Adobe Photoshop Basics – Week 4

Adobe Photoshop Overview

  • Industry-standard raster graphics editor by Adobe Inc.
  • Used for photo editing, image manipulation, digital painting, graphic & web design.
  • Part of Adobe Creative Cloud; integrates with Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom.

Core Vocabulary

  • Adobe Photoshop: powerful photo & image-editing application.
  • Resolution: number of dots per inch (dpi)\text{(dpi)} / pixels per inch displayed or printed.
  • Raster (Bitmap) Graphics: images built from color pixels arranged in rows/columns.
  • Vector Graphics: images defined by mathematical formulas (shapes, curves, lines, text).

Key Photoshop Functions

  • Layers: stack elements; enables non-destructive editing.
  • Image Adjustments: brightness/contrast, levels, curves, hue/saturation, etc.
  • Masking & Compositing: selectively hide/reveal parts; combine images.
  • Color Management: multiple color modes & profiles for accurate reproduction.
  • Export & Save: PSD retains layers; output to JPEG, PNG, TIFF, etc.

Creating a New Document

  • Home Screen ➜ Create New OR File > New (shortcut Ctrl + NCtrl\,+\,N / Cmd + NCmd\,+\,N).
  • Choose preset categories: Photo, Print, Art & Illustration, Web, Mobile, Video.
  • For print: select Print tab ➜ choose Letter size ➜ Create.

Opening / Placing Images

  • Home Screen ➜ Open ➜ navigate & select file.
  • Drag-and-drop from file explorer directly onto Home Screen.
  • Click listed recent files to reopen quickly.

Workspace & Navigation

  • Interface (Workspace): customizable arrangement of panels, menus, toolbars.
  • Main elements: Menu Bar, Toolbar, Tool Options Bar, Canvas, Panels, Scroll Bars, Tabs.
  • 12 menus; options gray out when unavailable.
  • Example: Select menu active only with an active selection; Filter menu hosts Blur, Distort, Sharpen, etc.

Toolbar & Options Bar

  • Toolbar (left side) grouped into six functional categories.
  • Options Bar changes based on selected tool (e.g., Crop ➜ aspect ratios, grids).

Panels (Right Side)

  • Movable; provide extra controls (Layers, Adjustments, Color, etc.).

Essential Tool Categories

  • Move & Selection: move, marquee, lasso, quick selection.
  • Crop & Slice: remove unwanted areas, prepare web slices.
  • Eyedropper & Measurement: sample color, measure distances.
  • Retouching & Painting: brush, pencil, eraser, clone stamp, healing tools.
  • Drawing & Type: shape tools, pen, horizontal/vertical type.
  • Navigation: hand, zoom for panning and magnification.
  • Hidden tools accessed by press-and-hold small arrow on tool icon.

Practice / Worked Examples

  • Open & close images to manage workflow.
  • Create new files with correct canvas dimensions.
  • Save using suitable formats to protect/share work.
  • Navigate & practice key tools: Move, Crop, Retouch, Type.

Quick Recall Summary

  • Always work on separate layers.
  • Use masks instead of erasers for reversible edits.
  • Check resolution before print (≥300 dpi\ge 300\,dpi recommended).
  • Save PSD while working; export flattened copy for delivery.
  • Customize workspace for faster access to frequently used panels.