About Classroom in a Book

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book^® (2023 release) is part of the official training series for Adobe graphics and publishing software, developed with the support of Adobe product experts. The lessons are designed to let you learn at your own pace. If you’re new to Adobe Photoshop, you’ll learn the fundamental concepts and features you’ll need to master the program. And if you’ve been using Adobe Photoshop for a while, you’ll find that Classroom in a Book teaches many advanced features, including tips and techniques for using the latest version of the application and preparing images for the web.

Although each lesson provides step-by-step instructions for creating a specific project, there’s room for exploration and experimentation. You can follow the book from start to finish or do only the lessons that match your interests and needs. Each lesson concludes with a review section summarizing what was covered.

What’s new in this edition

This edition covers new features in Adobe Photoshop, such as improved selection tools, updated Neural Filters, and new masking features in Adobe Camera Raw.

This edition also includes many new tips about working effectively with this robust and professional application. You’ll learn best practices for organizing, managing, and showcasing your photos, as well as how to optimize images for the web. And throughout this edition, look for tips and techniques from one of Adobe’s own experts, Photoshop evangelist Julieanne Kost.

Prerequisites

Before you begin to use Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2023 release), you should have a working knowledge of your computer and its operating system. Make sure that you know how to use the mouse and standard menus and commands, and also how to open, save, and close files. If you need to review these techniques, see the documentation for your Microsoft^® Windows^® PC or Apple^® Mac^® computer.

To complete the lessons in this book, you’ll need Adobe Photoshop (2023 release) and Adobe Bridge 2023 installed on your computer. The exact version number of the software is different than the year in the application name; this book was specifically tested using Photoshop version 24.0, Bridge version 12.0, and Camera Raw 15.0:

• To find the version of Photoshop that you are running, choose Help > System Info and look at the first line (Adobe Photoshop Version).

• To find the version of Bridge that you are running, choose Help > About Bridge (Windows) or Adobe Bridge > About Bridge (macOS) and look at the first line in the window that opens.

• To find the version of Camera Raw that you are running, look in the Camera Raw window title bar when Camera Raw is open.

If your versions of those applications are older, you may be able to get the versions matching this book by opening the Creative Cloud desktop application and clicking the Updates button. If newer versions don’t appear in the Updates list, see if your computer meets the current system requirements because they may have changed.

If your versions are newer and don’t match some of the steps in this book, you may be able to install a version matching this book; see “Installing a different version.”

Installing Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, and Adobe Camera Raw

Before you begin using Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2023 release), make sure that your system is set up correctly and that you’ve installed the required software and hardware. You must license the Adobe Photoshop software separately. For system requirements and complete instructions on installing the software, visit helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html.

In the Photoshop system requirements, system memory (also called random access memory or RAM) is used by the operating system and applications. The graphics processing unit (GPU) of your computer needs its own memory (also called graphics memory, video RAM, or VRAM) for things such as GPU acceleration. If your computer has discrete graphics hardware (also called a dedicated GPU or video card), that hardware has its own graphics memory. If your computer has integrated graphics (more common in lower-cost computers and laptop computers), its graphics memory is subtracted from system memory. Photoshop can use discrete or integrated graphics.

Many of the lessons in this book use Adobe Bridge, and one lesson uses Adobe Camera Raw. You install Photoshop and Bridge on your computer using the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application, available at adobe.com/creativecloud/desktop-app.html; follow the onscreen instructions. Adobe Camera Raw is automatically installed when you install Photoshop.

Installing fonts

Some lessons in this book may suggest specific fonts. If a suggested font is not installed on your computer, you may be able to sync it to your computer using Adobe Fonts, which is part of a personal Creative Cloud subscription. (Adobe Fonts might not be included in some educational or organizational subscriptions.) To activate a font from Adobe Fonts and sync it to your computer while in Photoshop, choose Type > More from Adobe Fonts and follow the directions.

Starting Adobe Photoshop

You start Photoshop just as you do most software applications.

To start Adobe Photoshop in Windows: Click the Start button in the taskbar, and in the alphabetical list under A, click Adobe Photoshop 2023.

To start Adobe Photoshop on a Mac: Click the Adobe Photoshop 2023 icon in the Launchpad or Dock.

If you don’t see Adobe Photoshop, type Photoshop into the search box in the taskbar (Windows) or in Spotlight search (macOS), and when the Adobe Photoshop 2023 application icon appears, select it, and press Enter or Return.

Online content

Your purchase of this Classroom in a Book includes the following online materials provided on your Account page on adobepress.com.

Restoring default preferences

Like many applications, Adobe Photoshop stores various general settings in a document called a preferences file. Each time you quit Photoshop, certain workspace settings (such as the last-used options for some tools and commands) are recorded in the preferences file. Any changes you make in the Preferences dialog box are also saved in the preferences file.

To ensure that what you see onscreen matches the images and instructions in this book, you should restore the default preferences as described at the beginning of each lesson. If you choose to not reset your preferences, be aware that the tools, panels, and other settings in Photoshop may not match those described in this book.

If you have changed the settings in the Edit > Color Settings dialog box, those settings are saved in a different location than the Preferences file, so use the following procedure to save them as a preset before you start work using this book. When you want to restore your color settings, you can simply select the preset you created.

Additional resources

Adobe Photoshop Classroom in a Book (2023 release) is not meant to replace documentation that comes with the program or to be a comprehensive reference for every feature. Only the commands and options used in the lessons are explained in this book. For comprehensive information about program features and tutorials, refer to these resources:

Home screen: In Photoshop, the Learn section of the Home screen offers tutorials.

Search command: Choose Edit > Search to open the Discover panel, which offers a wealth of tutorials, suggestions, and links before you even enter a search term. If you enter a term (such as “crop”) and press Enter or Return, the Discover panel can highlight relevant Photoshop tools and commands for you and provides links to more information.

Adobe Photoshop Help and Support: Choose Help > Photoshop Help to open the Discover panel with a list of online help resources including the User Guide and Support Community. You can also use your web browser to go to helpx.adobe.com/support/photoshop.html to find Help and Support content on Adobe.com.

Photoshop tutorials: Choose Help > Hands-On Tutorials to open the Discover panel with a list of guided lessons. Follow along in Photoshop with the provided sample documents. To find more tutorials online, go to helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/tutorials.html.

Photoshop blog: blog.adobe.com/en/topics/photoshop brings you tutorials, product news, and inspirational articles about using Photoshop.

Julieanne Kost’s blog: jkost.com/blog/ is where veteran Adobe product evangelist Julieanne Kost posts useful tips and videos that introduce and provide valuable insights on the latest Photoshop features.

Adobe Support Community: community.adobe.com lets you tap into user forums where you can ask questions about Photoshop and other Adobe applications.

Adobe Photoshop product home page: Find product information at adobe.com/products/photoshop.html.

Plug-ins menu: To find add-on “plug-in” software modules to extend and add features to your Creative Cloud tools, in Photoshop choose Plugins > Browse Plugins.

Creative Cloud desktop application: Click Discover to see tutorials, online streaming video, inspirational examples of creative work, and other links and resources for Photoshop and other Adobe applications you have installed.

Resources for educators: adobe.com/education and edex.adobe.com offer a treasure trove of information for instructors who teach classes on Adobe software. Find solutions for education at all levels, including free curricula that use an integrated approach to teaching Adobe software and can be used to prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate exams.

Adobe Authorized Training Centers

Adobe Authorized Training Centers offer instructor-led courses and training on Adobe products.

A directory of AATCs is available at learning.adobe.com/partner-finder.html.