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Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

 Workspace overview
Copyright Adobe Inc.
Default Photoshop workspace
A. Document window
B. Dock of panels collapsed to icons
C. Panel title bar
D. Menu bar
E. Options bar
F. Tools palette
G. Collapse To Icons button
H. Three palette (panel) groups in vertical dock
 

SHORTCUT TIP (works also in InDesign and Premiere)
To hide the Toolbox and all open palettes, press the Tab key, then  hit the Tab Key  again to reopen them.
Shift+ Tab opens and closes only the palettes and leaves the Toolbox visible.

See me for a handout on additional shortcuts for Adobe products!


 
 

Black Triangle Tool Tip
There are more tools to the toolbox than the one's you see. There is a black triangle in the lower-right corner of some tools. Hold down the mouse button on the triangle and more tools will appear.

 

Toolbox overview


For an expanded view of each tool in the toolbar.

Selection tools-- which allow you to select different parts of your image. Select the tool or its keyboard shortcut (M for rectangular marquee) , and then click and drag with your mouse over the portion of the image you wish to select.

Hint:  Always use the MOVE tool to move a selection or to drag a part of an image onto another open image.

 

Painting and picture altering tools-You can paint a new color, erase part of an image, and burn, smudge or clone part of the image you are working on. Photoshop now has a Healing Brush, which you can remove scratches from old photos and scars from faces.

 

The remaining tools are vital to your work. Work with words, lines, and shapes.  Zoom in to a small part of your image.   Add text and match a color from your image or the swatches. To know the full value of the tools takes practice and experimentation!

 

Photoshop Palettes

Adobe programs use palettes to display various types of information. Palettes display layers of your image, image properties and swatch colors,  brush sizes and even a history of what actions you have taken.

Remember, all of the Adobe programs use palettes and once you understand them in one program, your learning curve on the next program is much greater!

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