Starting Photoshop

To begin, you’ll start Adobe Photoshop and reset the default preferences.

1. Click the Adobe Photoshop 2023 icon in your Start menu (Windows) or the Launchpad or Dock (macOS), and then simultaneously hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows) or Command+Option+Shift (macOS) to reset the default settings.

   Note

   Typically, you won’t need to reset defaults when you’re working on your own projects. However, you’ll reset the preferences before working on most lessons in this book to ensure that what you see onscreen matches the descriptions in the lessons. For more information, see “Restoring default preferences” on page 5.

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

2. When prompted, click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file.

   

Using the Home screen

After starting Photoshop, the first thing you see is the Home screen, which gives you a number of ways to get started, as shown in the following illustration.

On the left you see a list of view options:

• Home helps you use and learn about the current version and includes a tour. After you’ve opened at least one locally stored document, a Recent section of previously opened documents will appear at the bottom of the Home screen.

• Learn presents links to tutorials that open in Photoshop, where the Learn panel leads you through a lesson’s steps that you follow using Photoshop itself.

• Your Files lists Photoshop Cloud Documents, including those you created on devices such as an iPad. You’ll learn more about Cloud Documents in Lesson 3, “Working with Selections.”

  Tip

  To skip past the Home screen and go straight to the Photoshop application workspace, click the Photoshop icon in the upper-left corner.

• Shared with You lists Cloud Documents that others have invited you to see by using the File > Invite command.

• Lightroom Photos lists images synced to your Creative Cloud account’s Lightroom online photo storage (not Lightroom Classic local storage).

• Deleted lists Cloud Documents you’ve deleted, in case you change your mind and want to recover them (similar to the Recycle Bin or Trash on your computer desktop). This list includes Cloud Documents only, not files you deleted from Lightroom Photos or from your computer’s local storage.

  Tip

  To manage files in the Deleted list, click the ellipsis (…) button next to a file, and choose Restore or Permanently Delete.

When you click the Search icon in the upper-right corner and enter text, Photoshop looks for matching content in the Learn tutorials about Photoshop and in Adobe Stock images. When a document is open, the Search icon can also find specific commands and tools in Photoshop and can find content in your cloud-synced Lightroom images. For example, enter “bird” to find your Lightroom cloud photos that contain birds.

The Home screen automatically hides when you open a document, which is what you’re going to do next. You can return to the Home screen by clicking the Home icon in the upper-left corner of the application window.

Open a document

Photoshop provides a number of ways to open documents. For this lesson, you’ll use the traditional Open command, which works like the Open command you’ve probably used in other applications.

1. Choose File > Open. If a dialog box appears that says Cloud Documents at the top, click On Your Computer at the bottom of the dialog box.

   Tip

   If you drag and drop a compatible file anywhere on the Home screen, Photoshop will open it.

2. Navigate to the Lessons/Lesson01 folder that you copied to your hard drive from the peachpit.com website. (If you haven’t downloaded the files, see “Accessing the lesson files and Web Edition” on page 4.)

3. Select the 01End.psd file, and click Open. Click OK if the Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog box appears, and click No if a message about updating text layers appears.

The 01End.psd file opens in its own window, in the default Photoshop workspace. The end files in this book show you what you are creating in each project. In this project, you’ll create a birthday card.

The default workspace in Photoshop consists of the menu bar and options bar at the top of the screen, the Tools panel on the left, and several open panels in the panel dock on the right. When you have documents open, one or more document windows also appear, and you can display them at the same time using the tabbed interface. The Photoshop user interface is similar to the one in Adobe Illustrator^® and Adobe InDesign^®, so learning how to use the tools and panels in one application makes it easier to learn and use the other applications.

There is one main difference between the Photoshop work area on Windows and that on the Mac: Windows always presents Photoshop in a contained window. On macOS, you can choose whether to work with an application frame, which contains the Photoshop document windows and panels within a frame that is distinct from other applications you may have open; only the menu bar is outside the application frame. The application frame is enabled by default; to disable the application frame, choose Window > Application Frame, but note that the illustrations in this book are created with the application frame enabled.

4. Choose File > Close, or click the close button (the x next to the filename) on the tab of the document window. Do not close Photoshop, and don’t save changes to the document. The filename is added to the Recent list on the Home screen.

Selecting and using a tool from the Tools panel

The Tools panel is the tall, narrow panel on the left side of the work area. It contains selection tools, painting and editing tools, foreground- and background-color selection boxes, and viewing tools.

You’ll start by using the Zoom tool, which also appears in many other Adobe applications, including Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat.

1. Choose File > Open, navigate to the Lessons/Lesson01 folder, and double-click the 01Start.psd file to open it.

The 01Start.psd file contains the background image and a ribbon graphic that you’ll use to create the birthday card that you viewed in the end file.

2. Click the double arrows just above the Tools panel to toggle to a double-column view, which may be better for smaller displays such as those on laptops. Click the double arrows again to return to a single-column Tools panel, which might use space more efficiently on a large desktop display.

   Tip

   You can customize the Tools panel by arranging, removing, and adding tools. To do this, hold down the Edit Toolbar icon () that appears after the Zoom tool, and choose Edit Toolbar.

3. Examine the status bar at the bottom of the work area (Windows) or document window (macOS), and notice the percentage that appears on the far left. This represents the current enlargement view of the image, or zoom level.

   

4. Move the pointer over the Tools panel, and hover it over the magnifying-glass icon until a tool tip appears. The tool tip displays the tool’s name (Zoom tool) and keyboard shortcut (Z).

   

5. Click the Zoom tool icon () in the Tools panel to select it.

   Tip

   To select the Zoom tool using a keyboard shortcut, press the Z key. Tool shortcuts are single keys (do not press modifier keys such as Ctrl or Command). If a tool has a keyboard shortcut, you’ll see it in the pop-up tool tip.

6. Move the pointer over the document window. The pointer now looks like a tiny magnifying glass with a plus sign in the center of the glass ().

7. Click anywhere in the document window.

   

   Tip

   The zoom percentage also appears in the document tab.

The image enlarges to a preset percentage level, which replaces the previous value in the status bar. If you click again, the zoom advances to the next preset level, up to a maximum of 12800%.

8. Hold down the Alt key (Windows) or Option key (macOS) so that the Zoom tool pointer appears with a minus sign in the center of the magnifying glass (), and then click anywhere in the image. Then release the Alt or Option key.

Now the view zooms out to a lower preset magnification, so you can see more of the image, but in less detail.

9. If Scrubby Zoom is selected in the options bar, click anywhere on the image and drag the Zoom tool to the right. The image enlarges. Drag the Zoom tool to the left to zoom out.

   

10. Deselect Scrubby Zoom in the options bar if it’s selected. Then, using the Zoom tool, drag a rectangle to enclose part of the rose blossom.

    

The image enlarges so that the area you enclosed in your rectangle now fills the entire document window.

11. Click Fit Screen in the options bar to see the entire image again.

    

You have used the Zoom tool in different ways to change the document window magnification: clicking, holding down a keyboard modifier while clicking, dragging to zoom in and out, dragging to define a magnification area, and clicking a button in the options bar. You can customize tools by using options, keyboard combinations, and gestures (for example, clicking versus dragging). You’ll have opportunities to use these techniques as you work through the lessons in this book.

Brightening an image

One of the most common edits you’re likely to make is to brighten an image taken with a digital camera or phone. You’ll brighten this image by changing its brightness and contrast values.

1. In the Layers panel, on the right side of the workspace, make sure the Rose layer is selected.

   

2. In the Adjustments panel (above the Layers panel in the panel dock), click the Brightness/Contrast icon () to add a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. The Properties panel opens, displaying the Brightness/Contrast settings.

3. In the Properties panel, move the Brightness slider to 98 and the Contrast slider to 18.

The image of the rose brightens.

In these lessons, we’ll often instruct you to enter specific numbers in panels and dialog boxes to achieve particular effects. When you’re working on your own projects, experiment with different values to see how they affect your image. There is no right or wrong setting; the values you should use depend on the results you want.

4. In the Layers panel, click the eye icon for the Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer to hide its effect, and then click the eye icon again to show the effect.

Adjustment layers let you make changes to your image, such as adjusting the brightness of the rose, without permanently altering the actual pixels. Because you’ve used an adjustment layer, you can always disable the edit by hiding or deleting the adjustment layer—and you can edit the adjustment layer at any time. You’ll use adjustment layers in several lessons in this book.

Layering is a fundamental and powerful feature in Photoshop. Photoshop includes many kinds of layers, some of which contain images, text, or solid colors, and others that simply interact with layers below them. You’ll learn more about layers in Lesson 4, “Layer Basics,” and throughout the book.

5. Double-click the Properties panel tab to collapse it.

6. Choose File > Save As, name the file 01Working.psd, and click OK or Save.

7. Click OK in the Photoshop Format Options dialog box.

Saving the file with a different name ensures that the original file (01Start.psd) remains unchanged. That way, you can return to it if you want to start over.

You’ve just completed your first task in Photoshop. Your image is bright and punchy and ready for a birthday card.

Setting the unit of measure

You can change the unit of measure you use to work in Photoshop. This greeting card will be printed, so you’ll work in inches.

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Units & Rulers (macOS).

2. In the Units section, choose Inches from the Rulers menu, and click OK.

   

   Tip

   If you can’t remember where to find a preference setting, look for it using the Search Preferences field in the upper-right corner of the Preferences dialog box, in the title bar.

Using context menus

Unlike the menus that drop down from a menu bar, a context menu pops up under the pointer. It contains commands and options that may apply to the object under the pointer or to the current selection or state of the document. Usually, the commands on a context menu are also available in the menu bar or panel menus, but a context menu can save time because it can display relevant commands where the pointer is so you don’t have to look through the menu bar. Context menus are sometimes called “right-click” or “shortcut” menus.

1. Change the view as needed (zoom or scroll) so that you can clearly see the lower third of the card.

2. Select the Rectangular Marquee tool () in the Tools panel.

The Rectangular Marquee tool selects rectangular areas. You’ll learn more about selection tools in Lesson 3, “Working with Selections.”

3. Drag the Rectangular Marquee tool to create a selection about 0.75 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide, ending at the right edge of the card. (See the illustration.) As you drag the tool, Photoshop displays the width and height of the selected area. It’s okay if the size of your selection is a little different from ours.

   

A selection border is indicated by a dashed line called a selection marquee (also called marching ants), which is animated so that you can see it more easily.

4. Select the Brush tool () in the Tools panel.

5. In the document window, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (macOS) anywhere in the image to open the Brush tool context menu.

Context menus usually show a list of commands, but in this case, it’s a pop-up panel with options for the Brush tool.

6. Click the arrow next to the General Brushes preset group (folder) to expand it, select the first brush (Soft Round), and change the size to 65 pixels.

7. Press Enter or Return to close the context menu.

   

   Tip

   You can also close a context menu by clicking outside it. Be careful when you click so that you don’t paint an unwanted stroke or accidentally change a setting or selection.

8. Make sure the Ribbons layer is still selected in the Layers panel; then drag the Brush tool across the selected area until it’s fully painted blue. Don’t worry about staying within the selection; you can’t paint outside the selection.

   Note

   The Brush tool paints using the Foreground color, which you set earlier when you sampled a blue color using the Eyedropper tool.

9. When the bar is colored in, choose Select > Deselect so that nothing is selected.

   

The selection is gone, but the blue bar remains on the Ribbons layer.

Selecting and using a hidden tool

To save space on your screen, the Tools panel arranges some of the tools in groups, with only one tool shown for each group. The other tools in the group are hidden behind that tool. A small triangle in the lower-right corner of a button is your clue that other tools are available but hidden under that tool.

You’ll use the Polygonal Lasso tool to remove a triangular notch from the color bar so that it matches the ribbon at the top of the card.

1. Position the pointer over the third tool from the top in the Tools panel until the tool tip appears. The tool tip identifies the Lasso tool (), with the keyboard shortcut L.

2. Select the Polygonal Lasso tool (), which is hidden behind the Lasso tool, using one of the following methods:

   

   • Press and hold the mouse button over the Lasso tool to open the pop-up list of hidden tools, and select the Polygonal Lasso tool.

   • Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (macOS) the tool button in the Tools panel to cycle through the hidden tools until the Polygonal Lasso tool is selected.

   • Press Shift+L, which cycles between the tools in the group (the Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, and Magnetic Lasso tools).

With the Lasso tool, you can draw free-form selections; the Polygonal Lasso tool makes it easier to draw straight-edged sections of a selection border. You’ll learn more about selection tools, making selections, and adjusting the selection contents in Lesson 3, “Working with Selections.”

3. Move the pointer over the left edge of the blue color bar that you just painted. Click just to the left of the upper-left corner of the bar to start your selection. You should begin your selection just outside the colored area.

4. Move the cursor to the right a little more than 1/4 inch, and click about halfway between the top and bottom of the bar. You’re creating the first side of the triangle. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

5. Click just to the left of the bottom-left corner of the bar to create the second side of the triangle.

6. Click the point where you started to finish the triangle.

   

7. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the selected area from the colored bar, creating a notch for your ribbon.

   Note

   If the selected area is not deleted when you press the Delete key, make sure the Ribbons layer is selected in the Layers panel, and try again.

8. Choose Select > Deselect to deselect the area you deleted.

   

   Note

   The Select menu contains Deselect and Deselect Layers commands; be mindful of which one you need to choose.

The ribbon is ready. Now you can add a name to your birthday card.

Setting tool properties in the options bar

Next, you’ll use the options bar to select the text properties and then type the name.

1. In the Tools panel, select the Horizontal Type tool ().

The buttons and menus in the options bar now relate to the Type tool.

2. In the options bar, select a font you like from the first pop-up menu. (We used Minion Pro Italic, but you can use another font if you prefer.)

3. Specify 32 pt for the font size.

   

   Tip

   You can position the pointer over the labels of most numeric settings in the tool options bar, in panels, and in dialog boxes in Photoshop to display a “scrubby slider.” Dragging the pointing-finger slider to the right increases the value; dragging to the left decreases the value. Shift-dragging changes it by 10 points.

You can specify 32 points by typing directly in the font-size text box and pressing Enter or Return or by scrubbing the font-size menu label (see the tip in the margin). You can also choose a standard font size from the font-size pop-up menu.

4. Click the Swatches tab to bring that panel forward, if it’s not already visible; then click the triangle next to the Pastel preset group to expand it; and select any light-colored swatch. (We chose Pastel Yellow.)

   

   Tip

   When you move the pointer over the swatches, it temporarily changes into an eyedropper. Position the tip of the eyedropper over the swatch you want, and click to select it.

The color you select appears in two places: as the Foreground Color in the Tools panel and in the text color swatch in the options bar. The Swatches panel is one easy way to select a color; later you’ll learn other ways to select a color in Photoshop.

5. Click the Horizontal Type tool once anywhere on the left side of the colored bar. “Lorem Ipsum” placeholder text appears as a sample of the current type specifications. It’s selected by default so that you can immediately type over it.

6. Type a name; we typed Elaine. It replaces the placeholder text. Don’t worry if the text isn’t positioned well; you’ll correct that later.

   

7. Click the check mark icon in the options bar () to commit the text.

   

While pastel yellow looks OK, try a specific color that sets the name apart from the other ribbon’s text. It’s easier to find it if you change the Swatches panel display.

8. Click the menu button () on the Swatches panel to open the panel menu, and choose Small List.

   

   Tip

   If you want to select just some of the text in a layer, drag the Horizontal Type tool over a range of characters instead of double-clicking.

9. With the Horizontal Type tool, double-click the text. The text becomes selected.

10. In the Swatches panel, click the triangle next to the Light group of swatch presets to expand it, and then select the Light Yellow Orange swatch.

    

    Tip

    After you select a different color swatch, you can see the change in the foreground color swatch in the Tools panel, and in the color swatch in the options bar for the Horizontal Type tool.

11. Click the check mark button () to commit and deselect the text.

    Tip

    You can also commit a text edit by clicking outside the text layer.

Now the text appears in the orange color.

Expanding and collapsing panels

You can resize panels to use screen space more efficiently and to see fewer or more panel options, either by dragging or by clicking to toggle between preset sizes:

• To collapse open panels to icons, click the double arrow in the title bar of the dock or panel group. To expand a panel, click its icon or the double arrow.

  

• To change the height of a panel, drag its bottom edge.

• To change the width of a dock, position the pointer on the left edge of the dock until it becomes a double-headed arrow, and then drag to the left to widen the dock or to the right to narrow it.

• To resize a floating panel, move the pointer over the right, left, or bottom edge of the panel until it becomes a double-headed arrow, and then drag the edge in or out. You can also pull the lower-right corner in or out.

• To collapse a panel group so that only the dock header bar and tabs are visible, double-click a panel tab or panel title bar. Double-click again to restore it to the expanded view. You can open the panel menu even when the panel is collapsed.

  

  Note

  Some panels cannot be resized, such as the Character and Paragraph panels, but you can still collapse them.

Notice that the tabs for the panels in the panel group and the button for the panel menu remain visible after you collapse a panel.

Special notes about the Tools panel and options bar

The Tools panel and the options bar share some characteristics with other panels:

• You can drag the Tools panel by its title bar to a different location in the work area. You can move the options bar to another location by dragging the grab bar at the far-left end of the panel.

• You can hide the Tools panel and options bar using Windows menu commands.

However, some panel features are not available or don’t apply to the Tools panel or options bar:

• You cannot group the Tools panel or options bar with other panels.

• You cannot resize the Tools panel or options bar.

• You cannot stack the Tools panel or options bar in the panel dock.

• The Tools panel and options bar do not have panel menus.