Photoshop tips online class version 2015

Photoshop Tips
A few basics to keep you rolling along!

Selection Tools
 Geometric (think shapes)
 Rectangular – selects a rectangular area
 Elliptical – selects a elliptical area
 Single Row – selects 1 pixel high row
 Single Column – selects 1 pixel wide column
 Remember Photoshop only
see pixels, not objects
 Great for selecting objects
that have a set shape, like
planets or a street sign.
 You can stack selection
tools if you hold down the
shift and choose another to
use, they will all link up.

Selection Tools 2
 Freehand
 Lasso – click and drag it around the area to select it freehand
 Polygonal – click to set anchor points and the tool connects them
with straight lines.
 Magnetic – click and drag over the edge of two contrasting colors.
Having more contrast will make this tool work better.
Tip: hit caps lock to get cross
hairs to target with.

Selection Tools 3
 Edge based
 Quick selection tool – quickly select around a defined edge.
Either click around object or can be used like paint brush.
Tips: use brackets to increase or
decrease brush size

Selection Tools 4
 Color based
 Magic Wand tool – makes a selection based on how much the
same the colors are around it. Think tone and color.
 Great for large areas of solid color
Tips: use shift to add to a selection, use
tolerance to +/- the range of colors
selected

Choices
 Options Bar
 Depending on the selection tool used you get different
options.
 Add selections, feather, anti- alias..

History – your own personal
Tardis Yes, you can pull effects off to
the trash
 Click any where to hop in your
history and mix it up!
 You don’t have to delete, just
start working
 Snapshots – click a save point
for later – it’s a great way to
compare changes
 History brush..paint back your
stuff!

Ctr + Z = 1
Ctr + Alt + Z = many
 Photoshop > preferences >
performance > history states
 Default is 20, don’t do more
than 50

Erase or Mask?
 Which should you do?
 It’s usually better to mask and paint with black or white to
reveal/hide images
 Erasing is permanent. No chance of going back.
 Better to create a plain masking layer and paint black (with
paint brush and black as the foreground color)
 Use brush modes to add interest to how your blending
done

Brusheezy!
 If you want some cool brushes head to Brusheezy!
 Click the download button
 Open the file and double click on the ABR file to open.
 Open Photoshop and your brushes should be loaded into
the brush to for you to use
 Ask Maci and Sarah if you need expert help 

Blend Modes
 Over 25 choices…whoa!
 You only need to know 5 at
this point.
 Base color – lower layer
 Blend color – the one on top
Tip: you can’t
apply blend
modes to layers
titled
background.
This button creates a new adjustment layer
or fill. Use this to create a new layer and
apply a blend mode to a single image.

Blend Mode Groupings
 Grouped for a reason
– our 5:
 Normal
 Multiply
 Screen
 Overlay
 Color

Normal
 Default selection
 Change opacity, but
no blending with other
layers
 Must have at least two
layers for blend modes
to interact

Multiply
 The most widely used mode.
 Does some fancy math,
hence the name multiply and
makes your image darker.
 Takes two layers and
multiplies by the color on
the bottom, divides and
bam! Darkness
 Can add an adjustment layer,
with no presets and increase
darks also. Stackable.
 Great for over exposed
images.

Screen
 Opposite of multiply
 Looks for whites and
increases those.
 Can add an
adjustment layer,
with no presets to
increase the whites.
 Great for bringing
out highlights.

Overlay
 Does a little of
Multiply and Screen
 Increases highlights
and shadows/darks.
 On these examples
the author was just
using one image and
adding an
adjustment layer. If
you want it to affect
one layer, you need
to do this too.

Photoshop Tips
The finish line!

Color
 Works with colors
specifically, hue and
saturation.
 Choose an adjustment
layer and select
hue/saturation.

Color
 Works with colors
specifically, hue and
saturation.
 Great for adding color to a
black and white image
without changing the
highlights.
 You’re not changing the
image, just add color that
will fill in with the values
that are already there. No
more flat colors!
 Just add a blank layer,
choose brush and begin
painting the color you want.

Adjustment Layers
 Found above layers
panels

 Can be used for
many different fixes
on your work
 Use clipping mask
icon to have effect
only work on one
layer

 Can be used for
many different fixes
on your work
 Trash can to get rid
of an adjustment
layer
 Across the bottom of
the adjustment layer
fly out panel, lots of
choices.

 Brightness
 Use the sliders to
lighten or darken
your image

 Levels
 Adjusts colors and
tonal range on 3
points

 Curves
 Adjusts colors and
tonal range more
than layers can.

Photoshop tips online class version 2015

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