Photoshop Tools and Features User Log

The purpose of this log is for you to record what tools and features you used in the creation of your digital graphics. You should try to use as many
as possible and you must record how, why and when you used them. You do not need to record repeated actions but each single new action
should be recorded. An example of this would be setting up a new Photoshop file/image which would cover the ranges; Image Settings (all) and
part of Menus (some of). You only need to do this once. Remember that where the e.g. appears in a range, as many of the items should be
covered as possible but not all of them; your tutor will guide you here. Where possible you should also provide a screen dump to illustrate the
action (see sample image below).

Tools and
features
Menus:

Open;

How, why and when used.

When clicking on file above the
menu bar placed in Photoshop. Once
youve clicked on file the dropdown
menu will appear, click open. This will
then show which image you would
like to load from your library that
holds different folders or areas. This
process is the only way to upload an
image to Photoshop.

Screen dump

save;

To save your work it is simple as

pressing CTRL and then following
pressing the key S at the same time.
Or you can just press file and save
as and then find the correct file you
would like to save your project in and
name the file.

import;

Import can be found when the user

presses on edit and the roll-down bar
drops with the import option. Import
option allows the user to place a
graphic onto the software the user is
using.

export;

The export option provides the user

to provide their own graphic to a
different software. To find the export
option it is the same steps as to find
the import option, however you press
export instead of import.

edit;

The edit option is found at the top of

the page along-side file etc. the edit
option allows you to do a number of
things due to the extra options edit
provides the user. Each of the options
give the user different options but
the edit option also allows the user to
make changes to their image or
graphic.
The view option is found at the top of
the page near the edit option and
image etc. The view option allows the
user to modify their graphic or image
by zooming in or out and rotating the
graphic.
The help option can be located at the
top of the page and it also gives the
user other options. Yet, the options
that are provided arent to do with
modifying the graphic as such but
more understanding the concept of
Photoshop.

view;

help

Image
settings:
size;

This user option lets the user to size

their graphic this means that they
can get the canvas a certain size of
the graphic they want to create. It
allows the user to change the graphic
size easily.

Resolution;

width;

height;

colour mode;

background;

transparency;

aspect ratio,
file name

Resolution helps the user measure

the quality of their graphic by looking
at the pixel measurement (the
amount of pixels in the image).
This option does the same as size
except its changing only the width of
the canvas and the width of the
graphic.
The height option allows the user to
only change the height of the graphic
they are creating or the height of the
canvas they ae working on.
The colour mode allows the user to
change the colour of the image or
graphic they are using. This can be
easily done due to a colour palette
that appears for the user.
This option allows the user to change
the colour of the background on the
canvas or the opacity of the canvas
to whether the user wants a
background to be seen on their
graphic.
Transparency allows the user to
change the images opacity to be full
and visible or clear and hardly
noticeable.
This option allows the user to create
a file to the users personal choice by

letting the user create the files name

which is individual to only the user
knows.
Drawing tools:
tool options;

brush;

To activate the tool options the user

needs to place cursor over the left
hand-side of Photoshop, once the
user has done this the whole of the
left hand-side has tool options such
as the gradient tool etc.

The brush tool can be found on the

left hand-side along with the other
tools. The brush tool gives the user
another option to create an image
without using pencil tool or other
drawing tools.

pencil;

The pencil tool is found on the left

hand-side and is similar to the brush
tool as it allows the user to be able to
draw around an image. However, the
pencil tool gives a finer line instead
of the brush tool.

duplicate;

The duplicate tool allows the user to

take one image and copy and paste
the same Image on another layer so
then the user has a backup plan. The
duplicate tool is also found on the
layer.

clone;

fill;

Clone is similar to duplicate as it

allows the user to have another copy
of the image, however clone allows
the user to clone any adjustment that
have been placed on the image.

The fill tool is an easy way to fill up

any white spaces or gap. To find this
tool the user needs to go to the left
hand-side of Photoshop where the
other tool options are.

text;

The text tool lets the user be able to

create text on the image. The text
tool is on the left hand-side of
Photoshop with a capital T
symbolising the text tool.

line;

The line tool helps the user create

easy and neat lines for possibly a
template or to create their subject.
This tool is also on the left hand-side.

stroke;
shape;

Shape allows the user to add

different elements to an image by
letting the user add shapes to the
image or graphic. The shape tool is
also on the left hand-side with a
shape symbolising the shape tool.

zoom;

guides and
rulers;

Grid;

Snap;
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The zoom tool allows the user to be

able to get a close up of their
graphic. This tool is along the top
unlike the other tools. The user also
can do Ctrl and press + and it will
also zoom in and to zoom out is Ctrl
and -.

The guides and rulers tool allows a

great deal of help to the user when
creating the graphic as once the user
has pressed guides and ruler tools
few lines appear which helps the user
get more of an accurate scope of
what they are doing to the graphic.

The grid tool also helps the user get

more of an accurate reading of the
placements of the project they are
doing. The grid tool is found on the
left.
The snap tool takes a small
screenshot of the image and allows

Paletts, e.g.
colour,
gradients,
layers, object,
brushes,
history, actions,
size, resolution;

Layers, e.g.
copying, saving,
arranging;
flattening;
colour selection,

Colour
selection, e.g.
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the user to place it onto a new layer

for later use. This tool can also be
found on the left.
The palettes allow the user to have
many different methods of adjusting
the image or graphic for example the
gradient tool allows the user to have
a contrast shade over the image.
Another example is the size option
which obviously allows the user to
change the images size with ease.

The layers tools have a different

effect on the users graphic as these
options allow the user to save a copy
and make sure the project is safely
secure if any changes have been
done to it. However, there is a similar
tool on layers that is on palettes
which is colour because colour allows
the user to have different colour
shades and so does the gradient tool
on the palettes.
The colour selection allows the user
to have a wider selection of colour

foreground,
background,
colour swatch,
eyedropper

Editing tools:

Selection, e.g.
marquee, lasso,
magic wand,
magnetic lasso,
deselect;

Transform, e.g.
scale, rotate,
skew, flip; cut;
copy; paste;
crop; trim;
erase; undo; fill
Advanced

tools:
Effects, e.g.
layer effects,
filters, channels;
image
adjustments,

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methods then palettes and layers

can. For example the colour selection
allows the user to change the
background of the graphic which can
be a very useful tool in creating a
banner graphic etc.
These tools are easy to use and easy
to allows the user to delete certain
parts of graphic without needing to
worry about having to delete
everything or starting all over again.
This tool can also be found on the left
hand side.
The transform tool allows the user to
be able to take away any mistakes
during designing or these tools can
be used for taking certain parts of an
image to have a part of the image
you wanted for their own graphic.

The effects let the user to be able to

transform their graphic from a boring
image to a more exciting graphic.
These tools are commonly used for
designing a banner or logo of some
sort. This tool options can commonly
be seen on the left of Photoshop.

Image
adjustments,
e.g. brightness
and contrast,
hue and
saturation,
colour balance,
gradients,
transparency,
invert; masks;
Paths, e.g.
vector paths,
converting text
to paths; image
slicing.

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The image adjustments allow the

user to do a variety of different
things to their project. For example,
the user can change the shades of
the image to make it unique or the
user can change a certain area of the
image transparent to help create
another part of the image. All these
tools can be found on the left.
Paths help the user change different
image types for example vector
paths allows the user to adjust a
vector image easily. Another example
of this option for the user is the text
paths this path gives the user the
option to find different methods of
transforming the text.