Photoshop CC: Essentials Summary Workspace Overview... 2 Exercise Files... 2 Selection Tools... 3 Select All, Deselect, And Reselect... 3 Adding, Subtracting, and Intersecting... 3 Working with Layers... 3 Fixing Blurry Images... 4 Smart Sharpen Tool... 4 Fixing Underexposed Images... 5 Auto Tone, Auto Contrast, and Auto Colors... 5 Levels Adjustment Layer... 5 Color Correction in Adjustments Tab... 6 Eyedropper Tool... 6 Straighten Tool... 6 Cropping Tool... 6 Content Aware... 7 Touching Up Photos... 7 Red Eye Tool... 7 Spot Healing Brush... 8 Clone Stamp Tool... 8 Healing Brush... 9 Patch Tool... 9 Image Size and Resolution... 10 Save Image as a JPEG... 10 Appendix... 11 Tool Panel Overview... 11 2017 SCU Technology Training 1 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
The following contains information that is found under the Photoshop Help menu Workspace Overview B C A D F G E A. Application bar B. Options bar C. Workspace switcher D. Tabbed Document windows E. Panel groups F. Collapse Panels button G. Tools panel The Application bar across the top contains a workspace (Essentials) switcher and other application controls. The Tools panel has tools for creating and editing images. Related tools are grouped. Click and hold the arrow on a button to view additional tools underneath. See the appendix for more information. The Options Bar displays options for the currently selected tool. The Document window displays the current file. On a Mac, tap the F key to toggle between different view modes. Panels help you monitor and modify your work. Panels can be grouped, stacked, or docked. Note: If you accidentally close a panel or cannot find a panel you need, go to Window» Workspace» Reset Essentials. Exercise Files Please locate the publically shared folder called Photoshop CC Essentials Exercise Files in your SCU Google Drive. 2017 SCU Technology Training 2 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Selection Tools Exercise File: 1.Marquee Practice.psd Select All, Deselect, And Reselect The Marque Tools are the simplest selection tool sets. Open the image called 1.Marquee Practice.psd and select the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Holding down the shift drag the curser around the square image. Notice how the proportions are constrained. You may also dial in a fixed size or fixed ratio from the Options Bar. Try selecting the Elliptical Marquee to grab the circle and oval images. Hold the shift key while selecting will conform your Ellipse to a perfect circle. Adding, Subtracting, and Intersecting The selection tools allow you to choose not only a desired section of your image but several elements within one image. Additionally, you may remove unwanted selections as you go along. Notice the menu bar above when you choose the selection tool. You can have a single selection, overlapping or disjointed selections, remove portions of a selection, and reselect an area. Working with Layers Exercise File: 2.Soup.psd When you open an image in Photoshop, exists on a layer named Background that you can see on the Layers panel. Images, text, shapes, and special effects can exist on separate layers, allowing you to make changes to one without affecting the others. Always create a copy of the image layer before you begin to edit it, in case you make a mistake or want to start over. it 2017 SCU Technology Training 3 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Note: to undo multiple steps, click the History panel icon the name of the step to revert back to. to expand it, then click 1. Open the exercise file. 2. Create a copy of the image layer: from the Layers panel, drag the layer to the Create new layer button or right-click the layer, choose Layer from Background and name the layer Unsharp mask. 3. The layer at the top of the Layers panel is what is shown in the workspace. If you want to show a layer beneath it, you can either click and drag that layer to the top, or use the eye on the Layers panel to hide the other layer(s) from view. Fixing Blurry Images There are different ways you can sharpen a blurry image. The following techniques work for different kinds of blur and give different levels of control. Smart Sharpen Tool 1. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Smart Sharpen. If it s not the top layer, hide other layers above it using the hide layer button on the panel. 2. Make sure this layer is selected in the layer panel, then go to Filter» Sharpen» Smart Sharpen. 3. Drag the Amount slider to set the amount of contrast between pixels. Try 160% 4. Drag the Radius slider to set the number of pixels that affect the sharpening. The greater the radius value, the more obvious the sharpen effect. Try 2 pixels. 5. Choose one of the blur types to remove: Gaussian Blur is similar to viewing an image with an out-of-focus lens. If your image has a consistent soft blur with no areas of sharpness then this is the option to use. Lens Blur is similar to Gaussian blur but not as soft. This option removes the lens blur while finding edges and not creating obvious halos. Motion Blur happens when the camera or the subject moves and a faint trail of the subject appears. When using this option, select an angle as close as possible 2017 SCU Technology Training 4 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
to the direction of the motion blur. The more accurate you are with the angle, the better the motion blur will be fixed. Fixing Underexposed Images Exercise File: 3.Color Correction.psd Auto Tone, Auto Contrast, and Auto Colors These commands automatically adjust the brightness, contrast, and colors of your image and are found under the Image menu. Each produces a slightly different result, so try using all three on an underexposed photo to find the best effect. 1. Open an image. 2. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Auto Tone. 3. Make sure this layer is at the top and is selected in the Layers panel. 4. Go to Image» Auto Tone. 5. steps 2 4 for Auto Contrast and Auto Colors. Remember to name each layer and use the eye Levels Adjustment Layer to hide layers that are above the layer you re working on. In addition to the Auto Levels option, you can manually adjust the brightness levels in an image by using a Levels Adjustment layer. Adjustment layers don t directly change the original image they filter the way the image appears so you don t need to make a copy. 1. Use the eye on the Layers panel to hide all layers except the background. Select the Background layer. 2. Either click the Layers button on the Adjustments panel, or go to Layer» New Adjustment Layer» Levels and accept the layer name. 3. A spectrum of the light and dark parts of the image is shown in the Adjustments panel. Because the image is underexposed, the spectrum is shifted to the left. To brighten the image, move the white arrow to the left, towards the base of the spectrum. 4. Notice the new layer (Levels 1) in the Layers panel that affects the layer directly under it. 2017 SCU Technology Training 5 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Color Correction in Adjustments Tab Exercise File: 3.Color Correction.psd Eyedropper Tool 1. Open the image 3.Color Correction.psd. 2. Go to the Adjustments Tab and select the Levels icon to create a new levels adjustment layer. 3. In the Levels dialog box, you ll see three eyedropper icons on the left side. Each representing black, grey or white. 4. For this picture the background should be white. 5. Select the bottom eyedropper (white) and hover over the image background and click once. Straighten Tool Exercise File: 4.Sea Rocks.jpg 1. Click and hold on Eye Dropper tool and select the Ruler Tool. 2. Draw out the correct horizon line. 3. Now simply select the Straighten Option at the top on the menu bar. 4. Notice that Photoshop automatically crops and straightens in one shot. 5. If you don t like the crop select press Command + Z (Control + Z for a PC) to undo the crop. 6. Select the Crop Tool to define a boundary and drag around your image. 7. Notice that Photoshop now gives you the Rule of Thirds to adjust your composition. Cropping Tool Exercise File: 4.Sea Rocks.jpg One of the most common tasks you ll find yourself doing in Photoshop is cropping an image. Photoshop has several great crop tool settings to help you get that perfectly cropped image. 1. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool. 2. Notice that you have three options under the Style menu 2017 SCU Technology Training 6 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
on the contextual menu bar. 3. Normal allows you to manually choose where you d like your cropped border to be. 4. Fixed Ratio allows you to dial in a specific aspect ratio without conforming to a set number of pixels per inch. 5. Fixed Size will allow you to tie your image to a specific size requirement. Often you ll encounter this on profile image sites or some content management products. Content Aware Exercise File: 5.Ricard Observatory.psd A new feature in CS5 is Content Aware. Photoshop will fill a selected area with content from the area outside of the selection. 1. Choose tan image that needs editing. 2. Using the selection tool select around the darken tree branch in the upper right side of the image. 3. While holding down the Shift key select the Delete key to open the Fill dialog box. 4. Set Contents Use to Content-Aware. 5. Set Blending Mode to Normal. 6. Select OK. Touching Up Photos Exercise File: 6.Red Eyes & Blemish.psd & 7.Father and Son.psd Red Eye Tool 1. Open the exercise file. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Touchup. 2. Make sure this layer is at the top and is selected in the Layers panel. 3. Click and hold down the Spot Healing brush in the Tools panel to select the Red Eye tool. 4. Click once on a red pupil. If you don t like the result, undo the correction by going to Edit» Undo (CTRL+Z on a PC, Command+Z on a Mac), and adjust one or more of the following on the Options bar, and try again: Pupil Size: Increases or decreases the area affected by the Red Eye tool. Darken Amount: Sets the darkness of the correction. 5. Use the Red Eye tool on the remaining red eyes. 2017 SCU Technology Training 7 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Spot Healing Brush Use this tool to fix blemishes or improve parts of an image. As you click and drag, the Spot Healing brush matches the texture, lighting, and shading of the area around the brush. Use this tool for fixing small areas in your photo. 1. Make sure the Touchup layer is selected. Click and hold down the Red Eye tool in the Tools panel to select the Spot Healing brush. 2. Click the brush silhouette on the Options bar to set a brush size. A brush that is slightly larger than the area you want to fix works best so that you can cover the entire area with one click. 3. Choose a Type on the Options bar: Proximity Match: Uses the pixels around the edge of the selection to find an image area to use as a patch for the selected area. If this option doesn t provide a satisfactory fix, undo the fix and try the Create Texture option. Create Texture: Uses all the pixels in the selection to create a texture to fix the area. If the texture doesn t work, try dragging through the area a second time. Content Aware: Compares nearby image content to seamlessly fill the selection, realistically maintaining key details such as shadows and object edges. 4. Click once on the area you want to fix, or click and drag to fix imperfections. Clone Stamp Tool The Clone Stamp tool paints one part of an image over another. Use it to make copies of an area or to cover parts you don t want, like a time stamp on an old photo. 1. Open an image. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Clone stamp. 2. Make sure this layer is at the top and is selected in the Layers panel. 3. Select the Clone Stamp from the Tools panel. 4. Click the brush silhouette on the Options bar to choose a preset brush, or use the Size and Hardness to set the brush size and softness/hardness of the brush edge. 5. Sample a clean rose that you will use to cover up the dead rose: hold down the ATL (PC) or Option (Mac) key to turn the cursor into a target. Then, while holding the key, click on the nice rose. 2017 SCU Technology Training 8 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
6. Move your mouse over the dead rose. Notice the preview of the nice rose under your cursor. Click and drag to paint over dead rose. To make multiple copies of the rose, deselect Aligned Sample on the Options bar. Healing Brush This tool is like a combination of the Clone Stamp and the Spot Healing brush. The Healing brush will copy and then match the texture, lighting, and shading of the sampled part of your image with the imperfect area. 1. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Healing brush. Click and hold down the Spot Healing brush to select the Healing brush. 2. Click the brush silhouette on the Options bar to choose a preset brush, or use the Size and Hardness to set the brush size and softness/hardness of the brush edge. 3. Sample a clean rose that you will use to cover up the dead rose: hold down the ATL (PC) or Option (Mac) key to turn the cursor into a target. Then, while holding the key, click on the nice rose. Sample a clean rose that you will use to cover up the dead rose: hold down the ATL (PC) or Option (Mac) key to turn the cursor into a target. Then, while holding the key, click on the nice rose. 4. Move your mouse over the dead rose. Notice the preview of the nice rose under your cursor. Click and drag to paint over dead rose. Patch Tool The Patch tool lets you repair a selected area with another part of your image. Like the Healing brush and the Spot Healing brush, this tool matches the texture, lighting, and shading of the sampled pixels with the imperfect area. 1. Create a copy of the background layer and name it Patch. 2. Click and hold down the Healing brush to select the Patch tool. If you want to outline your sample area: Outline the sample area, then choose Destination on the Options bar. This means when you move the outlined area, you ll apply it as a patch to the destination area. Click and drag the selection to the destination you want to fix. When you release the mouse, this will patch the area. If you want to outline your problem area: Outline the problem area, then choose Source on the Options bar. This means when you move the outlined area, you ll choose a source to patch it. 2017 SCU Technology Training 9 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Click and drag the selection to the source you want to sample. When you release the mouse, this will patch the originally selected area. Image Size and Resolution Before you print or save an image, go to Image» Image Size to check or resize it. Pay attention to the pixel dimensions, resolution, and file size. Pixel dimensions are the measurement of an image on the screen (e.g., 300x300). Resolution is the detail of an image and is measured in pixels per inch (ppi) when printed. An image with a higher resolution produces a printed image with higher quality. The following is a good guide for resizing an image that is wider than it is tall: Format Dimensions Resolution File size Web thumbnail 150x100 72 ppi 44-70k Web image 360x216 72-96 ppi 230k-405k 3x5 print 1000x600 200 ppi 1.72MB Desktop wallpaper 1024x768 72 ppi 2.3MB Save Image as a JPEG 1. Go to File» Save As, and choose JPEG from the Format drop-down menu. 2. In the dialog box, set the Image Options using the Quality menu: drag the Quality slider, or enter a value between 0 and 12 in the text box. 3. Additionally, you can set the Format Options: Baseline ( Standard ) is a format recognized by most web browsers. Baseline Optimized creates a file with optimized color and a slightly smaller file size. Progressive displays a series of increasingly detailed versions of the image (you specify how many) as it downloads. 4. Click OK. 2017 SCU Technology Training 10 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx
Appendix Tool Panel Overview 2017 SCU Technology Training 11 of 11 Photoshop CC - Essentials.docx