Graphic Design Photoshop Terminology

Airbrush

A feature of the Brush tool that varies the application of color based on the speed with which the user moves the mouse

Paint

Using a brush-type tool to change the color of pixels on a layer.

Background layer

The default layer named Background that appears at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Tolerance

A measurement of how similar a color must be to a sampled color in order to be selected by a Photoshop tool.

Fastening point

A node or point that anchors the selection border when using the Magnetic Lasso tool.

Feather

To adjust or soften the edges of a selection, so that any copy of the selection will have soft, faded edges when pasted.

Skew

To slant a selection from corners of its bounding box.

Transformation

A change such as scaling (resizing) or skewing (slanting) applied to a selection.

Warp

To give a particular shape to a selection, fitting the selection within that shape.

Sample

To make a selection based on a similar area (sample) on the layer.

Adjustment layer

A layer to which you can apply color and other adjustments for the purpose of modifying all layers below the adjustment layer.

Automatic correction

A color or tone correction in which Photoshop automatically detects image information and determines the correction levels to apply.

Brightness

Generally, the overall lightness of darkness in an image.

Color balance

Generally, the overall color cast or mixture of colors in an image.

Contrast

The amount of difference between the darkest and lightest pixels in an image.

Highlight

A light area in an image where light has bounced of a high spot in the subject or object being photographed.

Hue

A pixel's actual color.

Levels

Feature that enables you to adjust color balance for individual color channels or the whole image by working proportionally with the distribution between pixels.

Midtones

Tone values in an image that fall midway between highlight and shadow tones.

Saturation

The amount of a particular hue applied to the pixel. Less saturation results in a duller color.

Shadow

A dark area in a photo, where less light struck the subject or object being photographed.

Red eye

An image flaw caused by flash bouncing off the retina of a subject's eye when a photo is shot.

Backlit

In photography, refers to an image where the light source was behind the subject, making the subject look dark or heavily shadowed.

Exposure

In photography, refers to the amount of light admitted into the camera to strike the film or sensor to record the photo.

Overexposed

A photo where too much light entered the camera, yielding a picture that is too light or washed out.

Photo filter

An additional optical lens or cover added to a camera lens to introduce a tint that compensates for lighting conditions or creates a special effect like a starburst.

Underexposed

A photo where too little light entered the camera, giving a picture a flat, dull, slightly dark appearance.

Burn

In photography, refers to increasing apparent exposure in an area of a photo print.

Dodge

In photography, refers to decreasing apparent exposure in an area of a photo print.

Canvas

The "page" that holds image content.

Crop

To remove unwanted image information, thus reducing the image size.

Document (image) size

Combination of current output size plus current resolution.

Framing

How a photo's subject is positioned in the overall image.

Interpolation

Calculation method Photoshop uses to add pixels when adjusting image size.

Pixel dimensions

The height and width of an image in pixels (also referred to as the file size of an image.)

Resample

Making a change to the pixel size of an image, resulting in a change to its display size.

Path

A vector outline with segments separated by anchor points.

Stroke

To apply color to a path.

Work path

The temporary name Photoshop assigns to a new path until you save the path under a new name.

Fill layer

A layer that consists of a color, gradient, or pattern fill.

Flattening

Merging all layers in an image into a single layer.

Layer styles

Special effects you apply to a layer to affect the appearance of the layers contents.

Rasterize

to convert vector content to raster (pixel-based) content.

Smart Filter

A filter applied to a Smart Object that you can easily adjust or remove.

Alpha channel

A channel created when a selection is saved.

Channel

A feature that stores information about an image's colors or saved selections and masks.

Mask

An overlay that protects one area of an image so that modifications can be made to another area of the image.

Quick mask

A mask created when viewing any selection in Quick Mask mode.

Quick Mask mode

A display mode that makes it easy to add to or subtract from a selection to create a mask.

Clipping mask

A mask that uses pixels on one layer to define a mask on the layer above.

Layer mask

A mask that conceals part or all of a layer.

Vector mask

A mask created using a vector object such as a path or shape.

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