Photoshop beginner tutorial: 3 easy tools to get you started!
Do you know how to use Photoshop? The question is often asked, among colleagues, at job interviews, etc. It's seen as an asset. It can be used for a wide range of operations, but getting to grips with it can be scary. However, by following an accessible graphic design tutorial, it's easy to learn the basics. We invite you to follow this photoshop tutorial: you'll see how much can be achieved with just a few basic notions.
Learn how to use photoshop for your business
What is Photoshop?
Photoshop is part of the Adobe suite, which includes Illustrator, After Effects, InDesign, Camera Raw and Dreamweaver. It is used for image retouching, photo editing and drawing illustrations. It is known as a DTP tool: Desktop Publishing. It has its own file format (psd extension). It is a paying software package, which many people take the risk of cracking for personal use. Any downloads of free photoshop software are necessarily pirated versions (and therefore illegal), so don't believe the free offer. For businesses, we recommend that you have a licence.
How do I use Photoshop professionally?
Photoshop can be used by different departments within a company, for a variety of purposes. Starting with the marketing and communications departments: they need retouched visuals and images with inlays, especially for their presentations. This is also the case for web design companies: Photoshop is essential for web designers. Any company working with a graphic designer uses Photoshop to create and retouch all the necessary documents, such as creating a logo.
What are the limitations of Photoshop?
Photoshop is still a 2D tool: in two dimensions. And it works in pixels, so what's appropriate for image retouching is not appropriate for 3D construction or creating graphics from scratch - even if there is a feature that allows you to obtain 3D text. Other tools such as Solidworks for volumes, or Illustrator for vector graphics, are more appropriate. Photoshop also has a little brother, Photoshop Elements, which is much more accessible, but less rich: it is better suited to those who don't need exhaustive software.
What you need to know before the Photoshop tutorial
Photoshop CS3, CS5, CC, etc.
Adobe Photoshop releases a new version every year. The first was 1.0 in February 1990, then 2.0, followed by 2.0.1 and 2.5. And many versions followed under this name until the Photoshop CS version in 2003, which corresponds to version 8.0 - which does not mean that it was the eighth, it was in fact the sixteenth. They were then called CS: CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5, etc. Finally, they were renamed CC in 2014. We are now using the CC 2017 version.
Installing Photoshop
The different versions of the software are compatible with both OS and Windows environments. In terms of functionality, each version benefits from technological advances in both tools and ease of use.
How do I use Photoshop keyboard shortcuts?
The Adobe suite, like the Office suite, has a few basic commands that are often used. To cancel an action, use the keyboard shortcut ctrl + Z (cmd + Z on the Mac). To select everything, ctrl + A (or cmd + A) is very handy. To copy/paste an item, again, the shortcuts are the same. Use ctrl + C (cmd + C) to copy, and ctrl + V (cmd + V) to paste.
Photoshop tutorial: three tools you need to know
The pen to reproduce a line
How do you create a stroke in Photoshop? There are the brush and pencil tools. However, they produce a freehand line. Sometimes, however, you want more precision, or more possibilities for retouching afterwards. That's when the pen tool comes into its own. Select it and click on your visual: a first point appears. This is known as the anchor point. Click again and a second point is created, connected to the first by a line. This creates shapes with straight edges. To create shapes with rounded edges, select the point converter - to bring it up, hold down the drop-down arrow on the pen tool. Then click on one of your anchor points and drag along the side while holding down the mouse button. A guideline appears, with handles at either end. This is the tangent of your curve. Then act on the handles to modify the curve of your segment. Each handle is independent of the next or previous segment.
Preview Feather screen
To add or remove points from your stroke, choose the add or subtract pen in the tool. To transform your path into a selection, remember to close it: the last point must coincide with your first point. Then right-click inside it and choose "define a selection".
Use the magic wand to select
A selection can be made from a line, as with the pen, or from an area. Shapes are available in the toolbar, for an oval or rectangular selection. There is also a lasso option, which can be simple, polygonal or magnetic, to give you more room for manoeuvre. The selection can also be based on a colour or texture. This is what the magic wand offers. Click on a tint in the image. Depending on the tolerance defined in the toolbar, areas of this tint will be selected. If the "contiguous" box is ticked, only adjoining pixels will be included. Selection is possible on any type of image: illustration, realistic photo, colour or black and white. This tool lets you perform impressive transformations without going too far in terms of functionality. In addition to the clipping tool, you can clip outlines and select them for individual distortions, and even merge them with other clipped elements. You can also detach an element from its background and apply it to a new one.
Preview Baguette screen
To add an item to your selection, click and hold shift. To remove it, click and hold alt. A plus or minus will appear. To deselect, ctrl + D (or cmd + D) is useful.
Adjustment layers to change the appearance
Once you have your selection, you can change its colouring: in Edit, fill. White, black, 50% grey, or a colour of your choice. You can enter the RGB (Red Green Blue) or CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black) code for your colour if you know it, or use the eyedropper if the colour is present on the visual. You can also act differently on your selection using adjustment layers. Display the layer window, unlock the background using the padlock. Then create an adjustment layer. Various filters are available: saturation, colour, vibrancy, luminosity, etc. Choose one. Choose one. A window appears, allowing you to modify the layer's properties. The effect is instantaneous on the visual, helping you to control your action.
Layer screen preview
Other very interesting tools exist in Photoshop, such as Photomerge for panoramic images, or the drop or stamp for blurring. However, with the pen, the wand and the adjustment layers, you already have a wide range of possibilities. Make the most of it!
Article translated from French