Photoshop tips for beginners

[temi]

Photoshop tips for beginners



It is hopped this tutorial help complete beginners to Photoshop to get started with Photoshop. It was created by Dks.


We will start by explaining that the best way to work with any image editing software is to learn some keyboard combinations. You spare your time using shortcuts and you look more professional this way. Few of the common used keyboard combinations are

• CTRL + N – open a new document
• CTRL + A – make a selection of the entire canvas
• CTRL + T – transform any object or shape
• T – starts the text tool
• CTRL + O – open a document
• CTRL + S – save a document
• ALT + SHIFT + CTRL + S – save for web
• CTRL + D – deselect
• SHIFT + CTRL + I – inverse
• Q – mask
• ALT + CTRL + I – image size ( you can adjust the image size )
• CTRL + F – Apply the last filter

I guess that should be about all the keyboard shortcuts you should know in order to use Adobe Photoshop with full power and saving much time.


Now, in order to move further, I can say you that the second most important thing when working with such a software is the way you arrange your working space. This is also a thing that can save you time or can make you loose time, if not arranged properly. I mostly use the basic one, as it has all the things I need on it, but for some certain works you may need just one tool and full screen for maximum concentration on details. Do not leave your toolbars spread araround the window of the software, you will find hard to find the tool you need when you cover it with the canvas.


Do not use the full view mode unless you need to work with details. You may need to access tools quite fast and the full view mode will not allow you that freedom.


Rectangular marquee tool is very important so you will use it a lot. You can either do a screen design or you can try and create an abstract, you have 90% chances to use this tool.


Lasso tool is again very important, you will use it when working on editing images. It is very easy to make selection on large areas. It is nice to use when you want to isolate objects or persons. The second option, the one that you can back this tool up is using the mask ( Q on keyboard ).


Brush tool in my opinion you stay first. I use it more often that I use the pencil, because very rarely I need so small lines or dots.
Gradient tool and paint bucket – well here the things are a bit more complicated. You can use each one of those very often. If you create templates you probably would let the gradient tool on top because you can also set the background color of a big part of an image using the rectangular marquee tool ( make the selection, right click and fill – color ) so in order to improve the speed while working you use one tool for filling and the other tool for creating gradients.


Yet, if you feel you can use better the paint bucket tool, than you also have the option of making a selection with the rectangular marquee tool, click on the paint bucket, choose the color, fill the selection with the paint bucket tool and after deselect, right click on the layer, and after :

• Blending options > gradient overlay >

• • blend mode : normal
  • opacity : 20%
  • fill opacity : 100%

You should have a similar result, but just with a darker color. You can adjust this darker color using the Image – Adjustment – Hue and Saturation – Colorize and just play around with it.


Okay, now lets move on to the next important tool. I would like to talk now, in the end of this tutorial, about the “text” tool, which is so very important, because any banner or any concept needs some text on it.


It is important to have your settings with when creating the text, you would not want to have text with grunge edges or something like that, so be sure you have everything like this :

• if the text is on a background, use smooth display
• if the text is on white, use smooth or sharp
• do not leave your text on “none” because it MAY cause your text some grungy edges that really do not look well

Well, that is about all for now, I hope you will find these information useful.


I would like to mention that this tutorial is for beginners only, for those who would like to learn how to save some time while working with Adobe Photoshop.

[darkstar_tfd]

I hope the newbies PS will find it useful. I know time is very very important so using Adobe Photoshop with full efficiency is the key in this domain.

[deluxdon]

Nice tips temi It really helps beginners a lot.

Thanks for sharing.

DON.

[arunpattnaik]

Great work temi. thanks for sharing.