Photoshop CS4

Photoshop CS4

Available Tutorials:

• Understanding the Workspace
• Creating a layer
• Opening an Existing Project
• Creating a New Project
• Rotating an Image
• Cropping
• Color Adjustments
• Brightness and Contrast
• Resolution and Image Size
• Saving Your Image
• Changing Canvas Size
• Opacity, Hue, Saturation, Levels Adjustment
• Dodging and Burning
• Using the quick selection and magic wand tools
• Brush Tool
• Using the Lasso Tool
• Adding Text
• Working with layers
• Free Transforming The Image
• Dragging and Dropping Image into another Composition
• Saving as a .PSD (Photoshop) file
• Saving as a .Jpeg/.TIFF/.PNG
• Differences Between File Formats 

Understanding the Workspace:
1) Below is a Wide shot of the Photoshop interface. We are going to tear this apart and show you each area specifically.



2) On the left side is the tool bar. Here you will be able to select a variety of tools to help you in your editing process. We will not go in depth about every tool at this time.



3) The next part we will look at is the editing canvas. When you open an image you will see a canvas in the middle of the screen. This will show you all the manipulations you make on an image.



4) At the top of the screen are our menus. Clicking on any of these words will open up more options for you to explore.



5) Finally is our layers box. This is where you will adjust layers positions and have the ability to delete unwanted layers.

Creating a layer:
1) When you first open an image it will create a locked background.
Sometimes you will need to change that image to a layer to make adjustments.
So, find the layer and double click on it.



2) A new layer box will open up. Here you can name your layer. Then click “OK”.



Your new layer has now been created.

Opening an Existing Project:
1) Click on File at the top left corner. A menu will drop down, then click Open.



2) Then a new box will open. On the far left side will be a list of destinations where you can search for your file. (In this picture, my project file was on the desktop.) After you have found where your project file is click on that file. You will want your file to be highlighted blue like it is in the picture.
(Hint: most likely the extension on the end of your file will be a .psd; that means it’s a Photoshop file. You will be able to continue to edit a Photoshop file.)
Once you have clicked on your file you will be able to preview its contents to make sure it is your project. When you have completed all these steps simply click open.

Creating a New Project:

1) In the top left corner click File. A menu will drop down. Then click New.



2) Then a box will pop up to set the parameters of your new project. The first thing we will do is rename our project. In the top box next to the word “Name”, simply click and type in your desired project name. Then we will change the dimensions of our project. Typically the dimensions will be measured by pixels. You can switch to another measurement type by clicking on the blue squares to the right with up and down triangles. You can click in any of those boxes and type in your desired width, height, and resolution. When you are satisfied with all of your parameters simply click okay.

Rotating an Image:
1) To begin we will want more space on our canvas to be able to rotate our image. Please make sure your image is a layer. (Refer back to Making A Layer Tutorial).
So to add space we will click and hold the bottom right corner and pull it out.
(Note: The grey area is NOT a part of your image.)



2) Now go to the top left corner and click on Edit. A menu will drop down. Then click on Free Transform. (Note: You can also click Command and T at the same time on the keyboard.)



3) Now you will have wire frames surrounding your image. Hold your mouse close to one of the corners of your image. You will see a curved to sided arrow. Then click and hold and begin moving your mouse. It will begin rotating your image. When your happy with your image placement hit enter to apply the transformations. The wire frame should be gone.

Cropping:
1) To begin with we will select our “Crop Tool” from the tool bar.



2) Next we will click hold and drag our mouse over an area of our image. This will create a bright square surrounded by a dark area. Anything in that light square will be your crop. After you let go of the square you can still adjust it by click and holding on the little squares on the corner of your crop. You will also be able to rotate your image as well. Hold your mouse a little further away in the dark area and your mouse should make a curved line signifying you can rotate the image. Note that the crop will only crop with restrained pixels. Meaning the width and height move together. You will not be able to pull out just the width or just the height. When your done cropping hit “Enter”.



3) Notice that the crop will zoom your image in. You may want to zoom back out.

Color Adjustments:
1) To begin click on “Image” at the top of the screen. A menu will come down. Hold your mouse over “Adjustments”. Another menu will come out. Then click on “Color Balance”.



2) You will now see a color balance box. You will see 3 lines with colors in them. Click and hold on any of the sliders and drag them towards the color you desire. You can also type in an amount in the boxes to the right of the word “Color Levels”. You can also adjust to which part of the image the color will be applied. You can click on the circles next to “Shadows”, “Midtones”, or “Highlights”. These will apply the color to that specific part of the image. When you’re done adjusting the color click “OK”.



Before:


 
After:

Brightness and Contrast:
1) To change the brightness and contrast on your image please make sure your image is a layer. (Refer back to Making A Layer Tutorial). Then go to the top left corner and click on “Image”. A menu will drop down. Then hold your mouse over adjustments and another menu will pop out to the right. Then click on Brightness/Contrast.



2) Then an adjustment box will pop up. You can type in a value or move the brightness or contrast sliders. Hit OK when you’re done.
You can also check the Use Legacy box to get a different effect.



Before:



After:



After, with Legacy:

Resolution and Image Size:
1) To adjust your image size click on Image at the top left corner. A menu will drop down. Then click on Image Size.



2) Then we will adjust our width and height. You can type in your desired project size. If you want to adjust the width and height separately uncheck the Constrain Proportions box. When you are satisfied with the size of your project click OK.

Saving Your Image:
1) To save a project go to the top left corner and click on File. A menu will come down. Then click on Save As.



2) First you will want to title your project. You can type your desired name in next to the words Save As. Also make sure that blue arrow next to that box is facing up. This will allow you to easily access the destinations to save your file to. If the arrow is down click on it. Then you can choose your format type. We will start with the Photoshop file. When you have done this, click save.



On Photoshop files you will get this message shown below. Click OK.



Now we will save a jpeg. Click the blue square with the up and down triangles on the right of the format box. This will open up a menu with many format options. Choose JPEG, then click Save.



You will get the message below when saving jpegs. Typically you will want to adjust the slider and choose the highest quality. If you want a smaller file size you may desire to bring the quality down. When you’re done click OK.



Now we will save a PNG. Click on the blue square again to get all the format options. Choose PNG, then click Save.



You will see this message below when you save a PNG. Click OK.



Next time you want to save you will not have to go through all these steps. You will click on File then instead of clicking on Save As click on Save. This will save over your previously saved file. It will keep the same name and go to the same location. Keep using Save from this point forward unless you want to save a back up copy.

Changing Canvas Size:
Click on the Image tab at the top.



Scroll down and click on “Canvas Size”.



It will give you the size in inches. You can either type in your desired size or click the down arrow next to inches and select your desired measurement system.



Then Click “OK”.



Opacity, Hue, Saturation, Levels Adjustment:
1) To change opacity first make sure you layer is not locked. (If it is you will see a lock symbol. Simply double click on the layer to unlock. It will ask you to create a new layer. Click ok.)



2) To change the opacity click on the layer you wish to affect.



3) If you scroll a little above and right of the layer you should see the word “Opacity” along with a box and number next to it. (Default setting will be 100%)



4) You can click in the box and delete the current number, then type in your desired number. 100 being the highest value and 0 making the layer invisible.

5) You can also click on the right arrow and will receive a slider bar. You can click anywhere on the line and see if it matches your desired opacity. Also if you click and hold you can slide the opacity back and forth watching the gradual change.





6) To change the hue and saturation go up and click on image. Scroll down over adjustments and another list will pop out. Go over and click on “Hue/Saturation”.







7) To change the hue click and hold on the up arrow underneath the hue line. You can drag it back and forth on the line until you find your desired hue. Hue will primarily affect your image color.

8)To change the saturation click, hold and drag the up arrow underneath the saturation line to your desired saturation. By pulling your saturation towards negative you will begin to get a black and white effect. If you are unhappy with your choice bring the value back to zero or click cancel and your changes will not be saved.





9) To adjust levels click on image. Scroll down over adjustments and another list will pop out. Go over and click on “Levels”.



10) Click and hold on the up arrows underneath input and output levels and drag them to your desired location.



11) You can also hit the down arrow by channels and select a different color.

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Dodging and Burning:
1) To get to the dodge tool hit (O) on the keyboard or scroll down to the black dot with a line sticking out. (One underneath the rain drop symbol).



2) You will then see a big circle. You can now start lightening areas. If you want a smaller circle radius go to the top and you will see “Brush” and a number next to it. Click on that. This will allow you to shrink or enlarge your circle radius.



3) To get to the burn tool click and hold on the dodge tool and a list of items will pop up. Then click on the burn tool. You can now begin darkening specific areas. You can change your circle same by using the same method as the dodge tool.

Using the quick selection and magic wand tools:
1) To get to the quick selection tool hit (w) on your keyboard or click on the square that looks like a match stick.



2) Then click on the image to add a selection. You can keep clicking to add more selected areas. If you want to deselect an area you can hold down alt (there will be a minus symbol instead of a plus sign) then click.



3) When you have selected all the area you want you can then hit delete.



4) If you want an easier way to get rid of your selections you can also click on the marquee tool which looks like a dotted square (M on the keyboard). Then click on the image. The selections will go away. Then go back to the quick selection tool and start over.





5) To use the magic wand tool click on the quick selection tool and hold. A new menu will pop out. Click on magic wand tool. Click on an area to add a selection. To continue adding selections hold shift and click. To subtract a selection hold alt and click.



6) When you have selected all that you want you can hit delete to remove that selection.

7) If you want an easier way to get rid of your selections you can also click on the marquee tool which looks like a dotted square (M on the keyboard). Then click on the image. The selections will go away. Then go back to the magic wand tool and start over.

Brush Tool:
1) First select the Brush tool. It looks just like a paintbrush. (Or hit B on the keyboard.)



2) After you select the brush tool you will get a list of options at the top of the screen to customize the brush. If you click on the box next to the word brush a box will drop down showing you different shapes you can use. They also have numeric values telling you how big of an area that brush will take up.

3) After you have chosen the shape you prefer in the same drop down menu you can change your desired size of the brush. You will see a box with a numeric value in it. You can simply click in that box and type in a new value then press enter to change it. Or you click on any area of the master diameter line and it will change the value. If you want a more subtle change you can click and hold on the up arrow and drag it back and forth with the mouse to your desired location.



4) Some other features you can change for your brush are the opacity and composite mode. These features are just to the right of the brush box. By bringing down your opacity you will make your brush less visible. If you change your composite mode it will blend your brush in with the layer beneath it.





5) You also may wish to change the color of your brush. To do this, simply go over to your color palette and you will see three different lines with up arrows. Click and hold on the up arrow then drag it to the desired location. You will see the color in the upper square changing. You can also click on the upper square and it will prompt you to pick a color. Simply click on the color you desire. Then hit okay.







6) When you are pleased with your settings simply click on the area you wish to brush. If you wish to brush a wide area you can also click and hold, and drag your mouse around. It will continue to brush while you hold on the mouse.

Using the Lasso Tool:
1) First select the lasso tool. It looks just like a rope in a lasso. (Or hit “L” on the keyboard.)



2) The lasso tool is primarily used to cut portions out of another layer. So if an object is to elaborate to crop, lasso tool is a great solution. To use the lasso tool click and hold, and then drag the mouse around the object you want to cut out or move. When your done lassoing you can simply let go of the mouse and you will see a blinking dotted line. If you’re unhappy with your lasso just click once on the layer and the dotted line should go away so you can begin again.



3) After you are done lassoing you have two options. You can press; “delete” and it will delete that area. You can also switch to the move tool, which looks like an up arrow with a cross of arrows next to it. (V on the keyboard) This will allow you to move the selected area to a new place in the composition or a new composition all together.

Adding Text:
1)To begin adding text, first select the Horizontal Type tool. It is the symbol that looks like a “T”. (Or hit “T” on the keyboard.)



2) Next you should make sure you can view your character palette. If it is not visible click “Window” at the top then go down to “Character”. There should be a check mark on the left of it. If not click on it.



3) To begin typing simply click on the layer and begin typing. After you’re done you can begin making adjustments in your character palette.



4) In the character palette you will be able to change the font by simply clicking on the down arrow next to the font. Then click on the font type you want. The font size can be changed as well by clicking on the down arrow then clicking on your desired font size.





5) There are many functions and setting you can adjust on your font. Another important feature is your font color. To change the color click on the box next to the word color. In the big square just click on the color you want. If you want to adjust the color range click on the tall skinny square to the right. Click what color you want and it will change the options in the big square. When you’re done picking your color click “Okay” at the top right. Or if you don’t want to change the color you can just hit “Cancel”.





 

Working with layers:
1) In working with layers you will want to make sure that the layer you are working on is highlighted. You can check this by viewing the middle right portion of the screen. You will see a tab that says “Layers”. Make sure the layer you want to work on is highlighted blue. If it isn’t simply click on it. If you want to work on another layer just click on the other one.



2) If you want to hide a layer you can click on the eyeball next to it. If they eye is gone the layer is hidden. If you want to see that layer again you can just click in the same box. The eye will return signifying that you can view that layer again.





3) If you want to delete a layer simply highlight it and hit “delete” on the keyboard.

Free Transforming The Image:
1) To Free Transform an image click on “Edit” at the top then go down and click on “Free Transform”. Or on the keyboard hit “command” and “T” at the same time.



2) When you click on “Free Transform” a box will appear around that layer with 8 smaller boxes around that box. If you hold your mouse over those smaller boxes you will see a straight arrow pointing two ways. You can then click, hold and drag that box in or out making your layer larger or smaller. The small boxes in the corners will adjust height and width. The small middle boxes will either affect only height or only width.





3) You can also rotate a layer around a 360 degree angle. To do this just put your mouse outside the object a little ways and you will see the two sided arrow, but this time with a curve in it. Then you can click, hold, and drag your layer left or right.



4) If you want to enlarge a photo but want to make sure the pixel ratio remains the same you can hold shift while you are enlarging to get a nice even expansion.

Dragging and Dropping Image into another Composition:
1) First we will want to create a new composition. At the top click on “File” then click on “New”. This will open a box asking for information on your new composition. You can click in any box and put in new information. You can rename your composition, and change the composition size. You can also change the way size is measured by clicking on the down arrow to the right of width and height. Then click on the new measurement you desire. When you are done making these changes click “OK”.











2) You will now be in your new composition. You will see two tabs near the top. They will be the names of your two compositions. The one you are currently in will be a light grey color while the hidden tab will be dark gray. To switch between these tabs simply click on the tab you desire to open. Make sure NOT to click on the “X” on the right side of the tab or it will close that composition.





3) Now you are ready to move layers between compositions. Select the layer you wish to move. Make sure you have the Move Tool selected. It looks like an up arrow with a four way arrow below it. (Or Hit “V” on the Keyboard) Then when your layer is selected and you have the move tool selected, click and hold on the layer you want to move and drag it up to the composition tab you want to put it in. Keep holding it over that tab and eventually it will open. Make sure not to let off the mouse yet. Keep holding that layer then drag your mouse over the canvas in your new composition. You will see a plus sign pop up. Then you can let go of the mouse and that layer will be in the new composition.







4) You can also crop a selection of a layer to bring over. Select your Marquee tool. It looks like a square made from dotted lines. (Or click “M” on the keyboard) Once you have that selected, click, hold, and drag till you have an area that you like. You should see a flashing dotted line square. Then switch back to your “move tool”. (See last paragraph). Then treat that square as a layer and follow the same steps outlined in the last paragraph. Also see documentation on the “Lasso Tool” and you can bring layer selections over that way as well.



 


Saving as a .PSD (Photoshop) file:
1) To save a project as a Photoshop file click on “File” at the top of the screen. A drop down menu will pop out. Go down and click on “Save As”. You will see a long narrow box with the word format next to it. Click on that box and it will give you a list of format options. Find the option that says “Photoshop” and click on it.







2) You will also want to rename your file. At the top there is a long narrow box that has the word “Save As” next to it. Click in that box and rename your file. MAKE sure to leave the .PSD extension at the end of your project title.



3) Lastly you will want to select a location to save your project file. On the left you will see a list of locations where you can save your file. E.G. Desktop. (If you do not see this list there is a down arrow to the right of the “Save As” box. Click it so it faces up). Just click on the location you want to save it to. If you want to save it to a more specific location like a folder just keep clicking and more options should reveal themselves.







4) When you are done adjusting all these settings just click “Save”.



5) After you have saved you can Click on “File” and then go down and click on “Save instead of “Save As”. This way you won’t have to repeat all these steps.




Saving as a .Jpeg/.TIFF/.PNG:
1) To save as a .Jpeg, .TIFF, or .PNG file we will follow almost identical steps as the saving for .PSD tutorial. The only difference is when you click on the “Format” box you will select JPEG, TIFF, or PNG. If you are confused please reference the tutorial on “Saving as a .PSD (Photoshop) File.

Differences Between File Formats:
1) PSD is your standard Photoshop file. It is important to always save a PSD file or else you will be unable to edit your file after it has been closed and reopened.

2) JPEG Files are most common to use. If you need to save a photo for a class JPEG would be safest to use.

3) PNG Files are much like JPEG files with the exception that they will allow for transparency. An example of this is if you delete a portion of a photo, save it as a PNG, and bring it into final cut, you will actually be able to put another image underneath and view it through the transparent portion. If you attempted this with a JPEG you would only see black in that portion.

4) TIFF Files are great because they are uncompressed when you save them. Meaning you won’t lose quality. They are great for archiving old photos. They are also larger then JPEGS, so they would be good if you had to save a very large image.