Photoshop Basics
Learning the Basics and
Understanding how to work through
Adobe Photoshop
Work Area
• You must be familiar with the work area to
understand how to work through Photoshop.
• The work area is what your screen looks like
and has on it while you are working in a
program.
Toolbox
Menu Bar
Options Bar
Options Bar
• Located at the top of the screen underneath
the menu bar.
• Options change depending on what tool you
are using at that time.
• Make sure options are set before using the
tool and if things need to be changed as you
are working that can be done as well.
Panel Icons
Palettes
Panels/Palette
• Usually located at the right side of the screen.
• Separate palettes for separate options.
• Palettes depend on the workspace chosen
– Ctrl+Alt+Shift – resets to default workspace
– Double arrows
– See options at bottom of handout
• Customizing Workspace
– Window menu
– If panel is checked, means it is already in your workspace.
– Choose ‘Workspace’ option to customize workspace
depending on the design you are working with.
Document Window
Status Bar
Zoom
Level
Document Tab
Menu Bar
Toolbox
Options Bar
Document Tab
Panel Icons
Document Window
Zoom
Level
Status Bar
Palettes
Holds all tools for Photoshop.
Photoshop Toolbox
*Double Arrow
*Nested Tools:
Tools hidden beneath
other tools that are not
used as much in the
Photoshop program.
*Click and hold on tool to see
nested tools.
Make sure you understand all tools and
know what they are used for.
Selection Tools
*Selection Tool (black arrow)
*Marquee Tool
*Lasso Tool
*Quick Selection Tool
*Magic Wand Tool
*Crop Tool
*Eyedropper Tool
Allow you to choose or select different parts of
the image and change them, move them, format
them, add something to them, etc.
Correctional/History Tools
*Spot Healing Tool
*Red Eye Removal
*Brush Tool
*Pencil Tool
*Clone Stamp Tool
*Art History Tool
*Eraser Tool
*Smudge Tool
*Gradient Tool
*Paint Bucket Tool
Allow you to create a better look from your
image. Taking out smudges, replacing spots in
image, erasing parts of the image, backtracking
through the different tasks that you have
already done to go back to the original look, etc.
Drawing Tools
*Pen Tool
*Text Tool
*Path Selection Tool
*Shapes Tool
*Pen, Brush, Paintbucket, Gradient
Tools can also be classified as Drawing
tools.
Allow you to add things to your image like an
object, shape, or text and allow you to draw
images from scratch.
3D Tools
*Object Rotate Tool
*Camera Rotate Tool
Allow you to mess with the 3D setting of the
image and change the view with those settings.
Document Viewing Tools
*Hand Tool
*Magnifier Tool
*Rotate Tool
*Background/Foreground Tool
*Quick Mask Mode Tool
Allow you to move things in your document, look
closer at the document, change or move the
foreground and background, change the mode of
the document you are working in.
Choosing File Options
• When opening a new file, you have to set up the file
options before continuing.
• It is best to know the settings before you begin the
document design.
• Make sure you look at and change, if necessary, the
following before beginning your document.
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File name
Document size
Resolution
Color mode
• RGB, CMYK, Grayscale
– Background
Opening a File – Placing an Image
• When working with Photoshop, you can open
an existing file or place an image within a file.
– Open – working with an already existing file in
Photoshop without adding it to another file.
– Place – adding an image to another image already
open in Photoshop
• Both options are located in the File menu.
Adobe Bridge
• Visual file browser that helps take guess work
out of finding image files you need.
• Opens the documents in a window making the
actual image of the document available to see
so that you can choose the correct document.