Lesson 4: Getting to Know the Photoshop Interface
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Introduction
You can use Photoshop for almost whatsoever type of
image editing, from touching up photos to creating high-quality graphics. In this lesson, we’ll innovate you to the Photoshop
interface, including how to
open files, work with
panels,
customize the workspace, and
change the display size.
Photoshop is a complex application, and it can feel a bit intimidating to utilise at first. Because of this, nosotros recommend following along with the lesson by downloading our example file (correct-click the link to save information technology). The more hands-on experience you lot have with Photoshop, the easier it volition exist to employ.
Near this tutorial
We’ll exist using
Photoshop CC
throughout this tutorial to testify yous Photoshop’s features. If you’re using an older version of Photoshop—like Photoshop CS6 or earlier—some features may piece of work a bit differently, but you should still be able to follow along. However, if you’re using Photoshop Elements, it’southward important to note that some of the features covered may exist missing or work in a unlike mode.
Opening files
Nigh of the fourth dimension, you lot’ll desire to showtime by
opening an existing photograph
rather than creating a new blank epitome. Photoshop allows you to open and edit existing image files, including
JPEG,
PNG, and
PSD
(Photoshop document) files.
To open a file:
- Select
File > Open up. - A dialog box will announced. Locate and select the file on your computer, then click
Open. - The file will announced in Photoshop.
If you don’t currently have Photoshop open, yous tin can locate and right-click the file on your figurer and choose
Open With > Adobe Photoshop
to open the file.
Overview of the Photoshop interface
Because Photoshop is designed primarily for professional use, the
interface
may feel a bit complex and intimidating for new users. Even if you have some experience with other image editing software, it’southward a adept idea to become familiar with its main elements.
Click the buttons in the interactive below to become more familiar with the Photoshop interface.
Working with Tools and other panels
The Tools panel
The
Tools panel, where you’ll select different tools for editing images, is one of the nearly of import features in Photoshop. Once yous’ve chosen a tool, you’ll be able to use it with the current file. Your
cursor
will change to reflect the currently selected tool.
Yous can also
click and hold
to select a different tool. For example, you lot tin click and hold the
Rectangle
tool to select
different Shape tools, like the
Ellipse Tool,
Line Tool, and
Custom
Shape Tool.
Showing and hiding panels
Yous’ll as well be able to view and modify data on the current file through the other
panels
in the workspace. For example, you can view the document’s layers in the
Layers
panel. To show or hide any panel, click the
Window
card, then select the desired console (currently visible panels are indicated by a
check mark). In the image below, we’re using the Window card to
turn on the History console.
You tin use the
double arrows
to
expand
or
collapse
panels. This can be helpful if yous want to temporarily hide a panel without removing it from the workspace.
You tin also press the
Tab
key on your keyboard to
show or hide
all active panels.
Moving panels
If you want to modify a panel’s location, you can
motility information technology
past clicking and dragging the panel to a new part of the workspace.
However, if you’re planning to follow along with our tutorial, we recommend keeping most panels in the default location for at present. To reset the panels to their default positions, select
Window > Workspace
> Reset Essentials. Annotation that this process may vary depending on which version of Photoshop you’re using. For case, in Photoshop Elements you lot’ll select
Window > Reset Panels.
For even more than information about organizing panels, y’all tin can review this Adobe tutorial.
Customizing the Photoshop surround
If you want to customize Photoshop, y’all can adjust the default application settings. Virtually of these options are pretty technical, but nosotros’d like to evidence you lot two
basic adjustments
yous may discover helpful.
To suit the default unit of measurement:
By default, a document’south dimensions are measured in
inches. If yous’re not primarily editing images for print, we recommend changing this setting to
pixels.
- Select
Edit >
Preferences
>
Units & Rulers. If you’re using a Mac, select
Photoshop > Preferences
> Units & Rulers. - A dialog box will appear. Under
Units, click the card side by side to
Rulers, select
Pixels, so click
OK. Y’all may need to quit and restart Photoshop for the changes to take upshot.
To adapt the text size:
If you’d like the text of the Photoshop interface to be larger or smaller, yous can accommodate the application’southward text size.
- Select
Edit >
Preferences
> Interface
. If you’re using a Mac, select
Photoshop >
Preferences > Interface. - Under
Text, click the carte next to
UI Font Size, then select the desired size. You may need to quit and restart Photoshop for the changes to accept outcome.
Changing the zoom level
When y’all’re editing an image in Photoshop, you’ll frequently be viewing it at
less than 100% of its full size. This is because almost modern digital cameras take large, high-resolution photos. These images are and then large, in fact, that nigh computer screens can’t display all of the pixels in the paradigm at in one case. This is actually a good thing because it means yous’ll take
actress detail
to work with equally y’all edit the image.
If you desire to
zoom in
or out, but printing
Ctrl+
or
Ctrl-
(hold the
Ctrl
primal, then press the
+
or
–
key). If you’re using a Mac, printing
Command+
or
Command-.
In the case below, you can see a document at
44.4%
of its full size. Notice that y’all can meet the electric current zoom level at the
top of the document window, equally well as in the
bottom-left corner
of the screen.
Past dissimilarity, the example below shows the aforementioned image at
100%
(full size). Notice that only office of the epitome is visible at this zoom level. If you want, you can employ the horizontal and vertical
coil bars
to view other parts of the epitome.
To zoom the image to
fit the document window, press
Ctrl+0
(concord the
Ctrl
central, and then press the
nada
key). If y’all’re using a Mac, press
Command+0.
Depending on your computer’southward graphics card, some zoom levels, similar 33.33% and 66.67%, can cause the image to appear pixelated. If this happens, yous may want to zoom to 25% or l% instead.
Attempt this!
Utilize the keyboard shortcuts above to
conform the zoom level
of the example file.
Once y’all’ve become familiar with the Photoshop interface, you’re ready to start
editing
images. We’ll talk more about some of the most bones adjustments you tin can make—like cropping, resizing, and rotating—in the next lesson.
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