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BASICS GUIDE
ANTONY PRICE
1
CONTENTS PAGE
PART ONE:
THE WORK SPACE, CONTROL SYSTEMS & BRIDGE 5
PART TWO:
CROP/ROTATE, FILE FORMATS & IMAGE SIZE/RESOLUTION 12
Cropping an Image 12
Rotating an Image 12
Saving an Image File 13
File Formats 13
RAW Digital Darkroom 15
Image Size & Resolution 16
Image Resampling 17
PART THREE:
IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS, LAYERS & RETOUCHING 18
Layers 1 18
Image Adjustments 19
Toning Tools 20
Healing Tools 20
Clone Stamp 21
Layers 2 - working with multiple images 22
Transforming Layers 23
2
PART FOUR:
SELECTIONS & LAYERS 24
Selection Tools 24
Layers 3 - Copy & Paste 27
PART FIVE:
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS & MASKS 28
Adjustment Layers 28
Masks 30
PART SIX:
TYPE, LAYER STYLES & SHAPE TOOLS 32
Type Tool 32
Layer Styles 34
Styles Palette 35
Shape Tools 36
PART SEVEN:
PAINTING TOOLS 37
Brush Tool 37
Gradient Tool 39
Eraser Tool 40
PART EIGHT:
FILTERS 40
Filter Gallery 41
Lighting Effects Filter 42
Liquify Filter 43
3
4
PART ONE: THE WORK SPACE, CONTROL SYSTEMS &
ADOBE BRIDGE
Within Photoshop the Work Space is controlled via the Main Menu, Application Bar,
Options Bar, Image Window, Toolbox & Control Palettes.
The Main Menu lists the major control systems such as File, Edit, Image, Layer etc. Click a
heading to view a drop-down menu listing the individual heading functions.
The Application Bar sits under the main menu and controls image viewing options.
The Options Bar sits directly below the Main Menu & Application Bar. Whenever a tool is
chosen from the Toolbox the Options Bar changes to display the individual tools options.
If any Work Area options are not visible go to Window in the Main Menu and click on the
controls you wish to open e.g Window - Tools
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OPENING AND CREATING
FILES
• Go to File – Open to open a file, browse
through the Devices or Places folders
to find the file you want.
APPLICATION BAR
The Application Bar is used to control how you view your images. Place the mouse cursor over
a button to view its name. From left to right:
The Launch Bridge button opens the Adobe Bridge program. Adobe Bridge is used for viewing
and processing multiple files, used in conjunction with Photoshop it provides additional controls
for working with large numbers of images. Bridge functions will be explained in a later section.
The View Extras button allows you to view rulers and any guides or grids you have created.
The Zoom Level button allows you to easily zoom in/out of an image and set increments.
The Hand Tool allows you to move around an image when zoomed in close, click & drag to
move around the image.
The Zoom Tool allows you to zoom in & out of an image, click drag on an image to zoom
directly to that area.
The Rotate View Tool allows you to rotate the image (on screen only).
The Arrange Documents button lets you arrange multiple images on screen at once in several
preset modes.
The Screen Mode button allows you to switch between Standard & Full Screen modes.
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EXPAND / SHRINK
THE TOOLBOX &
CONTROL PALETTES
The Toolbox (left of screen) lists the specific
tools.
YOU CAN OPEN INDIVIDUAL PALETTES AT ANY TIME BY GOING TO WINDOW IN THE MAIN MENU.
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ADOBE BRIDGE
Adobe Bridge is a file viewing and organisation program. Used mainly to order and process large
amounts of files it is extremely useful for producing quick outputs such as PDF presentations
or web galleries. To open Adobe Bridge go to Applications or launch Bridge directly from any
of the Creative Suite apllications e.g Photoshop by clicking the Launch Bridge button in the
Applications menu.
REVIEWING IMAGES
• Select the drive that your images are stored on from the left side Favourites or Folders
panel.
• You can view your images in several different ways by clicking the Essentials or Filmstrip
tabs in the top Main Menu.
• Adjust the view and zoom options using the bottom right corner zoom controls.*
• For more advanced review go to View - Review Mode to open the carousel viewing window.
Click on any image to see details. Press the ESC key to exit review mode.
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*
• To make review and edit decisions as to which are the best
images first select an image(s) in the Content window,
then go to Label in the Main Menu and choose from either
a Rating (stars) or Label (colours). This will add a star
rating or colour bar to the selected images. (You can also
right-click on an image to open the options menu, then
choose Label).
http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-bridge-cs4/
OUTPUT MENU
Bridge’s Output menu allows you to easily create a variety of output files including PDF contact
sheets and screen presentations.
• Click the Output tab or Output button in the Main Menu to open the Output control
panel, Preview and Content windows.
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CREATING A PDF CONTACT
SHEET
To create a contact sheet you must first
browse for and select the images you wish
to include within Bridge.
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CREATING A PDF SCREEN
PRESENTATION
For best results when creating a PDF screen
presentation it is advised that you prepare
your images beforehand so that they are
suitable for screen display (see Image Size
& Resolution section in the Photoshop
Basics Guide for more info).
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PART TWO: CROP/ROTATE, FILE FORMATS &
IMAGE SIZE/RESOLUTION
CROPPING AN
IMAGE
• To crop an image choose the
Crop Tool from the Toolbox
then click-drag across the
image to assign the crop edge.
ROTATING AN
IMAGE
• To rotate an image go to the
main menu Image – Image
Rotation and choose from
the rotation options.
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SAVING AN IMAGE FILE
• To save an image file go to File –
Save As. Choose a destination for
the file from the Devices or Places
panel (MAC) e.g. your personal
hard drive or USB stick.
FILE FORMATS
When you save or scan an image in Photoshop you need to
assign a type of File Format to it. This determines several
values, including the quality, compression level (how large
the file is in Gigabytes G, Megabytes M or Kilobytes K) and
whether it is ‘Flattened’ or ‘Layered’. It is important that you
learn which file format is best used for which task. A saved file
will have the Format tag assigned to the name of the file e.g
name.jpg
Photoshop .psd
The Photoshop file format is an uncompressed or lossless
high quality format that is used for photographic image
manipulation. Because of its high quality, psd files can
have large file sizes (anywhere between 20 – 150+ M). The
Photoshop file allows you to save ‘Layers’, be aware that each
new layer you add increases the overall file size. Photoshop
files can only be read and opened within Photoshop.
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TIFF .tif
The TIFF file format is an uncompressed or
lossless high quality format that is used mainly
for photographic printing. The Tiff file format also
allows you to save ‘Layers’, but it is recommended
you leave them as flattened files for printing
purposes. Although there is the option to
compress Tiff files you should leave the Image
Compression setting on NONE for best quality.
JPEG .jpg
The JPEG file format is the most commonly used
compression or lossy format when saving images
for website or screen presentation purposes. The
JPEG file format does not save ‘Layers’ and always
flattens the file data. You have Image Options
that allow you to compress the file at varying
Quality levels, using the slider bar to assign
small or large file sizes. The file size is displayed
on the right in K or M under the Preview box.
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RAW DIGITAL DARKROOM
When you open a RAW file into Photoshop the RAW digital darkroom controls are displayed.
This control panel allows you to literally develop and process the raw data like a negative or
transparency. You can adjust and correct White Balance, Temperature, Exposure, Recovery,
Fill Light, Blacks, Contrast, Brightness, Clarity, Vibrance and Saturation. Sharpening and other
image alterations can also be made before you’ve even opened the file into Photoshop. The
digital darkroom also gives you the ability to define the pixel size, resolution and color mode of
the processed image.
Zoom, Move, Sample, Crop, Retouch, Rotate controls Image correction controls
IMPORTANT:
It is advised that you hold the Alt key on the keyboard then click Open Copy when you have
finished your processing and corrections. This option opens a copy into Photoshop with the
adjustments, while also keeping the original file data unaltered. If you click Open Image or
Done your alterations will overwrite the original data.
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IMAGE SIZE & RESOLUTION
In its simplest form a digital image is made up of tiny dots called pixels. Pixels contain colour
and brightness information and when grouped together form the illusion of an image. The
more pixels that are captured (when taking a photo or scanning) the better the quality of the
image is for manipulation or printing at large sizes. The size of an image is measured in Pixel
Dimensions. The quality of these pixels when grouped together is measured as Resolution.
In Photoshop the Image Size control allows you to view and alter an images Pixel
Dimensions, Document Size and Resolution.
• In the main menu go to Image – Image Size to see an images Pixel Dimensions,
Document Size & Resolution.
The term Resolution is used to describe the quality of an image and is measured in:
Pixels Per Inch PPI for screen display
Dots Per Inch DPI for scanning & printing purposes
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IMAGE RESAMPLING
The process of altering image Pixel Dimensions is called Image Resampling.
If your images are to be used on a website or within a screen based presentation you will
generally need to lower the amount of pixels in an image, which is known as Down Sampling.
Pixel Dimensions should be based on the size you wish the image to appear on screen,
setting the Document Size is not necessary.
Image - Image Size settings for web & screen based images
If your images are to be used for printing purposes then the Resolution and Document Size
needs to be altered based on the print size you require. When altering an image for print
purposes it is important to understand that increasing the amount of pixels, known as Up
Sampling, can result in a loss of image quality, pixilation or blurring.
• Un-tick the Resample Image box, this locks the Pixel Dimensions (notice they are
greyed out).
• Set the Resolution to 300 ppi for a high-quality print or 180 ppi for a mid-quality print.
The Document Size will change to show the optimum size the image can be printed at that
resolution.
• If the document size is smaller than the required print size adjust the Document Size to
match. The Resolution setting will alter to show the highest possible resolution for that
print size.
Note: if you are required to have a specific Resolution and Document Size that is
larger than your file can be set too, you will need to Up Sample the image. To do this
Tick the Resample Image box and adjust the Resolution and Document size to your
requirements. Be aware this may cause a loss of quality to the image.
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PART THREE: LAYERS, ADJUSTMENTS & RETOUCHING
Layers are a vital feature of Photoshop that let you duplicate and combine images, or parts of
images, as separate elements, ensuring the original image data is maintained below. It is advised
that you use duplicate layers if you want to keep the original image data along with the adjusted
version.
LAYERS 1 - DUPLICATES
The Layers control palette is used to assess
and alter layer elements.
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An image file can be adjusted in many ways, with brightness/contrast, tonal values, colour, hue/
saturation and exposure of an image easily changed using simple controls.
An image file can also be easily manipulated in order to lighten, darken and alter specific pixels.
IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS
The Image - Adjustments menu allows
you to adjust an images tonal and colour
values. Split into sections each adjustment
in the list gives a different more advanced
set of controls for specialist tasks.
• Go to Image - Adjustments -
Brightness/Contrast to open the
brightness/contrast controls. Click-drag
the sliders to adjust the brightness/
contrast of the image.
• Go to Image - Adjustments -
Vibrance to open the Vibrance controls.
Click-drag the sliders to adjust the
vibrance/saturation of the image.
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TONING TOOLS
The Toning Tools allow you to lighten, darken or saturate specific
areas of an image by painting over the desired area.
• Choose the Sponge Tool and paint over areas of the image to
saturate (intensify) the colours. Choose Desaturate Mode in the
Options Bar to remove colour.
HEALING TOOLS
The Healing Tools allow you to
heal bad areas of an image. Used
primarily for getting rid of spots or
blemishes they can be applied as a
powerful retouching tool for fixing
textured images.
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For a video tutorial on retouching tools go to:
• Choose the Healing Brush Tool from the http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-photoshop-
toolbox to paint over groups of spots or cs4/getting-started-03-retouching-blemishes/
blemishes
The Clone Stamp tool works in a similar way to the Healing Brush Tool in that you assign an
area to sample or copy from, then paint over an area to replace it with the sampled texture/
colour. Unlike the Healing Tools the Clone Stamp does not blend the pixel data together. The
Clone Stamp tool is ideal for detailed retouching like covering blemishes or any unwanted
elements such as stray hairs, shadows or background defects.
• Choose the Clone Stamp Tool from the toolbox to paint over blemishes or unwanted image
elements.
• Position the cursor over the area you wish to sample. Hold the Alt key on the keyboard to
bring up the target cursor and click the mouse button to sample that area.
• Move the brush over the area you wish to cover and click with the mouse button.
Note: as you move the cursor it shows a preview of the sampled area under the
brush. Re-assign the sample area each time you paint to avoid unusual patterns
appearing.
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LAYERS 2 - WORKING
WITH MULTIPLE IMAGE
FILES
Layers are one of Photoshop’s most
important and powerful features. From
creating simple duplicate layers to
compositing multiple images together, the
ability to use Layers effectively is paramount
to advanced image manipulation.
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Images can be drag & dropped from
one file to another using the Move Tool.
The Move Tool is also used to move and
transform image layers.
TRANSFORMING LAYERS
Image layers can be Transformed to alter
there scale or rotation.
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PART FOUR: SELECTIONS & LAYERS
SELECTION TOOLS
Within Photoshop image pixels can be modified, cut,
copied & pasted just like text in a word processing
document. The Selection tools are used to define the
specific areas of an image that you want to adjust,
or copy & paste into a new layer. A Selected area is
defined by flashing edges known as ‘running-ants’.
MARQUEE TOOLS
LASSO TOOLS
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COLOUR SELECTION TOOLS
There are various different methods for producing selections, depending on the size, shape
and accuracy of the desired area to be selected. Each selection tool will provide a similar end
goal and selection tools can be combined to build complicated selections.
• When a selection is made, flashing edges known as “running ants” enclose the chosen area.
When an area is selected, any tool used will only have an effect within this area.
BUILDING A SELECTION
• To add to a selection, click the add button in the Options Bar or hold the SHIFT key whilst
using a selection tool, notice the plus sign appears on your cursor.
• To minus from a selection, click the minus button in the Options Bar or hold the ALT key
whilst using a selection tool, notice the minus sign appears on your cursor.
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INVERSING A SELECTION
MODIFYING A SELECTION
REFINING A SELECTION
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LAYERS 3 - COPY & PASTE
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PART FIVE: ADJUSTMENT LAYERS & MASKS
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
Photoshop CS4’s Adjustments control palette
holds a powerful set of non-destructive
controls that allow you to alter and fix every
aspect of brightness, contrast and colour in
an image without permanently altering the
original background layer. Whenever you add
an adjustment a new Adjustment Layer is
created in the Layers palette. Adjustment
layers can be altered at anytime and affect
any other layers that are below them.
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LEVELS
HUE/SATURATION
http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/techniques/a-
basic-guide-to-photoshop-cs4-adjustment-layers/
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MASKS
Photoshop CS4’s Masks control palette
holds a powerful set of non-destructive
controls that allow you to alter and adjust
Layer Masks. Layer Masks are used
to mask out or hide selected areas of an
image. Because masks are non-destructive
they allow for continued editablilty without
affecting the original pixel data. Whenever
you add a Mask to a layer a mask thumbnail
symbol appears on that layer. Layer Masks
can be edited at any point by using the
Brush Tool set to either white or black
colour.
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Layer Masks can be edited and perfected
by using the Brush Tool.
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PART SIX: TYPE, LAYER STYLES & SHAPE TOOLS
TYPE TOOL
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The Type Tool Character/Paragraph
control palettes allow for additional control
over the way text is spaced and aligned.
Character Palette
Paragraph Palette
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LAYER STYLES
• Double-click the fx symbol in the For further info on Layer Styles see:
Layer palette to open the Layer http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Style options. Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-789ba.html
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Options
STYLES PALETTE
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SHAPE TOOLS
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-73a9a.html
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PART SEVEN: PAINTING TOOLS
BRUSH TOOL
For additional info on painting go to Mode - adjusts the brush blending mode,
how colours blend with each other
Opacity - adjusts the paint transparency
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/ Flow - adjusts the flow of paint
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53 Airbrush - sprays paint like an airbrush
e41001031ab64-780aa.html
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To paint do one or more of the following:
• Click-drag in the image to paint.
• To draw a straight line, click a starting point
in the image. Then hold down Shift, and
click an ending point.
• When using the Brush tool as an airbrush,
hold down the mouse button without
dragging to build up color.
Alternatively:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e
41001031ab64-7800a.html
www.brusheezy.com
www.psd.tutsplus.com
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GRADIENT TOOL
The Gradient Tool is used to create a blend
of two or more colours.
Options
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-77e1a.html
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ERASER TOOL
The Eraser Tool is used to erase layer elements.
• Click and hold on the Eraser Tool to open the Eraser additional erasers.
• The Magic Eraser allows you to erase away blocks of similar colour in the same way that
the Magic Wand selects colour. Wherever you click that colour will be erased.
• Choose a Tolerance setting in the Options Bar, the lower the number the fewer the range
of colours will be erased, the higher the number the wider the range of colours. Un-Tick
the Contiguous box in the Options Bar if you wish to erase all of the chosen colour in the
image.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
77e6a.html
You can use Filters to apply special effects to images or to perform common image editing
tasks, such as sharpening or blurring photos. Some of the Filters you may use frequently while
others are only used for specialist tasks or styles. The best way to learn what looks Filters will
give you is to experiment.
• Each category has a range of filter effects that match there description e.g. the Artistic
category produces painterly effects to an image, while the Blur category blurs an image.
Three of the most used photographic filter categories are Blur, Sharpen & Noise.
Noise - The Noise filters are used to either add or remove noise (rough grain) from an image.
For a full list of Filter effects and how to modify them go to:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
7970a.html
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FILTER GALLERY
The Filter Gallery provides a preview of many of the special effects filters. You can apply
multiple filters, turn on or off the effect of a filter, reset options for a filter, and change the
order in which filters are applied. When you are satisfied with the preview, you can then apply
it to your image. Not all filters in the Filter menu are available in the Filter Gallery.
• Go to Filter - Filter Gallery to open the filter gallery. Click a heading to see a drop down
list previewing the category effects.
• Use the right side panel to adjust individual filter settings. Click OK to apply the Filter effect
to the image.
Note: Filter effects only work on the currently active layer. Make sure you choose the
layer you want the effect to appear on before applying.
Filters can also be applied to selected areas. Some Filters take a lot of processing
time so be patient.
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-cs4/tutorials/skin-retouching-tips-cs4.html
http://psd.tutsplus.com/category/tutorials/
http://www.miraztutorials.com/30-awesome-photoshop-cs4-tutorials/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/
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LIGHTING EFFECTS FILTER
The Lighting Effects filter allows you to light an image using a variety of different light sources.
Although complicated to begin with it can be extremely useful for creating mood to an image.
• Adjust the Style, Light Type & Properties options to change the light effect.
• Click & drag the light source in the Preview window to change the focus or direction of the
light beam.
For a full explanation of Lighting Effects and how to modify them go to:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
7959a.html
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=737
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LIQUIFY FILTER
The Liquify filter lets you push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat any area of an image.
The distortions you create can be subtle or drastic, which makes the Liquify command a
powerful tool for retouching images as well as creating artistic effects.
In essence the Liquify filter allows you to paint an image so that it looks like liquid, however it
is often used professionally for slimming down models figures or features.
• On the left are the Distortion Tools with the Tool Options displayed in the right panel.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
75faa.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omlFrDBKTJ4
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