Photoshop Project and Workflow Practice

Vocabulary-style flashcards based on Photoshop project setup, legal concepts, retouching tools, and design principles as outlined in the lecture notes.

CMYK

The color mode recommended for preparing an image that will be printed commercially.

Smart Object

A layer type that allows for non-destructive transformations and filtering.

PNG-24

A file format that supports transparency and lossless compression, typically used for sharp web graphics and text.

Layer Mask (Painting with Black)

The action of painting on a mask to fully conceal or hide the layer's content.

Rule of Thirds

A cropping and compositional principle where main points of interest are aligned along the intersecting lines of a $3 imes 3$ grid.

Vector Shapes or Text Layers

The features in Photoshop used to create logos that are scalable without any loss of quality.

$300\,PPI$ (Pixels Per Inch)

The industry-standard resolution for an image intended for high-quality commercial print.

Spot Healing Brush Tool

A tool suited for cleaning up small elements while blending the repair with the surrounding texture, light, and shading.

Adjustment Layer

A type of layer used to non-destructively change the color, contrast, or tonal range of an image.

Content-Aware Fill

A feature used to seamlessly remove an object or area from an image by replacing it with surrounding content.

Fair Use

A doctrine permitting limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes like criticism, teaching, or parody.

Curves Adjustment Layer

A tool used to perform precise color, contrast, and tonal adjustments by mapping input values to output values.

Character Panel

The panel used to control text size, leading, tracking, and kerning.

Multiply

A blending mode that darkens an image by multiplying the color of the blend layer with the base layer.

Resolution Constraint (Client Protocol)

The practice of informing a client that a higher-resolution image must be provided if the original is too small for quality print.

Royalty-free License

A license where the user pays a single flat fee for the right to use an image multiple times without subsequent royalties.

'D' Key

The keyboard shortcut used to change foreground and background colors to their default settings of black and white.

Perspective Warp

A feature used to correct perspective distortion, such as tall buildings appearing to lean inward.

Eraser Tool

A tool that is destructive to original pixel data when used directly on a raster layer.

Merge Visible

A menu command ($Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + E$) that combines all visible layers into a single layer while discarding hidden ones.

HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness)

A color model whose elements are most often controlled in the Color Picker or Color Panel.

Quick Selection Tool

A tool used to quickly select irregularly shaped areas based on color and tone similarity.

Unsharp Mask

A filter that increases perceived sharpness by increasing contrast along defined edges.

Kerning

The adjustment of space between a specific pair of characters to improve readability.

Image Size Command

The menu command used to permanently change the pixel dimensions (width and height) of an image.

Dodge Tool

A tool used to locally increase exposure and lighten specific areas of an image.

Smooth (Refine Edge)

An option in the Refine Edge workspace used to smooth jagged edges of complex selections like hair.

Optimized JPEG

The best practice for optimizing photographs with many colors for fast web loading, usually with a quality between $60$ and $80$.

History Panel

A panel that allows the user to revert to any previous state of an image since the document was opened.

Transparency Preservation

The essential function of PNG or GIF formats when saving images for the web.

Intellectual Property (IP)

Creations of the mind, such as images and designs, that are legally protected from unauthorized use.

Polygonal Lasso Tool

A selection tool best used for geometric shapes with straight lines and sharp corners.

Opacity vs. Fill

Opacity affects both pixels and layer styles, whereas Fill affects only the pixels and not the layer styles.

PSD

The file format that preserves all Photoshop features, including layers, adjustment layers, text, and Smart Objects.

Black & White Adjustment Layer

A non-destructive method for removing color from an image or making it monochromatic.

PPI (Pixels Per Inch)

The unit of measurement used to adjust resolution in the Image Size dialogue for inkjet printing.

Vector Mask

A resolution-independent mask created using a Pen Tool path to define hard edges.

Color Blending Mode

A mode that combines base color information with the luminosity and saturation of the blend layer, often for colorizing.

Pen Tool

A tool used to create precise, scalable vector paths that can be converted to selections or masks.

$$Ctrl/Command + G$$

The keyboard shortcut used to quickly group selected layers in the Layers panel.

Levels Sliders

The three sliders (black, gray, white) beneath the histogram that control highlight, shadow, and midtone input values.

Invert

A command that shifts the color range of a selection to its opposite or complement on the color wheel.

Metadata Tag

Descriptive information embedded in an image file, such as camera model, date, copyright, and author.

Bicubic Sharper

The resampling method generally selected when reducing image size to preserve detail and sharpness.

Patch Tool

A retouching tool used to select an area and replace it by blending with a sample from another specific area.

Low Saturation

The visual characteristic of a color that appears muted, dull, or closer to gray.

Smart Filter

A non-destructive filter applied to a layer that has been converted to a Smart Object.

Design Comping / Target Audience

The process of making a design project appeal to a target demographic based on visual elements.

Eyedropper Tool

A tool used to sample an exact color from an image to set it as the foreground color.

Color Table

An option in the Save for Web dialog used to limit the color palette of GIF and PNG-8 formats.

$Ctrl/Command$ (Non-proportional Transform)

The key held down while using Free Transform to distort an object's shape non-proportionally.

Custom Workspace

A saved arrangement of panels and tools created using Window > Workspace > New Workspace.

$$Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + I$$

The keyboard shortcut used to inverse a selection.

Exposure

An adjustment that brightens the entire image, primarily affecting highlights and midtones.

Versatility (Logo Design)

The principle that a logo must be designed for scalability and both positive/negative use across different media.

Options Bar (Eyedropper)

The location where the option to sample color from an average area rather than a single point is found.

Clipping Mask

A feature that uses the content and transparency of a lower layer to control the visibility of an upper layer.

GIF (Web Graphics)

A file format best suited for web logos or animations with large areas of flat, solid color.

Leading

The vertical space between the baselines of successive lines of type.

Low Dynamic Range (Lighting)

A condition often caused by bright light that results in deep shadows and blown-out highlights.

Grayscale Mode

A color mode selected to reduce file size when an image contains no color information.

Paths Panel

The panel used to load a previously saved path as an active selection.

Vanishing Point Filter

A filter used to clone, paint, or paste elements so they follow the perspective plane of a photograph.

Project Scope / Technical Requirements

Determining the final output medium and dimensions as requested by a client before starting a design.

Overlay

A contrast group blending mode that increases contrast by combining Multiply and Screen modes.

Linked Smart Object

A feature that allows multiple PSD documents to use the same source file, with automatic updates across all.

Color Range Selection

A tool used to select pixels based on similarity of color and brightness values across the image.

Emphasis

A design principle focused on creating a focal point to draw the viewer's eye to the most important part.

Shift + Rectangular Marquee

The shortcut interaction used to create a proportional square selection.

Vibrance

An adjustment that primarily affects muted, subtle, and mid-range colors such as skin tones.

TIFF

A file format for print that supports layers, provides maximum quality, and is cross-platform compatible.

Straighten Option (Crop Tool)

A feature allowing the user to drag a line across a feature to fix a crooked image.

Negative Space

White space used in design to create balance, focus, and clarity around positive elements.

Background Layer Conversion

The process of double-clicking the lock icon to rename the background layer so Layer Styles can be applied.

Offset Filter

A filter used in conjunction with the Clone Stamp Tool to create seamless texture patterns.

Desaturate

A command in the Image menu used to remove all color data based on relative pixel brightness.

Unity / Harmony

The design principle of making all colors, shapes, and text look like they belong together.

Actions Panel

The panel used to record and play back commands for automated batch processing on multiple files.

Color Banding

Visual steps in a gradient caused by insufficient color depth, such as $8-bit$ color or less.

Layer Mask (Adjustment Protection)

The method of painting with black on an adjustment layer to protect specific areas from the effect.

Shape Layer

A layer type created with vector tools that is infinitely scalable without loss of quality.

Clone Source Panel

A panel that manages up to five different source points for the Clone Stamp Tool, allowing rotation and scaling.

[ and ] (Bracket Keys)

The keyboard shortcuts used to change the size of the brush tip.

Symmetrical Balance

Balance achieved with elements of equal weight mirrored across a central axis.

Asymmetrical Balance

Balance achieved using elements of differing visual weight without mirroring.

$Shift + [$ and $Shift + ]$

The keyboard shortcuts used to change Brush Hardness.

Liquify Filter

A tool used to push, pull, pucker, and bloat pixels for artistic or corrective distortion.

$Alt / Option + Click$ (Clone Stamp)

The action used to define the source point (sampling point) for the Clone Stamp Tool.

Soft Proofing

The process of checking for color shifts and ensuring an image is within the printer's color Gamut.

Histogram Panel

A panel that represents the tonal distribution of an image, showing shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Lasso Tool

A freehand selection tool that allows for straight-line segments when a modifier key is held.

Bitmap / Raster Image

An image created using pixels that will lose quality when scaled up significantly.

JPEG (Web Banner)

The recommended file format for web images with complex colors and gradual transitions.

Camera Raw Filter

A filter used for advanced non-destructive adjustments like white balance and noise reduction.

Alpha Channel

A saved custom selection located in the Channels Panel for later reuse.

Lossy Compression

A compression method, like JPEG, that permanently discards image data to achieve smaller file sizes.

Lossless Compression

A compression method, like PNG or TIFF, that reduces file size without discarding original image data.

Distort Transformation

A command allowing free manipulation of perspective by moving corner handles to make objects recede.

Save As Copy

A saving option that creates a duplicate file in a flat format like JPEG without changing the active PSD.

Low PPI Enlargement

A condition resulting in blurry and pixelated results when a $72\,PPI$ image is printed at poster size.