the information

about the image => Use .psd for work copies

Finally for Web use ”Save for Web” and choose between .jpeg/.gif/.png

Colors

The tools window shows the current Foreground color Background color

To change colors use swatches clicking on squares from tools window colors window

Brush/Pencil tool

For freeform drawing Options:

Shape and size Opacity

Paint Bucket

Fills the selected area with color Gradient Tool fills the area with the

selected gradient Note: adjust the scope of the

gradient by dragging the mouse

Crop Tool

For cropping the image into a selected area

The area is adjusted by dragging with mouse

Finally, click on the v-button to perform the cropping

Brightness and Contrast

For adjusting the general look of the image

Also subareas of an image can be modified

Image > Adjust > Brightness/Contrast

Histogamm

For more sophisticated adjustments Image > Adjust > Levels Adjust all the rgb components or

select a single channel Basic adjustment includes removing

the empty areas from the histogamm by dragging the arrowheads

Histogamm

Selections Selections are essential when

editing areas of an image Options:

Marquee Tool Lasso Tool Magic Wand

Selections are performed by dragging with the mouse or clicking

Selections

Selections can be added to existing selections transformed reduced from existing selections

There are several settings connected to the selections

Quick Mask

Tool for sophisticated selections within an image

When Quick Mask Mode is on the eraser and pencil tools can be used for modifying the selections

Note: use zooming to pick up small areas of the image

Clone Stamp Tool

For cloning pixels from one area of the image to another

Alt-key + left click is used for defining the source of pixel copying

The cross symbol on the image will indicate the source area during copying

Layers

Essential feature of Photoshop = Transparent levels of which sum

is the actual image Layers are stored ONLY

into .psd file format Layers can be hidden/unhidden

from the layers window

Layers

Background

Layers are placed on top of the background

For some operations the background needs to be converted into a layer double-click on the background on

the layers window rename the background if necessary

Opacity

Opacity of a layer can be adjusted by dragging a slider in the layers window

100 % = the underneath layers are not visible at all

Layer Effects

Several effects can be easily attached to an individual layer

Steps: Activate the layer by clicking on it Layer > Layer Style > (adjust effects) choose OK

Effects are can later be easily removed

Adjustment Layers

For adjusting e.g. brightness without actually affecting on the layers’ contents

Steps: Layer > New Adjustment Layer Make the adjustments and press OK Adjustment layer will appear in the

layers window

Type Tool For adding text into the image A layer will be automatically

created for the text part For some edits the layer may need

to be rasterized The text contents can be later

modified by activating the text layer from the layers window

Filters

For adding effects into the layers Artistic Blurring / sharpening Lightning effects …

Transform

For Scaling Rotating Free Transform

of the layer contents Use dragging to perform the

operations and finally v-button