Learning How To Use Photoshop Tools

Adobe Photoshop is today’s market leader when it comes to photo editing software programs. Inside Photoshop are a variety of tools that help you create images such as logos, banners, and buttons from scratch as well as edit digital photographs. You can also download photos, scanned artwork, or Internet icons and use Photoshop to edit them to suit your needs.

The incredible breadth of Photoshop’s functions can be daunting, especially if you are a beginner to graphic creation or photo editing; however, after spending a bit of time reading the instruction manual, even someone who is new to photo editing should be able to take advantage of the features available in Photoshop. If you find the book difficult to follow you can also find video tutorials which can guide you through any part of Photoshop.

There are four components of Photoshop’s desktop. These four areas are the main tools used to create and edit images. These tools are:- Menu Bar, Drawing Canvas, Toolbox & Palettes.

I want to start with the most familiar item first. At the top of the screen is the Menu Bar which looks like the menu bar in most other applications. Each menu item is almost self explanatory; for example, if you want to do anything with the “file” you are working on you will find it under “File.” If you want to manipulate anything on the screen you should find it under “Edit” or “Tools.” Under the menu items you will find all the tools in which to create or manipulate your items.

The Drawing Canvas is the next part of Photoshop that you want to become familiar with. The drawing canvas is the large white area in the middle of the screen where you can create or edit your images. Here you can also limit or specify the size of your image and you will want to set the size of your drawing canvas to match your projects requirements. The drawing canvas title bar will tell you the name of your image once you have saved it, as well as the magnification level at which you are viewing your screen and what workspace mode you are in. You can have an unlimited number of drawing canvases open at one time and to set them to all different sizes.

The Toolbox is your main arsenal of tools which will allow you to create and edit your images in Photoshop. The toolbox contains twenty different tools that allow you to draw and modify images on your drawing canvas. When you hold your mouse over each item and a “tooltip” will appear telling you the name of the tool itself. You might notice a small triangle at the bottom of the tool icon. If you can press and hold your mouse over the tool a flyout menu will appear showing any hidden tools. With these tools you can create shapes, draw lines, fill in colors, erase images, select parts of an image, and so much more. When you select the different tools Photoshop changes the shape of your mouse pointer with the idea that you will remember what tool you are currently using.

The last component of Photoshop that you will need to be familiar with is the dock which contain certain panels. When you open the program five panels will appear on your screen. These default panels are: information, brushes, layers, command, and color. More panels are found in the Windows menu on the menu bar. These panels are what give Photoshop its versatility. Each panel modifies the properties of the tools in the toolbox. For example, the brushes panel allows you to change the thickness of line your brush draws. Each panel contains its own features and it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with each panel and their functions. You will also want to look at the menu’s for each of the panels which are available at the top right of the panel.

Once you are comfortable with the basic layout of Photoshop you should get to know all the tools in your toolbox. The best way to do this is open a new drawing canvas select each tool and begin to play and see what each one does. If you have the instruction manual in front of you you will be able to read about each of the tools properties and what exactly it does. Once you have become comfortable with the basics of the program you can begin to work on the more advanced features.

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