Get to know Photoshop

Welcome to the Get Started with Photoshop tutorials

that teach you the basic tools and techniques of Adobe
Photoshop. This tutorial introduces you to the
Photoshop work area and shows you how to open and
save your images, zoom in and out, and undo
mistakes.

 Open images
Open images, and create new images.
 
What you learned: To open and create images
 In the menu bar, choose File > Open to open existing images.
 In the menu bar, choose File > New to create a new image from
scratch. Select a document preset. You can customize the preset by
typing in your own values, like width and height.
 

 Get familiar with the work area

Tour the work area.
 
What you learned: The interface
 Menu bar (at the very top) shows the File, Edit, Image, and other
menus that give you access to a variety of commands, adjustments, and
panels.
 Options bar (underneath the menu bar) displays options for the
tool you are currently working with.
 Tools panel (on the left) contains tools for editing images and
creating artwork. Similar tools are grouped together. You can access
related tools in a group by clicking and holding a tool in the panel.
 Panels (on the right) include Color, Layers, Properties, and other
panels that contain a variety of controls for working with images. You
can find the full list of panels under the Window menu.
 Document window (in the middle) displays the file you’re currently
working on. Multiple open documents show up in tabs in the Document
window.
 Close image: Choose File > Close.

 Learn how to zoom and pan

Change your view of an image.
 
What you learned: To zoom in and out and pan around
 The Zoom tool is located in the Tools panel. Change from Zoom In
to Zoom Out in the options bar.
 The Hand tool, also located in the Tools panel, allows you to pan
around a large or zoomed-in image.

 Undo a command
Undo single or multiple steps, and use the History panel.
 
What you learned: To undo
 To undo the last thing you did, choose Edit > Undo or press
Control+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (macOS).
 To redo the last thing you did, choose Edit > Redo or again press
Control+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (macOS).
 To undo multiple steps, choose Edit > Step Backward multiple
times, or select a step in the History panel.

 Save your work

Use the Save commands.
 
What you learned: To save an image
 Choose File > Save or File > Save As.
 Saving in Photoshop format (.psd) will retain layers, type, and
other editable Photoshop properties. It’s best to save your image in PSD
format while you’re still working on it.
 Saving in JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png) format will save as a standard
image file that can be shared, opened by other programs, and posted
online. When you’re finished editing, save a copy in one of these
formats too.
 Change the image size
Learn how to resize an image, crop and straighten, and
add to the image canvas in Adobe Photoshop.

 Resize an image
Change the size of an image.
 
What you learned: To resize an image
1. Choose Image > Image Size.
2. Measure width and height in pixels for images you plan to use
online or in inches (or centimeters) for images to print. Keep the link
icon highlighted to preserve proportions. This automatically adjusts the
height when you change the width and vice versa.
3. Select Resample to change the number of pixels in the image. This
changes the image size.
4. Click OK.

 Set the resolution

Change the resolution of an image.
 
What you learned: To change image resolution
1. Choose Image > Image Size. Resolution in this dialog box means
the number of image pixels that will be assigned to each inch when the
image is printed.
2. Leave width and height set to inches for printing.
3. Deselect Resample to preserve the original number of image
pixels.
4. In the Resolution field, set the number of pixels per inch to 300 for
printing to a typical desktop inkjet printer. This changes the number of
inches in the width and height fields.
5. Click OK.

 Crop and straighten an image

Use the Crop tool.
  
What you learned: To crop and straighten an image
1. Select the Crop tool in the Tools panel. A crop border appears.
2. Drag any edge or corner to adjust the size and shape of the crop
border.
3. Drag inside the crop border to position the image inside the crop
border.
4. Drag outside a corner of the crop border to rotate or straighten.
5. Click the check mark in the options bar or press Enter (Windows)
or Return (macOS) to complete the crop.

 Expand the canvas

Add some space to the document canvas.
 
What you learned: To change canvas size
1. Choose Image > Canvas Size
2. To add a canvas, enter the amount of width and height to add.
Measure width and height in pixels for online use or in inches for print.
3. Select Relative, and then select an anchor point in the canvas
diagram. The arrows point to the sides where the canvas will be added.
4. Click OK.

Work with layers

Learn how to use layers in the Layers panel, resize the
contents of a layer, add images to a layered file, and
work with a background layer in Adobe Photoshop.
 Understand layers
Learn what layers are and why they are so useful.
 
What you learned: To view and select layers in the Layers panel
 Layers contain the images, text, or objects that make up a layered
file. They let you move, edit, and work with content on one layer
without affecting content on other layers.
 Layers are arranged in a stack in the Layers panel, which is usually
located in the bottom right of the work area. If the Layers panel is not
visible, choose Window > Layers.
 In the Layers panel, click the eye icon to the left of a layer to hide
its content. Click again in the same spot to reveal the content. This is a
useful way to remind yourself what’s on a particular layer.
 A layer must be selected in order to make changes to it. In
the Layers panel, click once to the right of a layer name to select that
layer. To add more layers to your selection, hold Control (Windows) or
Command (macOS) as you click other layers.

 Learn layer basics

Change layer order, create a new layer, change layer opacity, and delete
a layer.
 
What you learned: To work with layers in the Layers panel
 Drag a layer up or down in the Layers panel to change the order of
layered objects in the image.
 Click the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers
panel to make a new layer. This layer is transparent until something is
added to it.
 To name a layer, double-click the current layer name. Type a new
name for the layer. Press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS).
 To change a layer’s opacity, select a layer in the Layers panel and
drag the Opacity slider located near the top of the Layers panel to make
the layer more or less transparent.
 To delete a layer, select a layer in the Layers panel and press
Backspace (Windows) or Delete (macOS).
 Resize a layer
Change the size of the content of selected layers.
 
What you learned: To resize layers
1. In the Layers panel, select one or more layers that contain images
or objects you want to resize.
2. Choose Edit > Free Transform. A transform border appears around
all the content on the selected layers. Hold the Shift key to avoid
distorting the content, and drag the corners or edges until it is the desired
size. Drag inside the transform border to move the content around the
image. Drag outside the transform border to rotate the content.
3. Click the check mark in the options bar or press Enter (Windows)
or Return (macOS) to finalize the change.
 Add images to a layered design
Bring more images into a design, each image on its own layer.
 
What you learned: To add images to a design
1. Choose File > Place Embedded, navigate to an image file in File
Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS), and click Place.
2. Hold the Shift key to avoid distorting the image, and drag the
corners of the image border to resize the added image.
3. Drag inside the border to position the added image where you want
it.
4. Click the check mark in the options bar to finalize the placement.
This automatically creates a new layer containing the added image.
 Unlock the Background layer
Learn how a special Background layer works.
 
What you learned: To convert a Background layer into a regular layer
 Because the Background layer is locked, it can’t be moved in
the Document window or rearranged in the Layers panel, and some
editing functions won’t work on it.
 To change the Background layer into a regular layer, click the lock
icon to the right of the layer name in the Layers panel. 

Adjust the image quality

Learn how to enhance the brightness and color and
improve the quality of your images in Adobe
Photoshop.

 Adjust brightness and contrast

Adjust image exposure.
 
What you learned: To adjust brightness and contrast
1. In the menu bar, select Image > Adjustments >
Brightness/Contrast.
2. Adjust the Brightness slider to change the overall brightness of the
image. Adjust the Contrast slider to increase or decrease image contrast.
3. Click OK. The adjustments will appear only on the selected layer.

 Adjust color vibrance

Adjust vibrance of colors.
 
What you learned: To adjust vibrance
1. In the menu bar, select Image > Adjustments > Vibrance.
2. Experiment by adjusting the sliders. The Vibrance slider affects the
intensity of colors. It has the strongest effect on muted colors in the
image. The Saturation slider increases the color intensity of all colors in
the image.
3. Click OK when you’re done. 

 Adjust hue and saturation

Adjust hue and saturation of colors.
 
What you learned: To adjust hue and saturation
1. In the menu bar, select Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.
2. Experiment by adjusting the Hue, Saturation, and
Lightness sliders. Your changes will affect all the colors in the image.
The Hue slider changes the colors in an image. The Saturation slider
affects the intensity of colors in an image. The Lightness slider affects
the brightness of colors in an image.
3. To affect only a specific color with these sliders, first go to the
drop-down menu at the top left of the Hue/Saturation dialog box and
choose a color range, like Yellows. Then adjust the Hue, Saturation, or
Lightness sliders. These changes will only affect the selected color
range, wherever that color appears in the image.
4. Click OK when you’re done. 

 Learn about adjustment layers

Work with adjustment layers.
 
 What you learned: To add an adjustment layer
Adjustment layers give you additional editing flexibility. They allow
you to re-edit image adjustments you’ve made, and protect your original
image from direct changes. Try out a Black & White adjustment layer to
get a feel for how adjustment layers work. 
1. In the Layers panel, select an image layer that you want to affect
with the adjustment.
2. Go to the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Create new fill or
adjustment layer icon, and select Black & White from the drop-down
menu. A new adjustment layer will appear in the Layers panel above the
image layer you selected. This adjustment layer will affect only the
layers below it.
The Properties panel opens automatically, displaying the controls for
this adjustment. Different kinds of adjustment layers present different
controls in the Properties panel.
3. With your Black & White adjustment layer selected in
the Layers panel, customize the way your image is converted from color
to black and white by adjusting the controls in the Properties panel.
4. Experiment by adjusting the sliders. Click the double arrows at the
top right of the Properties panel to close that panel when you’re done.

Make selections
Learn how to create a selection, work with popular
selection tools, and fine-tune the edges of a selection in
Adobe Photoshop.

 Learn selection basics

Use a selection to edit part of an image.
 
What you learned: To make a selection and adjust only the selected area
A selection isolates part of an image so you can work on that area
without affecting the rest of the image.
1. In the Tools panel, select the Rectangular Marquee tool. Drag a
rectangular selection onto the image. The area inside the animated
border represents your selection.
2. To select more, click the Add to selection icon in the options bar or
press Shift and drag. To select less, click the Subtract from selection
icon in the options bar or press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and
drag.
3. Select a layer you want to adjust. Then try applying some
adjustments (Image > Adjustments). With a selection active, adjustments
affect only the selected area of that layer. The same is true if you were to
apply a filter, paint, fill, copy, or make other edits.
4. When you’re done, deselect by choosing Select > Deselect or
pressing Control+D (Windows) or Command+D (macOS). 

 Learn how to use the Quick Selection and Lasso tools

Use selection tools.
 
What you learned: Use the Quick Selection tool
1. In the Tools panel, select the Quick Selection tool.
2. Drag over an area you want to select. This tool tries to find image
edges and automatically stops the selection there.
3. After your initial selection, this tool automatically switches to
its Add to Selection option. To select more, drag over other areas.
4. To select less, hold the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key
(macOS) as you drag over areas to remove from the selection.
5. Experiment with adjusting the size and hardness of the Quick
Selection tool in the options bar.
Use the Lasso tool
1. In the Tools panel, select the Lasso tool. This tool is useful for
cleaning up a selection that you started with another tool.
2. To add to a selection made with any tool press Shift and drag
around the area you want to add.
3. To subtract from a selection, select the Subtract from
selection option in the options bar or press Alt (Windows) or Option
(macOS) and drag around the area you want to remove.
4. Press Control+D (Windows) or Command+D (macOS) to deselect.

 Fine-tune a selection
To fine-tune a selection in the Select and Mask workspace
 
What you learned: To enhance a selection
1. Make a selection with a selection tool, like the Quick
Selection tool.
2. In the options bar, click Select and Mask to open the Select and
Mask workspace.
3. Go to the View menu on the right side of the workspace and choose
one of the view options, like Overlay, for a more accurate view of your
selection. In Overlay view, the selected area is clear and the non-selected
area is translucent red by default.
4. In the Tools panel, select the Brush tool. Paint on the image where
you want to add to the selected area. If you want to subtract from the
selected area press Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and paint on the
area to remove.
5. Scroll down on the right side of the workspace to the Output
Settings > Output to menu, and choose Selection as the output type.
6. Click OK to close the Select and Mask workspace.

Retouch images
Learn how to remove unwanted objects, add objects by
cloning, and fix other imperfections in your images with
retouching tools in Adobe Photoshop.

 Remove small objects

Use the Spot Healing Brush tool to remove objects
 
What you learned: To remove objects
1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains spots or small
objects you want to remove.
2. In the Tools panel, select the Spot Healing Brush tool.
3. In the options bar, adjust the size and hardness of the Spot Healing
Brush tool to fit the item you’re trying to remove.
4. Click on a spot or drag over an object you want to remove. 

 Add objects by cloning

Use the Clone Stamp tool to add objects
 
 What you learned: To add objects with the Clone Stamp tool
1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains content you want
to copy and use elsewhere in the image.
2. In the Tools panel, select the Clone Stamp tool.
3. In the options bar, adjust the size and hardness of the Clone
Stamp tool to fit the object you’re cloning.
4. Press the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) and click
an area of the image from which you want to copy content.
5. Release the Alt (Option) key and drag over a new area to which
you want to copy content. As you drag, the Clone Stamp tool copies
content from the source and paints it into the new area.

 Remove a large object

Use the Content-Aware fill command to remove an object
 
What you learned: To remove objects with Content-Aware fill
1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains a large object or
person you want to remove.
2. Use a selection tool to select the object. Make sure to include a
little of the background all the way around the object.
3. In the menu bar, choose Edit > Fill.
4. In the Fill dialog box, choose Content-Aware in
the Contents menu and then click OK. Your selection will fill with
content that matches the background, hiding the unwanted content from
view.
5. If you don’t like the result, try applying Content-Aware fill again.
You may get a different result with each try.

Use color
Learn how to work with brushes and color in Adobe
Photoshop.

 Work with brushes

Use brush tools
What you learned: To use tools that have brush tips
1. In the Tools panel, select the Brush tool.
2. In the options bar, change the size and hardness of the brush. You
can also select a different brush tip to change how the brush strokes
look.
3. An alternative way to increase brush size is to press the right
bracket key several times.
4. To decrease brush size, press the left bracket key several times.

 Use foreground and background colors

Store colors in the Foreground and Background color boxes
What you learned
 The Brush tool, the Shape tools, the Type tool, and other features
that apply color use the color in the Foreground Color box at the bottom
of the Tools panel.
 There are multiple ways to set the foreground color. You can select
the Eyedropper tool and sample a color from the image, or use the Color
Picker, Color panel, or Swatches panel.
 Behind the Foreground Color box is a Background Color box,
where you can store another color.
 To switch the Foreground and Background color boxes to quickly
access either color, click the double-pointed arrow just above the two
color boxes or press the X key.

 Choose a color
Choose colors using the Color Picker, the Color panel, or the Swatches
panel.
What you learned: To use the Color Picker
1. Click the Foreground Color box at the bottom of the Tools panel to
open the Color Picker.
Option A: In the Color Picker, drag the vertical slider to choose a hue
(color). Then click a spot in the large color box to choose the brightness
and saturation of that color.
Option B: Enter exact color values into the HSB, RGB, CMYK, or
Hexadecimal color fields.
Option C: With the Color Picker open, move your mouse over to your
open image. Your cursor will turn into an eyedropper. Click anywhere
on the image to sample the color under your cursor.
 2. Click OK to close the Color Picker. The color you chose appears in
the Foreground Color box at the bottom of the Tools panel, ready for
use.
To use the Color panel
If you don’t see the Color panel on your screen, go to the menu bar and
choose Window > Color.
 The Color panel acts like a mini Color Picker, in which you can
choose a color hue from the slider, and then adjust brightness and
saturation in the color box. The color you choose appears in the
Foreground Color box in the Tools panel.
 The Color panel doesn’t offer as many options as the Color Picker,
but the advantage of this panel is that you can leave it open on your
screen for quick access.
To pick a color from preset color swatches in the Swatches panel
1. If you don’t see the Swatches panel on your screen, go to the menu
bar and choose Window > Swatches.
2. Click on a swatch (colored square) in the Swatches panel to change
the foreground color to the selected swatch color.

Add text and shapes

When you add text and shapes in Adobe Photoshop,
they remain editable, and you can customize them
down to the smallest detail.

Add text
Add text to an image.
 
What you learned: To add text
1. In the Tools panel, select the Horizontal Type tool.
2. In the options bar, choose a font, font size, color, and other options
for your text. You can edit any of these settings later.
3. Click on the canvas and enter a single line of text. You can also
create a paragraph of text by dragging out a text box and then typing
inside the box.
4. Click the check mark in the options bar to accept the text and exit
text mode.
This automatically creates a new, editable type layer in the Layers panel.
5. Use the Move tool to move your text into position in the image.
6. Save your image in the Photoshop (PSD) format to retain the
editable type layers for future editing.
 

 Edit text
Make changes to text in an image.
 
What you learned: To edit text
1. To edit text on a type layer, select the type layer in
the Layers panel and select the Horizontal or Vertical Type tool in
the Tools panel. Make a change to any of the settings in the options bar,
such as font or text color.
2. When you’re finished editing, click the check mark in the options
bar.

 Create a graphic shape

Add a shape to an image.
 
What you learned: To create a shape
1. In the Tools panel, click and hold the Rectangle tool (or whichever
Shape tool is showing in your Tools panel at the moment) to view all the
shape tools. Select a tool for the shape you want to draw.
2. In the options bar, choose a Fill color and other options for your
shape. These can be changed later.
3. Hold the Shift key to avoid distorting the shape as you drag in an
image to create an editable shape. This automatically creates a new
shape layer in the Layers panel.
4. Use the Move tool to move the shape into position in the image.
5. Scale, transform, or rotate a shape without harming its image
quality by choosing Edit > Free Transform or pressing Control+T
(Windows) or Command+T (macOS).
6. To change the color of a shape, go to the Layers panel, find the
shape layer you want to change, and double-click the thumbnail on that
layer to open the Color Picker. As you click colors in the Color Picker,
you’ll see a live preview of the selected color on the shape. When you
find a color you like, click OK to apply the new color to the shape.

 Add a built-in custom shape

Add a custom shape to an image.
 
What you learned: To add a custom shape
1. In the Tools panel, click and hold the Rectangle tool (or whichever
Shape tool is showing in your Tools panel) and select the Custom
Shape tool.
2. In the options bar, click the down-facing arrow to the right of
the Shape picker. To view all the custom shapes that come with
Photoshop, click the gear icon on the right of the Shape picker, choose
All from the menu, and click OK in the message that appears. Then click
the bottom right corner of the Shape picker and drag it out so you can
see all the shapes.

Combine images
One of the most powerful aspects of Adobe Photoshop
is its ability to combine images to form imaginative
composites.

 Add texture to an image

Create a textured look with blend modes.
 
What you learned: To add texture to an image
1. Start with two layers. The image with the texture you want to add
should be on the top layer and the main image should be the bottom
layer.
2. In the Layers panel, make sure the top layer (texture) is selected.
3. At the top left of the Layers panel, change the blend mode in the
drop-down menu from Normal to Overlay. This changes the way the
colors in the texture layer interact with the colors on the layer below.
Try out some other blend modes to find the one that looks best with your
images.
4. At the top of the Layers panel, experiment with decreasing
the Opacity slider to change the look of the texture on the image. 

 Add an object to an image with a layer mask

Use a layer mask to add an object to an image.
 
What you learned: To add an object to an image using a layer mask
1. Start with two layers. The image with the object you want to add
should be on the top layer
and the main image should be the bottom layer.
2. In the Layers panel, make sure the top layer (object you want to
add) is selected.
3. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add layer mask icon.
This adds a white rectangle or thumbnail that is linked to your top layer.
This white rectangle is the layer mask. The layer mask determines what
part of the linked layer is visible and what part is hidden. White on the
mask represents areas that are visible. Black on the mask represents
areas that are hidden.
4. In the Tools panel, select the Brush tool. With the mask selected
(by clicking on the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel), paint with
black or white to make areas of the linked layer hidden or visible. 

 Replace a background using a layer mask

Use a layer mask to replace one background with another. 
 
What you learned: To use a layer mask to hide a background
1. Start with two layers. The original image should be on the top
layer and a replacement background image should be the bottom layer.
2. In the Layers panel, make sure the top layer (original image) is
selected.
3. In the Tools panel, select the Quick Selection tool and use it to
select all the areas in the original image you want to keep in the final
output — everything except the background of the original image.
4. At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add layer mask icon.
This adds a layer mask thumbnail linked to the top layer. The layer mask
is hiding everything except what you selected. The hidden areas on your
top layer allow you to see down through the layer stack to the
replacement background on your bottom layer.

Apply filters
You can add quick effects to an image using filters in
Adobe Photoshop. Filters can also be combined to
create unique results.

 Browse the Filter Gallery

Apply creative filters using the Filter Gallery.
What you learned: To use the Filter Gallery
1. Select a layer that contains content you want to change.
2. Go to the menu bar and choose Filter > Filter Gallery.
3. Try the different filters and adjust their settings for the desired
result.
4. Experiment with adding multiple filters in the Filter Gallery and
changing their stacking
order.
5. Click OK to close the Filter Gallery and apply the filters you
chose. You can also filter after you create a selection to apply filters to
only the selected area.

 Blur an image with Smart Filters

Apply a blur filter as an editable Smart Filter.
What you learned: To use a Smart Filter to blur a background.
1. Select a layer that contains content you want to blur, like a
background.
2. Choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters. Click OK. This converts
the selected layer into a
layer that will support re-editable filters.
3. With the same layer selected, choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian
Blur.
4. In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, adjust the Radius control until
you’re happy with the amount of blur in the live preview. Click OK to
apply the Gaussian Blur filter.
5. Note the Smart Filter that’s attached to your image layer in the
Layers panel. This allows you to flexibly edit the filter settings. To do
that, double-click the Gaussian Blur Smart Filter in the Layers panel,
make a change in the Gaussian Blur dialog box that reopens, and click
OK.
6. Save the image in Photoshop (PSD) format to retain the Smart
Filter layer.