Introduction to Photoshop

Training Documentation

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Introduction to Photoshop............................................................................................................................... 3
What is Photoshop? .................................................................................................................................... 3
Tool Palate .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Gradient: Allows transition between two or more chosen colors............................................................... 4
Other Terms: ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Color Models: ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Lesson 1: Selections....................................................................................................................................... 5
Softening Edges: Anti-Aliasing and Feathering......................................................................................... 6
Effect of turning off anti-alias option: ........................................................................................................ 6
Feathering: .................................................................................................................................................. 7
The Magic Wand: ....................................................................................................................................... 7
The Lasso Tool: .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Scaling & Rotating: .................................................................................................................................... 8
Selecting the Bow Tie:................................................................................................................................ 9
Combining Selection Tools......................................................................................................................... 9
Inverse Selections: .................................................................................................................................... 10
The Color Range Command: .................................................................................................................... 10
Introduction to Layers................................................................................................................................... 12
Lesson 2 – Layers ......................................................................................................................................... 12
The layers palette ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Rearranging layers. ................................................................................................................................... 12
Renaming layers ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Editing the background to become a layer ................................................................................................ 13
Adding a new layer ................................................................................................................................... 13
Adding a gradient to a layer...................................................................................................................... 13
Moving Layers:......................................................................................................................................... 14
Moving layers around ............................................................................................................................... 14
Erasing artwork on a layer ........................................................................................................................ 14
Deleting a layer ......................................................................................................................................... 15
Scaling and Rotating ................................................................................................................................. 15
Layers and file size ................................................................................................................................... 15
Merging layers .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Flattening files .......................................................................................................................................... 16

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Introduction to Photoshop

What is Photoshop?

Photoshop is a graphics based program created with images known as raster graphics.
Other graphic applications, i.e. Illustrator, Corel Draw and Freehand, create vector
graphics. Vector graphics are composed of solid lines, curves and other geometric shapes
that are defined by a set of mathematical instructions. Vector images work best for type
and other shapes that require clear crisp boundaries. Raster images work best with
photographs. Raster graphics are comprised of a raster (a grid) of small squares called
pixels. Objects in Photoshop are groups of many pixels – each of which can be a
different color. Raster images require more memory and storage than vector images.
Photoshop is a memory-hungry program.

This class will introduce you to the tool palette, basic commands, common menus, layers
and how to make selections based on shape and color.

Tool Palate
You cannot go too far in Photoshop without the tools palette. You will notice that some
of the tools have a tiny arrow on the lower right of their section. This indicates there are
variations of this tool in that slot. Click on the arrow (keep your mouse down) and see
what is there.

An overall summary of all the tools follows below. Those in bold will be covered in this
class.

Marquee Tools: They make seither rectangular or elliptical selections of all or part
of an image.

Crop Tool: Part of the Marquee tool set. Selects a part of an image and discards the
remainder.

Move Tool: Moves selected areas within and image, to other layers within an image
or to another image entirely.

Lasso: Makes freehand and straight selections of any shape by manually dragging
around the shape of the image.

Magic wand: Makes automatic selections of similar colored areas. Tolerance

indicates the number of tones above or below the selection that are permitted.

Pen Tool: Used to make precise, straight and curved lines that can convert to selections.

Airbrush: Used to simulate spray painting.

Paintbrush: Allows you to paint with the foreground color using a palette of brushes.

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Eraser: Used to erase pixels within an image or a selection.

Pencil: Used to paint hard edged lines with the foreground color.

Rubber Stamp: Allows you to sample an image and copy it elsewhere.

Smudge: Simulates dragging a finger through wet paint.

Focus: Blurs or Sharpens part of an image or a selection.

Toning tools-Used to lighten, darken or saturate

Type Tool: Adds text to an image.

Line: Creates straight segments.

Gradient: Allows transition between two or more chosen colors

Paint bucket: Fills selected areas with a chosen color

Eyedropper: Samples colors from a selection or part of an image.

Hand Tool: Moves an image within a window (like using scroll bars.)

Zoom: Allows you to increase or decrease magnification of an image.

Other Terms:

Image Resolution: Digital Images are represented in pixels. Image resolution refers to
the number of pixels in the image and is measured in pixels per inch or ppi. The more
pixels per squire inch, the higher the resolution.

Color Models:

RGB: (Red Green Blue) A large percentage of the visible spectrum of color can be
represented by using these three basic components of colored light in various proportions.

• RGB Files are smaller than files created in other color palettes.
• Monitors display RGB colors best.
• RGB provides a larger color spectrum than other models.

CMYK: (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black ). The CMYK color model represents the
four process inks used to print images on a press:. To print an image on a press, each of
the four plates is inked with one of the colors. The plates produced for each color are
called color separations. The combined color separations create a composite image.

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Lesson 1: Selections

1. File > Open, selection, Start04.psd. Click open.

2. File > Save as Work 04.pds

3. Open the File End04.pds to see what the end product should resemble.

Selection Tools: The four basic selection tools are: Marquee, Lasso, Move and Magic
Wand. The pen tool which is something borrowed from Illustrator, is also used to make
precise selections, but will not be covered in this lesson.

Tool Options: Each tool has its own option palette. To open the options palette, double
click the tool in the toolbox.

Create a rectangular selection:

1. Select the melon using the rectangle marquee tool.

2. Drag the rectangle marquee down from the top left corner of the melon to its bottom
right corner.

3. Click the move tool and position pointer within the selection.

4. Drag the melon downward to the bottom of the window-leave 1-inch of space.

5. Release the move tool.

To undo your move choose Edit>Undo Move. To redo your Move choose Edit>Redo
Move.

6. Choose Select >Deselect. (Command/Ctrl D)

To create an elliptical selection.

1. Click the zoom tool to approximately 200%. Check the lower left of the environment
window to see what percentage you have.

2. Select Ellipse Marquee.

3. Move the pointer over the blueberry.

4 Constrain your proportions by holding down the shift key.

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5 Drag diagonally down from top left or press Alt/Command and drag from the center
out.

6 As long as the mouse is held down you can move the marquee to adjust the position.

Next we will move the blueberry onto the carrot slice to create an eye.

Select the Move tool. Position the pointer within the marquee—a pair of scissors will
appear.

Drag the blueberry onto the carrot and release the mouse.

Choose Select > Deselect

Choose File > Save

Softening Edges: Anti-Aliasing and Feathering

Anti-aliasing—creates smooth edges around a selection by making the pixels that lie
along the selection border partially transparent. The effect is to remove a jagged edge.

1. Double click the ellipse marquee.

2. Notice the anti-alias option and make sure it is selected.

3. Drag an ellipse around the carrot edge. (Hold down shift to constrain proportions).

4 Click the move tool and hold down Option/Alt and position the pointer within the
selection. The pointer becomes a double arrow indicating a duplicate will be made when
you move the selection.

5 Drag the selection to the gray area above the carrot. Release the mouse, Option/Alt.

4. Select > Deselect

5. Zoom in to examine the carrot edges.

Effect of turning off anti-alias option:

6. Click the Ellipse Marquee in the toolbox and turn off the anti-alias in the options
palette.

7. Select the carrot again by dragging a marquee around it.

8. Click the move tool and Option/Alt and drag up to the gray area.

9. Select > Deselect.

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10. Zoom in to examine the edges.

Feathering:

Feathering a selection blurs the edges when you cut, copy, move or fill a selection.

1. Click the elliptical marquee, double click to make sure the options palette is up, Enter
“3” in the feather text box.

2. Drag the marquee around the blueberry.

3. Click the Move Tool, Option/Alt and drag the selection to the gray area.

4. Select > Deselect.

5. View > Fit on Screen (to resize the document)

6. Select with the Ellipse Marquee the edge option you like (hold shift if you need to
constrain) and select the original carrot-blueberry eye.

7. Click the Move + Option/Alt and drag a duplicate of the eye onto the melon face. Do
not deselect.

8 To create a second eye, hold down Option/Alt and drag to the right.

8. Choose Edit > Transform > sFlip Horizontal to adjust the eye.

9. Select >None.

10. File > Deselect.

The Magic Wand:

The Magic Wand allows you to select pixels in an image based on similar tones in color.

1. Double click the magic wand. The tolerance setting in the options palette controls
how many similar tones of a color are selected when you click an area. The default is
32. This means that 32 tones lighter will also be selected as well as 32 tones darker.

2. Enter 48. This means 48 similar lighter tones and 48 similar darker tones will be
selected.

3. Click the magic wand anywhere within the pear tomato.

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4. To select the remaining areas, hold down the shift key and click the unselected area.

5. When the pear is completely selected—hold down command+option/ctrl+alt, position

the pointer within the selection and drag the tomato nose on the melon face. Do not
deselect.

6. You can adjust the position of the nose with the arrows to the right in 1 pixel
increments. Holding the shift key down will allow you to do so in 5 pixel increments.

7. Position as desired.

7. Select > None.

8. File > Save.

The Lasso Tool:

1. Select the lasso tool.

2. Drag it around a selection of the grapefruit so that you make a shape resembling an
ear.

3. Hold down command + option/ctrl + alt to drag a copy of the ear to the left side of the
face. Do not deselect.

4. File > Save

Scaling & Rotating:

The Free Transform Command (Edit > Free Transform) allows you to scale and rotate
your selection.

1. Choose Edit > Free Transform. Notice the bounding box that appears around the
selection.

2. To scale, position the pointer on a corner handle and drag to reduce the size. Hold
down the shift key to constrain the proportions.

3. To rotate the ear, position the pointer outside the corner handles until you see a
double headed arrow, then drag to rotate.

4. Press Return/Enter.

5. Command+Option + Shift/Ctrl + Alt + Shift to drag a dupe to the right.

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6. Edit > Transform>Flip Horizontal.

7. Adjust with the Move Tool.

8. Press Enter

9. Select > Deselect.

Selecting the Bow Tie:

1. Use the Zoom Tool to enlarge the pasta.

2. Double click the Lasso Tool to open its option palette.

3. Create a freehand outline up to the right edge.

4. At the right edge, hold down Option/Alt and click the mouse button along the jagged
edge to draw straight lines.

5. Release Option/Alt to continue in freehand until you reach the left side.

6. Click Option/Alt to continue in freehand mode until you reach the left side.

7. Make sure you end the outline by crossing the starting point.

8. Click Opt/Alt to finish the jagged edge on the left.

Select the Move Tool and option/alt to drag a copy of the bow tie into place.

9. Use Edit > Free Transform to scale the tie if necessary.

10. File > Save.

Combining Selection Tools

1. Select the Magic Wand Tool

2. Click on the yellow squash.

3. Click the Ellipse Marquee in the tool box, hold the sift key and position the pointer
within the squash selection.

4. Drag a marquee around the stem at the center, release mouse, release shift.

5. Hold down Command + Option/Cntrl + Alt and drag the squash onto the bow tie.

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Inverse Selections:

The eyebrows:

1. Open the rectangle marquee, double click, enter “0” for feather.

2. Draw a marquee around the radishes. Include the white background, but none of the
gray.

3. Hold down Option/Alt and click the magic wand within the white space.

4. Zoom out.

5. Press the Opt/Alt + Com/Ctrl and move the left eyebrow into place.

6. Repeat this procedure for the right eyebrow and move into place.

7. To flip the eyebrow, press Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal.

8. File> Save.

The hat:

1. Select the mushroom freehand with the lasso tool.

2. Drag a duplicate (Ctrl V + Alt) into place on top of the head.

3. Select > Deselect.

The Color Range Command:

Color range allows you to select a color within a selection or an image.

1. Marquee the gray area that borders the peas.

2. Select > Color Range.

3. Sample Colors is the default and allows you to take a sample by clicking the
eyedropper.

4. Make sure selection is on.

5. The eyedropper with the plus sign adds colors to the selection, the eyedropper
with the minus key subtracts colors from the selection.

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6. Click the eyedropper with the plus sign. Drag it through a pea in the image
window (not the preview). The peas in the preview area should turn white
indicating they are selected.

7. Move the decorative peas into place across the mushroom hat.

8. Save your work.

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Introduction to Layers
Every Photoshop image contains one or more layers. Every new file is created with a
background, which can be converted to a layer. Think of layers as placing portions of a
drawing on sheets of acetate—when the sheets are stacked, the entire drawing is visible,
but individual sheets/layers may be edited, repositioned or deleted without affecting the
overall drawing.

The order in which the layers are organized is called the stacking order. This determines
how the image is viewed-which parts appear up front, which parts appear behind.

Lesson 2 – Layers
1. Choose File > Open and open Lesson 05.
2. Save as Work05.psd.
3. Open End 05.psd to see finished file.

The layers palette

This palette lets you control the layers in your document. You can create new layers,
reposition them, delete or merge layers as well as apply special effects e.g. drop shadows.

1. Choose Window>Show Layers.

2. Make sure the layers tab is clicked so it is at the front of the palette.

The eye icon in the column to the left allows you to view or hide a layer.

You select and edit a single layer at a time. When a layer is active, a paintbrush icon
appears to the left of the layer name next to the eye,

1. Click the Vest layer.

2. Drag the opacity slider triangle on top of the layers palette to 50%.

Notice the vest becomes 50% opaque and you can see what is underneath.

3. Drag the slider back to 100%

Rearranging layers.

1. Click the shirt layer in the layers palette to select it and drag upward above the Pants
layer. When you see a thick black line above the Paints layer, release the mouse
button. The shirt is now in front of the pants.

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Renaming layers

Editing the background to become a layer

You cannot move the background, you can only move layers. To move an image on a
background to a different place in the stacking order, you must convert the background to
a layer.

Adding a new layer

1 In the layers palette, click the Seascape layer to make it the active layer.

2. Choose New Layer from the Layers palette menu.

3. In the New Layer dialog box, the name Gradient and click OK

4. Make sure the Gradient layer appears above the Seascape layer in the Layers palette.

Adding a gradient to a layer

1. Double-click the gradient tool in the toolbox to select the tool and to open its Options
Palette.

2. In the Gradient Tool Options palette, for Gradient choose the Foreground to
Transparent option.

3. Click the Swatches palette tab to bring it to the front of its palette groupSelect a shade
of purple for the starting color of the gradient.

4. In the Swatches palette, click a shade of purple.

5. Make sure you have selected the Gradient layer.

6. In the image window, drag the gradient tool from the top of the image to the bottom
of the image.

The gradient is applied over the length of the layer, starting with purple and gradually
blending to transparent.

7. Drag the Opacity slider in the layers palette to 60% to lighten the gradient.

Make sure you end the outline by crossing the starting point.

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Moving Layers:

You can drag and drop layers from one file into another.

1. Choose File > Open > hats.psd file from the list and click open.

2. Position the pointer on the Three Hats layer in the Layers palette, and then drag the
layer onto the Word05.psd window. Release the mouse button when an outline
appears in the Work05.psd image.

The Three Hats layer is not in the Work05.psd layers palette. Dragging duplicated the
layer and added it to the other file.

3. Drag the Three Hats layer to the top of the palette. It should be on top of the image.

4. File > Close Hats.psd

Moving layers around

You can reposition the artwork on individual layers with the Move Tool.

1. Click the move tool.

2. Make the Three hats the active layer.

3. Choose a hat to place on the figure’s head. Then use the move tool to position the
hat accordingly.

Erasing artwork on a layer

1. Double-click the Eraser tool. The options palette will appear.

2. Choose Block from the Erase Options.

3. Drag the eraser over the hats you did not want.

4. Click the Figure layer to make it active

5. In the Eraser options palette, select the Paintbrush option, set the Opacity to 65%, and
drag the eraser over the figure's right leg so it appears as in the water.

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Deleting a layer

To delete a layer simply drag it onto the trash icon on the lower right of the layers palette.

Scaling and Rotating

1. Choose File > Open and open Basket.psd, click Open.

2. As with the hats, drag the basket into the Work05.psd file.

3. Close the basket.psd

4. Select the move tool and position the basket on the figure’s arm.

5. Choose Edit > Free Transform. A bounding box appears around the basket.

6. Rotate the basket by putting the pointer outside on the handles and dragging

7. Scale the basket to a smaller size by pressing Shift (to constrain) and dragging a
handle of the transformation boundary.

8. Press Return to apply changes.

9. Double-click the eraser tool in the toolbox. Drag the opacity slider to 100% and erase
a portion of the basket handle to fit it on the arm of the figure.

Layers and file size

The more layers in an image, the bigger your file will be. Once you are finished with
your work, merging the layers and deleting unused ones will make the file smaller. This
should only be done once the design is final and no changes are forthcoming.

Merging layers

1. In the layers palette click the eye next to the Seascape, the Shadow and the Gradient
layer to hide them.

2 Choose Merge Visible from the Layers palette menu. All the layers merge with the
exception of the invisible ones.

3 Now make the layers that are invisible, visible.

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Flattening files

1. In the layers palette menu choose Flatten image. All the layers in Work05.psd are
flattened into a single background.

Choose File>Save As and enter the name Flat05.psd, click Save.

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