PHOTOSHOP CS4

BASICS GUIDE

ANTONY PRICE

1
 CONTENTS PAGE

PART ONE:
THE WORK SPACE, CONTROL SYSTEMS & BRIDGE 5

Main Menu, Application Bar & Options Bar 5

Opening & Creating Files 6
Application Bar 6
The Toolbox & Control Palettes 7
The History Palette 7
Bridge 8
Creating a PDF Contact Sheet 10
Creating a PDF Screen Presentation 11

PART TWO:
CROP/ROTATE, FILE FORMATS & IMAGE SIZE/RESOLUTION 12

Cropping an Image 12
Rotating an Image 12
Saving an Image File 13
File Formats 13
RAW Digital Darkroom 15
Image Size & Resolution 16
Image Resampling 17

PART THREE:
IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS, LAYERS & RETOUCHING 18

Layers 1 18
Image Adjustments 19
Toning Tools 20
Healing Tools 20
Clone Stamp 21
Layers 2 - working with multiple images 22
Transforming Layers 23

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PART FOUR:
SELECTIONS & LAYERS 24

Selection Tools 24
Layers 3 - Copy & Paste 27

PART FIVE:
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS & MASKS 28

Adjustment Layers 28
Masks 30

PART SIX:
TYPE, LAYER STYLES & SHAPE TOOLS 32

Type Tool 32
Layer Styles 34
Styles Palette 35
Shape Tools 36

PART SEVEN:
PAINTING TOOLS 37

Brush Tool 37
Gradient Tool 39
Eraser Tool 40

PART EIGHT:
FILTERS 40

Filter Gallery 41
Lighting Effects Filter 42
Liquify Filter 43

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4
PART ONE: THE WORK SPACE, CONTROL SYSTEMS &
ADOBE BRIDGE

Within Photoshop the Work Space is controlled via the Main Menu, Application Bar,
Options Bar, Image Window, Toolbox & Control Palettes.

MAIN MENU, APPLICATION BAR & OPTIONS BAR

The Main Menu lists the major control systems such as File, Edit, Image, Layer etc. Click a
heading to view a drop-down menu listing the individual heading functions.
The Application Bar sits under the main menu and controls image viewing options.

The Options Bar sits directly below the Main Menu & Application Bar. Whenever a tool is
chosen from the Toolbox the Options Bar changes to display the individual tools options.

If any Work Area options are not visible go to Window in the Main Menu and click on the
controls you wish to open e.g Window - Tools

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 OPENING AND CREATING
FILES
• Go to File – Open to open a file, browse
through the Devices or Places folders
to find the file you want.

• Go to File – New to create a new empty

canvas. Choose the type of file that
suits your requirements from the Preset
menu, then choose a Size:

International Paper (A3, A4, A5 etc)

Photo (Landscape-Portrait 4x6, 10x8 etc)
Web (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 etc)
Film & Video (Pal DV, Widescreen etc)

The correct Resolution & Color Mode will

be automatically set for the requirement.

• Choose the Background Contents as

desired (white is the standard).

APPLICATION BAR
The Application Bar is used to control how you view your images. Place the mouse cursor over
a button to view its name. From left to right:

The Launch Bridge button opens the Adobe Bridge program. Adobe Bridge is used for viewing
and processing multiple files, used in conjunction with Photoshop it provides additional controls
for working with large numbers of images. Bridge functions will be explained in a later section.

The View Extras button allows you to view rulers and any guides or grids you have created.

The Zoom Level button allows you to easily zoom in/out of an image and set increments.

The Hand Tool allows you to move around an image when zoomed in close, click & drag to
move around the image.
The Zoom Tool allows you to zoom in & out of an image, click drag on an image to zoom
directly to that area.
The Rotate View Tool allows you to rotate the image (on screen only).

The Arrange Documents button lets you arrange multiple images on screen at once in several
preset modes.
The Screen Mode button allows you to switch between Standard & Full Screen modes.

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EXPAND / SHRINK
THE TOOLBOX &
CONTROL PALETTES
The Toolbox (left of screen) lists the specific
tools.

Click on a tool to activate it. When you choose

a tool its specific options appear in the
Options Bar.

Click and hold on tools with black arrows to

open additional tool options.

At the bottom of the Toolbox are the Set

Foreground & Background colour controls,
with the Edit in Quick Mask Mode button.

The Control Palettes (right side of screen)

offer control of major functions

In the top right corner of the screen you

can choose the selection of control palettes
that are best for your use. Choose the Basic
selection to start with.

Double click a control palette icon to expand/

shrink the individual control palettes.

Click the Expand/Shrink arrow buttons in the

top left/right of the Toolbox or Control Palettes
to expand/shrink all the options.

THE HISTORY PALETTE

The History palette records any functions you
apply to an image. The History palette can be
used to Undo mistakes or simply to view an
image at a previous state.

• Click the function heading in the History

palette to go back to a previous state.

• Click the Snapshot button to create a

snapshot of the current state. You can then
switch between the original image and the
snapshot to view changes.
You can increase the number of History
Note: history and snapshots are only
states that can be undone by going to the
recorded during the current work session.
Photoshop heading in the Main Menu
When you close a file the history and
then choose Preferences – Performance
snapshots are NOT saved.
and adjust the History States.

YOU CAN OPEN INDIVIDUAL PALETTES AT ANY TIME BY GOING TO WINDOW IN THE MAIN MENU.

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 ADOBE BRIDGE

Adobe Bridge is a file viewing and organisation program. Used mainly to order and process large
amounts of files it is extremely useful for producing quick outputs such as PDF presentations
or web galleries. To open Adobe Bridge go to Applications or launch Bridge directly from any
of the Creative Suite apllications e.g Photoshop by clicking the Launch Bridge button in the
Applications menu.

REVIEWING IMAGES

• Select the drive that your images are stored on from the left side Favourites or Folders
panel.

• You can view your images in several different ways by clicking the Essentials or Filmstrip
tabs in the top Main Menu.

• Adjust the view and zoom options using the bottom right corner zoom controls.*

• For more advanced review go to View - Review Mode to open the carousel viewing window.
Click on any image to see details. Press the ESC key to exit review mode.

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*
• To make review and edit decisions as to which are the best
images first select an image(s) in the Content window,
then go to Label in the Main Menu and choose from either
a Rating (stars) or Label (colours). This will add a star
rating or colour bar to the selected images. (You can also
right-click on an image to open the options menu, then
choose Label).

• You can view your selected images by clicking in the

Filters * panel on the left side of the main window.

• You can change the names of multiple files by selecting them

in the Content window then going to Tools in the Main Menu
and choosing Batch Rename.

For tutorials on bridge functions go to:

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/get-going-
with-adobe-bridge-cs4/

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-bridge-cs4/

OUTPUT MENU

Bridge’s Output menu allows you to easily create a variety of output files including PDF contact
sheets and screen presentations.

• Click the Output tab or Output button in the Main Menu to open the Output control
panel, Preview and Content windows.

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 CREATING A PDF CONTACT
SHEET
To create a contact sheet you must first
browse for and select the images you wish
to include within Bridge.

• In the Content panel at the bottom

of the window click on the first image,
scroll to the last image, hold Shift on
the keyboard and click the last image to
select all (or press the Cmd/Apple key
- A to select all).

• In the Output panel choose a

Template, Document Size & Layout
(you can adjust these options as
required).

• Click the Refresh Preview button to

see how the contact sheet will look in
the Output Preview window.

• In the Overlays section tick Filename

& Extension and choose a font, size &
colour.

• Leave the Playback section empty with

all options un-ticked.

• You can choose to add a watermark

over the image from the Watermarks
section if you require it.

• Click the Save button to save the PDF

file.

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CREATING A PDF SCREEN
PRESENTATION
For best results when creating a PDF screen
presentation it is advised that you prepare
your images beforehand so that they are
suitable for screen display (see Image Size
& Resolution section in the Photoshop
Basics Guide for more info).

Note: this example will create a screen

presentation that is suitable for full
screen display on most monitor sizes.

• Select the images that you want to

appear in the presentation from the
Content panel.

• In the Output panel, Document section

choose Web from the Page Preset
options.

• Choose 1600 x 1200 from the Size

options.

• Set the Quality setting to High Quality

for screen presentation purposes or Low
Quality for email or website upload.

• In the Layout section choose 1 column

and 1 row. Set all other options to 0 for
full screen display (you can adjust these
options to create a border around the
image).

• In the Overlays section un-tick the

Filename and Extension options.

• Click the Refresh Preview button

to see how the image will look in the
Output Preview window.

• In the Playback section choose whether

the file will Open in Full Screen,
Advance automatically or Loop after
last page.

• Choose the style of Transition and

Speed that the images will appear on
screen.

• Tick the View PDF After Save box and

click the Save button.

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 PART TWO: CROP/ROTATE, FILE FORMATS &
IMAGE SIZE/RESOLUTION

CROPPING AN
IMAGE
• To crop an image choose the
Crop Tool from the Toolbox
then click-drag across the
image to assign the crop edge.

• Click-drag the Bounding Box

corners to resize the crop
border.

• In the Options Bar you can

adjust the opacity & colour of
the Shield. This is used to aid
effective cropping by darkening
the area outside the crop.

 
ROTATING AN
IMAGE
• To rotate an image go to the
main menu Image – Image
Rotation and choose from
the rotation options.

• Image – Image Rotation

also allows you to Flip
Canvas either horizontally
or vertically.

Flipping the canvas gives you a

mirrored version of your image.

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SAVING AN IMAGE FILE
• To save an image file go to File –
Save As. Choose a destination for
the file from the Devices or Places
panel (MAC) e.g. your personal
hard drive or USB stick.

• Change the name of the file in the

Save As name panel.

• Choose the Format you wish the

file to be saved as.

• Tick the As a Copy box if you wish

to save the file as a copy.

Note: once you have saved an

image file using the Save As option
you can go to File – Save (cmd-S)
to save the file as you progress.
It is wise to make a copy of any
important files so that you don’t
lose the original data.

FILE FORMATS
When you save or scan an image in Photoshop you need to
assign a type of File Format to it. This determines several
values, including the quality, compression level (how large
the file is in Gigabytes G, Megabytes M or Kilobytes K) and
whether it is ‘Flattened’ or ‘Layered’. It is important that you
learn which file format is best used for which task. A saved file
will have the Format tag assigned to the name of the file e.g
name.jpg

Although there are many differing File Formats you will

generally only need to use a select few.

Photoshop .psd
The Photoshop file format is an uncompressed or lossless
high quality format that is used for photographic image
manipulation. Because of its high quality, psd files can
have large file sizes (anywhere between 20 – 150+ M). The
Photoshop file allows you to save ‘Layers’, be aware that each
new layer you add increases the overall file size. Photoshop
files can only be read and opened within Photoshop.

The Photoshop format is the best quality file for

photographic manipulation. Photoshop psd files should
NOT be used for printing, website or screen presentation
purposes.

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 TIFF .tif
The TIFF file format is an uncompressed or
lossless high quality format that is used mainly
for photographic printing. The Tiff file format also
allows you to save ‘Layers’, but it is recommended
you leave them as flattened files for printing
purposes. Although there is the option to
compress Tiff files you should leave the Image
Compression setting on NONE for best quality.

The Tiff format is best used for high quality

print-friendly files. Tiff files should NOT be
used for website or screen presentation
purposes.

JPEG .jpg
The JPEG file format is the most commonly used
compression or lossy format when saving images
for website or screen presentation purposes. The
JPEG file format does not save ‘Layers’ and always
flattens the file data. You have Image Options
that allow you to compress the file at varying
Quality levels, using the slider bar to assign
small or large file sizes. The file size is displayed
on the right in K or M under the Preview box.

The JPEG format is best used for

compressing files for web based or screen
presentations. JPEG files are NOT to be used
for high quality printing purposes.

The compressed JPEG format is the most

commonly used format for digital camera
capture.

RAW .crw .crt .nef .mos

Professional digital cameras can shoot high-
resolution uncompressed RAW files, as well as
standard compressed JPEG files.
RAW file formats vary depending on the camera
make and model e.g Canon cameras use the
crw tag while Nikon use nif. The RAW format is
like a digital negative; you can create additional
copies at varying levels while always maintaining
the original data. You should attempt to shoot as
RAW whenever possible if you intend to heavily
manipulate or print at large sizes.
Note: shooting as RAW will greatly reduce
the amount of shots you can take and store
on your cameras memory card. Try to have
several 2-4GB memory cards for storage
purposes whenever shooting.
Note on using RAW:
Although RAW files are ideal for high
quality retouching and printing you have
to assess every project individually, and
whether it requires RAW quality. For
big fashion shoots RAW is essential,
you need to be able to have detail for
retouching, image adjustment and large
prints. Some projects may however only
ever need to be displayed on screen,
the ability to shoot a greater quantity of
shots being more important.
SHOOT FOR YOUR REQUIREMENTS.

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RAW DIGITAL DARKROOM
When you open a RAW file into Photoshop the RAW digital darkroom controls are displayed.
This control panel allows you to literally develop and process the raw data like a negative or
transparency. You can adjust and correct White Balance, Temperature, Exposure, Recovery,
Fill Light, Blacks, Contrast, Brightness, Clarity, Vibrance and Saturation. Sharpening and other
image alterations can also be made before you’ve even opened the file into Photoshop. The
digital darkroom also gives you the ability to define the pixel size, resolution and color mode of
the processed image.

Zoom, Move, Sample, Crop, Retouch, Rotate controls Image correction controls

Resolution and Color Mode controls

IMPORTANT:
It is advised that you hold the Alt key on the keyboard then click Open Copy when you have
finished your processing and corrections. This option opens a copy into Photoshop with the
adjustments, while also keeping the original file data unaltered. If you click Open Image or
Done your alterations will overwrite the original data.

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 IMAGE SIZE & RESOLUTION
In its simplest form a digital image is made up of tiny dots called pixels. Pixels contain colour
and brightness information and when grouped together form the illusion of an image. The
more pixels that are captured (when taking a photo or scanning) the better the quality of the
image is for manipulation or printing at large sizes. The size of an image is measured in Pixel
Dimensions. The quality of these pixels when grouped together is measured as Resolution.

In Photoshop the Image Size control allows you to view and alter an images Pixel
Dimensions, Document Size and Resolution.

• In the main menu go to Image – Image Size to see an images Pixel Dimensions,
Document Size & Resolution.

Pixel Dimensions show the

images actual size in pixels. This
also determines the images file size
in Kilobytes (K), Megabytes(M) or
Gigabytes (G).

The Document Size relates to the

images physical print size.

Resolution determines how the

pixels are grouped and distributed
on screen or in print.

The Scale Styles & Constrain

Proportions boxes should be
ticked. This links the width & height
so that any changes made affect
both dimensions.

The Resample Image box should

be ticked if you want to alter the
Pixel Dimensions.

The term Resolution is used to describe the quality of an image and is measured in:

Pixels Per Inch PPI for screen display
Dots Per Inch DPI for scanning & printing purposes

In general Resolution is often set to three standard output measurements:

72 ppi Screen Display (websites or presentations)

180 ppi Mid-Quality Printing (research or test prints)

300 ppi High-Quality Printing (magazines or portfolio)

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IMAGE RESAMPLING
The process of altering image Pixel Dimensions is called Image Resampling.

Image Resampling for screen

If your images are to be used on a website or within a screen based presentation you will
generally need to lower the amount of pixels in an image, which is known as Down Sampling.
Pixel Dimensions should be based on the size you wish the image to appear on screen,
setting the Document Size is not necessary.

Image - Image Size settings for web & screen based images

• Set the Resolution to 72 ppi

• Set the Pixel Dimensions to roughly

160 x 120 Website thumbnail image

320 x 240 Website small image
640 x 480 Website standard image
800 x 600 Website large image

1024 x 768 Standard CRT monitor display

1280 x 1024 Standard LCD flat monitor display
1920 x 1080 Full HD wide screen display

Image Resampling for print

If your images are to be used for printing purposes then the Resolution and Document Size
needs to be altered based on the print size you require. When altering an image for print
purposes it is important to understand that increasing the amount of pixels, known as Up
Sampling, can result in a loss of image quality, pixilation or blurring.

Image Size settings for print based images:

• Un-tick the Resample Image box, this locks the Pixel Dimensions (notice they are
greyed out).

• Set the Resolution to 300 ppi for a high-quality print or 180 ppi for a mid-quality print.
The Document Size will change to show the optimum size the image can be printed at that
resolution.

• If the document size is smaller than the required print size adjust the Document Size to
match. The Resolution setting will alter to show the highest possible resolution for that
print size.

Note: if you are required to have a specific Resolution and Document Size that is
larger than your file can be set too, you will need to Up Sample the image. To do this
Tick the Resample Image box and adjust the Resolution and Document size to your
requirements. Be aware this may cause a loss of quality to the image.

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 PART THREE: LAYERS, ADJUSTMENTS & RETOUCHING
Layers are a vital feature of Photoshop that let you duplicate and combine images, or parts of
images, as separate elements, ensuring the original image data is maintained below. It is advised
that you use duplicate layers if you want to keep the original image data along with the adjusted
version.

LAYERS 1 - DUPLICATES
The Layers control palette is used to assess
and alter layer elements.

• Click the Options arrow button in the

right corner of the Layers palette to
open the Layer Options menu.

• Choose Duplicate Layer from the list to

create a copy which stacks on top of the Palette
original Background. Adjustments and Options
alterations should then be made on this
copy layer.

Note: Layers always stack on top of

each other, the layer on top obscuring
those below.

When layers are active they appear blue in

the Layers palette.

• Click onto any layer to make it active.

Tools and adjustments only work on
the currently active layer, be aware of
what layer is active in order to avoid
mistakes.

Layer visibility can be toggled on/off

to judge the effects of the active layer in
comparison to the original Background
layer.

• Click the Eye icon to toggle visibility on

or off.

Layer Opacity can be adjusted so that the

layer becomes transparent.

• Click the Opacity option and click-

drag the slider bar to adjust the layers
transparency.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Layered files can

only be saved using the Photoshop or
Tiff file formats. If you save the file as
any other type of file format the layers
will be Merged together.

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An image file can be adjusted in many ways, with brightness/contrast, tonal values, colour, hue/
saturation and exposure of an image easily changed using simple controls.

Additional duplicate Layers can be created for additional control of effects.

An image file can also be easily manipulated in order to lighten, darken and alter specific pixels.

IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS
The Image - Adjustments menu allows
you to adjust an images tonal and colour
values. Split into sections each adjustment
in the list gives a different more advanced
set of controls for specialist tasks.

• Go to Image - Adjustments -
Brightness/Contrast to open the
brightness/contrast controls. Click-drag
the sliders to adjust the brightness/
contrast of the image.

• Go to Image - Adjustments -
Vibrance to open the Vibrance controls.
Click-drag the sliders to adjust the
vibrance/saturation of the image.

Experiment with the different

adjustments to familiarise yourself with
there effects.

If you wish to undo an Image Adjustment

use the History Palette to revert to an
earlier state.

Image Adjustments are known as

destructive because they alter the original
pixel data of the Layer.

NOTE: It is advised that you save

adjusted images as a copy so that you
do not overwrite the original image
data.

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 TONING TOOLS
The Toning Tools allow you to lighten, darken or saturate specific
areas of an image by painting over the desired area.

• Choose the Dodge Tool and change the Range to Highlights

in the Options Bar. Adjust the Exposure amount to around
20-30. Paint over areas of the image to lighten them (this is
very useful for features like hair, eyes or clothes). Experiment
with the Midtones & Shadows Range (useful for lightening skin,
bags, wrinkles).

• Choose the Burn Tool and change the Range to Shadows in

the Options bar. Paint over areas of the image to darken them
(this is very useful for features like hair, eyes or clothes).
Experiment with the Midtones and Highlights Range.

• Choose the Sponge Tool and paint over areas of the image to
saturate (intensify) the colours. Choose Desaturate Mode in the
Options Bar to remove colour.

HEALING TOOLS
The Healing Tools allow you to
heal bad areas of an image. Used
primarily for getting rid of spots or
blemishes they can be applied as a
powerful retouching tool for fixing
textured images.

• Zoom in close to the subjects

skin using the Zoom Level
control in the Applications
Bar.

• Choose the Spot Healing

Brush Tool from the toolbox
to paint out individual spots or
blemishes.

• Position the cursor over the

spot or blemish you wish
to remove, set the Brush
diameter in the Options Bar,
then click the mouse button to
blend the spot area with the
surrounding colour and texture.

Note: you can use the [ ]

bracket keys on the keyboard to
increase/decrease brush size.

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 For a video tutorial on retouching tools go to:
• Choose the Healing Brush Tool from the http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-photoshop-
toolbox to paint over groups of spots or cs4/getting-started-03-retouching-blemishes/
blemishes

• Position the cursor over a blemish free piece

of skin. Hold the Alt key on the keyboard
to bring up the target cursor and click the
mouse button to sample that area.

• Move the brush over the spot or blemish

you wish to cover and click with the mouse
button. This takes the sampled area and
blends it over the blemish.

• Choose the Patch Tool from the toolbox

to paint over large groups of spots or
blemishes

• Draw around the blemishes to create a

selection (flashing edges), click-drag this
area over a smooth piece of skin to blend
and replace the tones.

Spend some time getting rid of blemishes or

spots on the skin using the various techniques.

The Healing Tools also get rid of unwanted red

eye in an image

• Choose the Red Eye Tool from the toolbox,

click directly on the red eye to alter the
colour. Adjust the Pupil Size & Darken
Amount settings in the Options Bar if
required.

CLONE STAMP TOOL

The Clone Stamp tool works in a similar way to the Healing Brush Tool in that you assign an
area to sample or copy from, then paint over an area to replace it with the sampled texture/
colour. Unlike the Healing Tools the Clone Stamp does not blend the pixel data together. The
Clone Stamp tool is ideal for detailed retouching like covering blemishes or any unwanted
elements such as stray hairs, shadows or background defects.

• Choose the Clone Stamp Tool from the toolbox to paint over blemishes or unwanted image
elements.

• Position the cursor over the area you wish to sample. Hold the Alt key on the keyboard to
bring up the target cursor and click the mouse button to sample that area.

• Move the brush over the area you wish to cover and click with the mouse button.

Note: as you move the cursor it shows a preview of the sampled area under the
brush. Re-assign the sample area each time you paint to avoid unusual patterns
appearing.

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 LAYERS 2 - WORKING
WITH MULTIPLE IMAGE
FILES
Layers are one of Photoshop’s most
important and powerful features. From
creating simple duplicate layers to
compositing multiple images together, the
ability to use Layers effectively is paramount
to advanced image manipulation.

New Layers can be created in several ways.

You can simply drag & drop one image file

onto another, automatically creating a new
layer, or use the Edit menus Copy & Paste
function to copy & paste a selected area of
an image.

• Go to File - New and choose

International Paper from the Preset Image Tabs
menu. Choose A4 from the Size menu,
change the resolution to 180ppi and click
OK to open a new blank canvas.

• Go to File - Open and choose one or

more image files to open.

When several image files are open at once

Photoshop CS4 uses tabs, like an Internet
browser, to display the images together. You
can click the name tabs to view each image
independently.

• In the Application Bar click the

Arrange Documents button to open the
arrange menu. Choose one of the tiling
options to display multiple images as
individual windows next to each other.

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Images can be drag & dropped from
one file to another using the Move Tool.
The Move Tool is also used to move and
transform image layers.

• From the Toolbox, choose the Move

Tool.

• Click-drag the image directly onto the

blank canvas. Notice that a new Layer
has been created in the Layers palette.
Use the Move Tool to position the image
anywhere on the canvas.

• Layers can be renamed by double-

clicking on the current layer name.

Note: the size that an image appears

on a blank canvas is dependant on its
Image Size.

TRANSFORMING LAYERS
Image layers can be Transformed to alter
there scale or rotation.

• With the Move Tool active tick the

Show Transform Controls box in the
Options bar.

• A Bounding Box with squares at each

corner will appear. Hover the cursor
over the corners until you see a double
headed arrow symbol. Click-drag the
square to scale the image to the size
you desire.

• Hold the Shift button on the keyboard

whilst dragging to Constrain
Proportions. This stops the image from
becoming distorted.

• Hover the cursor just above any corner

boxes until you see a curved arrow
symbol. Click drag to rotate the image.

• Press the Return/Enter key on the

keyboard to accept the change.

• Press the Escape button on the

keyboard to undo any changes.

Note: Un-tick the Show Transform

Controls to hide the Bounding Box

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 PART FOUR: SELECTIONS & LAYERS

SELECTION TOOLS
Within Photoshop image pixels can be modified, cut,
copied & pasted just like text in a word processing
document. The Selection tools are used to define the
specific areas of an image that you want to adjust,
or copy & paste into a new layer. A Selected area is
defined by flashing edges known as ‘running-ants’.

MARQUEE TOOLS

The Marquee Tools are used to select geometric

areas of an image such as rectangles, squares, ellipses
and circles.

• Click-drag with either the Rectangular or

Elliptical Marquee tools to create a rectangular or
elliptical selection.

• Hold the Shift key on the keyboard to constrain

proportions to create a square or circular selection.

LASSO TOOLS

The Lasso Tools are used to select non-geometric

areas of an image, allowing for selections of any
shape.

Lasso Tool: click-drag around an area to draw a free

hand selection. Release the mouse button to create a
flashing selection.

Polygonal lasso Tool: click to add a start point,

click to add additional straight edge points, dot-to-dot
style, around the area you wish to select.

Magnetic Lasso Tool: click to add a start point, move

the cursor around the edge of the area you wish to
select. The magnetic lasso will automatically create
points along a contrasting edge. In the Options Bar
increase the Frequency setting to add more points,
making the selection smoother.

Note: both the Polygonal & Magnetic Lasso Tools

require you to click on the start point (small
circle appears on cursor) to seal the selection
edge.

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COLOUR SELECTION TOOLS

The Colour Selection Tools are used to

select areas of similar colour in an image.

Quick Selection Tool: click-drag around an

area to draw a quick selection. Continue to
click-drag to add to the selected area. The
Quick Selection Tool automatically looks for
contrasting edges of colour.

Magic Wand Tool: click within any area

of colour to create a selection. Adjust the
Tolerance setting in the Option Bar to
increase/decrease the range of colours the
Magic Wand searches for.

There are various different methods for producing selections, depending on the size, shape
and accuracy of the desired area to be selected. Each selection tool will provide a similar end
goal and selection tools can be combined to build complicated selections.

• When a selection is made, flashing edges known as “running ants” enclose the chosen area.
When an area is selected, any tool used will only have an effect within this area.

• To deselect a flashing area go Select - Deselect (cmd - D).

BUILDING A SELECTION

Selected areas can be added to or minused from to build up complicated selections.

• To add to a selection, click the add button in the Options Bar or hold the SHIFT key whilst
using a selection tool, notice the plus sign appears on your cursor.

• To minus from a selection, click the minus button in the Options Bar or hold the ALT key
whilst using a selection tool, notice the minus sign appears on your cursor.

25
 INVERSING A SELECTION

Selections can be Inversed so that the inside (editable

area) becomes the outside (protected area) and vice
versa. This means for example that you could use a
selection tool to draw around and isolate a figure. The
selected area is inside the ‘running ants’ and this is
the only part of the image you can edit or adjust. If
you Inverse the selection, the figure would become the
protected area and the ‘running ants’ would outline
the image background, allowing only that area to be
adjusted.

MODIFYING A SELECTION

Selections can be Modified by going to Select – Modify

in the main menu. Here you can Expand, Contract,
Smooth, Feather or Border the selection edge. These
functions are especially useful for creating a crisper
confined area for retouching and manipulation.

Border: creates a border selection edge that can be filled

with colour.

Smooth: smoothes the pixel edges of the selection.

Expand/Contract: enlarges or shrinks the selection

area.

Feather: softens and blurs the edges of the selected

area and is measured in pixel width outwards from the
selection edge.

REFINING A SELECTION

Selections can be further refined and perfected by

clicking the Refine Edge button in the Options Bar of
any selection tool or by going Select - Refine Edge in
the Main Menu.

When a selection has been made you can adjust that

area without affecting the rest of the image.

• Go to Image - Adjustments in the main menu

and choose a colour adjustment. Notice that the
adjustment effect only occurs within the selected
area.

26
LAYERS 3 - COPY & PASTE

Using the Edit menus Copy & Paste

function allows elements of an image to be
copied and pasted into new canvases or to
be placed into InDesign layouts for text
wrapping. The Copy & Paste technique is
used on elements of images that have been
Selected first.

• Open an image file and using the

previous selection techniques create a
selection (flashing edges) around an
element of the image e.g. a figure or
object.

• Once you have created a selection go to

Edit - Copy to copy the selected area.

The selected area is copied and stored

in the clipboard.

• Open a new blank canvas then go to

Edit - Paste to paste the stored copy as
a new layer.

• Use the Move Tool to position the

pasted image on the canvas. Tick the
Show Transform Controls box in the
Options Bar to scale or rotate the layer,
as in the previous section.

You can also copy & paste directly into the

same image file and save this file for use in
other Adobe programs such as InDesign.

• Once you have created a selection go

to Edit - Copy (cmd - C) to copy the
selected area.

• Go to Edit - Paste (cmd - V) to paste

the selected area directly into the same
file as a new layer.

• In the Layers palette click onto the

Background layer to make it active
then click the Delete Layer symbol to
delete this layer, leaving just the cutout.

• In order to save the file with

transparency (grey & white
chequerboard) you MUST go to File -
Save As and assign the Photoshop
PSD format. Any other format, such as
JPEG will flatten the layers transparency.

27
 PART FIVE: ADJUSTMENT LAYERS & MASKS

ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
Photoshop CS4’s Adjustments control palette
holds a powerful set of non-destructive
controls that allow you to alter and fix every
aspect of brightness, contrast and colour in
an image without permanently altering the
original background layer. Whenever you add
an adjustment a new Adjustment Layer is
created in the Layers palette. Adjustment
layers can be altered at anytime and affect
any other layers that are below them.

Note: there is a wide selection of differing

Adjustments, some adjustments you will
use frequently while others remain for
infrequent specialist requirements only.

• Double-click the Adjustments heading to

open the Adjustments Control Palette.

• Double-click any other open control palette

headings to close them and focus on the
Adjustments.

• Go to File - Open and open an image file.

• Choose an Adjustment by clicking on

its icon. Scroll along them to familiarise
yourself with the various adjustment
options.

• You can also choose an adjustment preset

from the Presets menu.

• When you choose an adjustment its specific

controls appears and an Adjustment
Layer is added to the Layers palette.
Whenever you click on this layer the
adjustment controls appear for re-editing.

• Click to the Background layer below to

add another adjustment or to edit the
image using other tools.

Note: you should ALWAYS click onto the

Background layer before doing any other
image editing, such as using the Toning,
Healing or Cloning tools.

28
LEVELS

The Levels adjustment lets you assess and alter

an images tonal range. By adjusting the white
highlight, gray midtone & black shadow content
of the Histogram you alter the brightness and
contrast of the image.

• Choose Levels from the Adjustments palette

to open the Levels Histogram control.

• Choose a preset from the Preset menu.

Experiment with the variety of preset options.

• To manually adjust the image levels:

Click-drag the black, white and grey triangles

to increase/decrease the shadow, highlight &
midtone levels

• Click the arrow button to return to the

adjustments list.

HUE/SATURATION

The Hue/Saturation adjustment lets you alter

colour.

• Choose Hue/Saturation from the

Adjustments palette.

• Choose a preset from the Preset menu.

Experiment with the variety of preset options.

• Click-drag the slider bars left or right to adjust

colour content manually.

The Hue slider bar alters the existing colour

The Saturation bar increases or decreases colour
The Lightness bar lightens or darkens the colour

• Master refers to all colours being adjusted.

Choose from the colour list options to assign
only a specific colour for adjustment.

• Tick the Colorize box to cover the image with

a coloured overlay.

For additional tutorials on adjustments go to:

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-photoshop-cs4/
getting-started-06-adjusting-colors/ and

http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/techniques/a-
basic-guide-to-photoshop-cs4-adjustment-layers/

29
 MASKS
Photoshop CS4’s Masks control palette
holds a powerful set of non-destructive
controls that allow you to alter and adjust
Layer Masks. Layer Masks are used
to mask out or hide selected areas of an
image. Because masks are non-destructive
they allow for continued editablilty without
affecting the original pixel data. Whenever
you add a Mask to a layer a mask thumbnail
symbol appears on that layer. Layer Masks
can be edited at any point by using the
Brush Tool set to either white or black
colour.

Note: before you can add a Layer Mask

you must first create a selection.

• Use any of the Selection Tools to draw

a rough selection around the area you
wish to mask.

• Add an adjustment from the

Adjustments palette. Notice that the
adjustment effect only occurs within the
selected area and a Layer Mask has
been added to the Adjustment Layer in
the Layers Palette.

Layer Masks can be modified live using the

Masks Palette

• To adjust the Density (opacity) and

Feather (smoothness of the edge) use
the slider bar controls in the Masks
palette.

• To further refine the mask edge click the

Mask Edge button in the Masks palette.

• To invert the mask click the Invert

button.

30
Layer Masks can be edited and perfected
by using the Brush Tool.

• Click onto the Mask symbol in the

Layers palette to edit a mask. Choose
the Brush Tool from the Toolbox.

• Choose White as the Foreground colour

in the Toolbox and paint to unmask
areas, switch to black to mask areas
(click X on the keyboard to switch
between white & black)

Masks can be used to isolate areas of an

image so that you can copy to another layer
or to add a new background.

• Use any of the Selection Tools to draw

a rough selection around the area you
wish to mask.

• To reload an existing selection edge click

the Load Selection From Mask button.

• Click onto the Background layer in the

Layers palette.

• To create a Layer Mask from a selection

click the Add Pixel Mask button in the
Masks palette. This will mask out the
selected area.

• Click the Enable/Disable Mask eye

button to turn the mask on or off.

• To permanently cut the image pixels

using the mask click the Apply Mask
button.

Note: you should only apply a mask

if you want to cut the image from its
background. This will permanently
remove the pixel data. If you do this Load Selection - Apply Mask - Disable
save the file as a copy so that you retain
the original image data.

For a video tutorial on masks go to:

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-photoshop-
cs4/working-with-masks/

31
 PART SIX: TYPE, LAYER STYLES & SHAPE TOOLS

TYPE TOOL

Photoshop’s Type Tool allows you to create simple

headings or paragraphs of text just like a word
processing program.

• Choose the Type Tool from the Toolbox. Click

anywhere on the canvas to create a flashing
insertion point or click-drag to create a text
box.

Note: Notice that a new Type Layer appears

in the Layers palette. Type a word or phrase
relevant to your current project.

• Click-drag along the text to highlight it in order

to make changes. Make sure the cursor is close
to the text so that the dotted square edge isn’t
present.

• With the text highlighted go to the Type Tool

Options Bar and adjust the Text Orientation,
Font Family, Font Style & Font Size

• Adjust the Anti-Alias controls to create a

Sharp, Crisp, Strong or Smooth text edge.

• Adjust the Alignment controls for either left,

centred or right aligned paragraph text.

• Click the Text Colour box to adjust the text

colour.

• Click the Create Warped Text button to warp

the text. Choose from the Style options and
adjust to taste, bending and warping the text.

• Click the Toggle Character/Paragraph

Palette button to open the additional type
controls.

Text Orientation Font Family Font Style Font Size

Anti-Alias Text Alignment Colour Warp Character/Para graph

32
The Type Tool Character/Paragraph
control palettes allow for additional control
over the way text is spaced and aligned.

Hover the mouse over each control symbol

to see its name.

Character Palette

Leading - Adjusts the line spacing.

Kerning - Adjusts the space between

individual letters.

Tracking - Adjusts the space between all

letters that are highlighted.

Vertical/Horizontal Scale - Adjusts the

scaling, stretching the text.

Baseline Shift - Adjusts the baseline that

text sits on, highlighted text lifts above or
lowers below the set baseline.

The T symbols are used as shortcuts to

adjust font styles.

Bold, Italic, Capitalise, Small Caps,

Superscript, Subscript, Underline,
Strikethrough.

The language option should be set to the

desired language for spell checking.

• To spell check, first highlight the text

then go to Edit - Check Spelling.

Paragraph Palette

The Paragraph palette is used to control

paragraph features.

Justification - Aligns text in a solid block,

either left, centred or right justified.

Indent Left/Right Margin - Indents the

whole left or right side of a block of text.

Indent First Line - Indents just the first

line of a paragraph of text.

Add Space Before/After Paragraph -

Adds additional space before or after a
paragraph, pushing or pulling text closer or
further apart.

Hyphenate - Hyphenates long words for

better fitting when text is justified.

33
 LAYER STYLES

The Layer Style options allow you

to apply simple effects such as drop
shadows, glows or bevel/emboss. Each
effect adds a sense of three-dimensions
to your type or image layer.

• To add a layer style click the Add a

Layer Style fx button at the bottom
of the Layers palette. Choose a layer
style from the drop down menu.

• In the Layer Style controls adjust

the Structure and Quality options to
taste.

• Click on the Style headings in the

left panel to activate/deactivate the
individual layer style controls.

Drop Shadow - Adds a shadow that falls

behind the contents on the layer.
Inner Shadow - Adds a shadow that
falls just inside the edges of the layer’s
content, giving the layer a recessed
appearance.
Outer Glow & Inner Glow - Add glows
that emanate from the outside or inside
edges of the layer’s content.
Bevel and Emboss - Add various
combinations of highlights and shadows
to a layer.
Satin - Applies interior shading that
creates a satiny finish.
Color, Gradient, and Pattern Overlay
Fills - the layer’s content with a color,
gradient, or pattern.
Stroke - Outlines the object on the
current layer using color, a gradient, or a
pattern. It is particularly useful on hard-
edged shapes such as type.

Once you have applied a Layer Style

you can alter and adjust the colours/
effects by re-opening the layer style
options. Notice that in the Layer palette
a small fx symbol appears on any layer
that has a style attached to it.

• Double-click the fx symbol in the For further info on Layer Styles see:
Layer palette to open the Layer http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Style options. Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-789ba.html

34
 Options
STYLES PALETTE

The Styles palette stores a range of preset

layer style combinations that can be added
to either text or image layers. Layer Styles
that you create independently can also be
saved and stored.

• Open the Styles palette and click the

options button to choose from the set of
style libraries (for either image, graphic
or text layers).

• Click on a Style to add it to the layer.

• Double-click the fx symbol in the Layer

palette to open the Layer Style options
to adjust the effects to taste.

• If you have created you own Layer

Styles and wish to save them for future
Add New Style
use, click the Add New Style button.

• From the Options menu choose Save

Styles to save the added styles to either
a USB storage device or Hard drive.

If you are looking for a specific font to use

try taking a font preview from the Internet or
download the font.

• Go to wwwdafont.com and choose a theme

from the fonts menu. Insert your word into the
Custom preview box, change the size to large
then hold Shift-ctrl-cmd–4 on the keyboard and
select the word (On a PC press the Print Screen
button (PrtScn).

• Got to Edit - Paste (cmd-V) to paste the screen

grab into a file as a new layer.

• Use the Selection tools and Copy/Paste

techniques to separate the letters from the
background.

35
 SHAPE TOOLS

The Shape Tools are used to create

simple geometric shape layers.

• Go to File - New and create an A4

blank canvas.

• Choose the Rectangle Tool from

the Toolbox and click-drag to
create a rectangular shape, notice it
appears as a new layer with a mask
in the Layers palette.

• Use the Move tool to position the

Shape Layer on the canvas, tick
the Show Transform Controls in
the Options Bar to scale or rotate
the shape.

• Double-click the colour symbol on

the shape layer to open the colour
picker and choose a new colour.

• Go to the Styles palette and

experiment with the different preset
styles or add your own Layer Style
by clicking the fx button at the
bottom of the Layers palette.

• With the Rectangular Tool still Custom Shapes &

chosen, go to the Options Bar to Options
pick a different shape.

• Choose the Custom Shape Tool to

open a list of basic shapes.

• Click the Custom Shape Tool

Options button and choose a shape
library or choose All from the menu
to see all the custom shapes.

For additional info on shapes go to

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-73a9a.html

36
PART SEVEN: PAINTING TOOLS

BRUSH TOOL

The Brush Tool is used for painting and has

a wide range of available brush libraries and
settings. You can also download additional
brushes to add to your library or create your
own.

• Choose the Brush Tool from the Toolbox.

• Create a new layer by clicking the Create a

New Layer button in the Layers palette.

Note: It is important that when using

brushes you work on a new empty layer.
This way you can fully control how the
paint affects any layers below.

Brush Presets Options Airbrush

The Brush Tool Options Bar allows you to

adjust the brush settings.

• Click the Brush Preset button to open

the brushes library.

Master Diameter - the size of the brush

Hardness - how soft or hard the brush is
Brush Preset Options - opens the brush
options which lets you reset, load, save or
replace brushes and gives access to the
alternative brush libraries.

Note: when you choose a different brush

library from the options it replaces the
current set. Click Reset Brushes to reset
to the standard brushes.

For additional info on painting go to
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53
e41001031ab64-780aa.html
Mode - adjusts the brush blending mode,
how colours blend with each other
Opacity - adjusts the paint transparency
Flow - adjusts the flow of paint
Airbrush - sprays paint like an airbrush

37
 To paint do one or more of the following:
• Click-drag in the image to paint.
• To draw a straight line, click a starting point
in the image. Then hold down Shift, and
click an ending point.
• When using the Brush tool as an airbrush,
hold down the mouse button without
dragging to build up color.

The Brush Tool has a wide range of additional

dynamic options that can be accessed via the
Brushes Palette.

• Click the Toggle Brushes Panel button

in the Brush Tool Options Bar or go to
Window - Brushes to open the Brushes
Palette.

Alternatively:

• Go to the Workspace options in the

Applications Bar and choose Painting
from the workspace list to open the most
relevant control palettes for painting.

The Brushes Palette gives access to the

Brush Dynamics panel. Here you can adjust
multiple settings for how paint is applied to the
canvas.

• Experiment with the variety of Brush

Dynamic options.

For a full explanation of Brush Dynamic

settings and how to modify and create
brushes go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e
41001031ab64-7800a.html

For a range of free downloadable brushes

and tutorials go to:

www.brusheezy.com

www.psd.tutsplus.com

Note: To load downloaded brush sets click

the Brush Preset button. Click the options
button and choose Load Brushes from the
menu. The new brush set will appear at
the bottom of the current set.

38
GRADIENT TOOL
The Gradient Tool is used to create a blend
of two or more colours.

• Choose the Gradient Tool from the

Toolbox.

• Create a new layer by clicking the

Create a New Layer button in the
Layers palette.

• Click-drag across the page to create a

gradient.

• Click the Foreground/Background

swatches in the Toolbox to open the
colour picker and choose the colours you
want to blend.

• Gradients can be adjusted by using the

Gradient Tool Options Bar.

• Click the Gradient Tab in the Options

Bar to open the Gradient Library. Click
the options tab to access different preset
libraries.

• Choose the Gradient Style from the

Options Bar, either Linear, Radial,
Angle, Reflected, Diamond.

Options

For a full explanation of Gradient

settings and how to modify and create
them go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/
Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30e
a53e41001031ab64-77e1a.html

39
 ERASER TOOL
The Eraser Tool is used to erase layer elements.

• Choose the Eraser Tool from the Toolbox.

• Paint over any layer element to erase the pixel data.

• Click and hold on the Eraser Tool to open the Eraser additional erasers.

• The Magic Eraser allows you to erase away blocks of similar colour in the same way that
the Magic Wand selects colour. Wherever you click that colour will be erased.

• Choose a Tolerance setting in the Options Bar, the lower the number the fewer the range
of colours will be erased, the higher the number the wider the range of colours. Un-Tick
the Contiguous box in the Options Bar if you wish to erase all of the chosen colour in the
image.

For a full explanation of Eraser settings go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
77e6a.html

PART EIGHT: FILTERS

You can use Filters to apply special effects to images or to perform common image editing
tasks, such as sharpening or blurring photos. Some of the Filters you may use frequently while
others are only used for specialist tasks or styles. The best way to learn what looks Filters will
give you is to experiment.

• Go to Filter in the Main Menu to view a list of filter categories.

• Each category has a range of filter effects that match there description e.g. the Artistic
category produces painterly effects to an image, while the Blur category blurs an image.

Three of the most used photographic filter categories are Blur, Sharpen & Noise.

Blur - Lets you creatively blur areas of an image.

Sharpen - Allows you to sharpen the pixel detail of an image.

Noise - The Noise filters are used to either add or remove noise (rough grain) from an image.

For a full list of Filter effects and how to modify them go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
7970a.html

40
FILTER GALLERY
The Filter Gallery provides a preview of many of the special effects filters. You can apply
multiple filters, turn on or off the effect of a filter, reset options for a filter, and change the
order in which filters are applied. When you are satisfied with the preview, you can then apply
it to your image. Not all filters in the Filter menu are available in the Filter Gallery.

• Go to Filter - Filter Gallery to open the filter gallery. Click a heading to see a drop down
list previewing the category effects.

• Use the right side panel to adjust individual filter settings. Click OK to apply the Filter effect
to the image.

Note: Filter effects only work on the currently active layer. Make sure you choose the
layer you want the effect to appear on before applying.

Filters can also be applied to selected areas. Some Filters take a lot of processing
time so be patient.

For tutorials on using filters creatively try:

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-cs4/tutorials/skin-retouching-tips-cs4.html
http://psd.tutsplus.com/category/tutorials/
http://www.miraztutorials.com/30-awesome-photoshop-cs4-tutorials/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/

41
 LIGHTING EFFECTS FILTER

The Lighting Effects filter allows you to light an image using a variety of different light sources.
Although complicated to begin with it can be extremely useful for creating mood to an image.

• Go to Filter - Render - Lighting Effects to open the lighting effects controls.

• Adjust the Style, Light Type & Properties options to change the light effect.

• Click & drag the light source in the Preview window to change the focus or direction of the
light beam.

For a full explanation of Lighting Effects and how to modify them go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
7959a.html

For additional advanced video tutorials on lighting effects try:

http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=737

42
LIQUIFY FILTER

The Liquify filter lets you push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat any area of an image.
The distortions you create can be subtle or drastic, which makes the Liquify command a
powerful tool for retouching images as well as creating artistic effects.

In essence the Liquify filter allows you to paint an image so that it looks like liquid, however it
is often used professionally for slimming down models figures or features.

• Go to Filter - Liquify to open the Liquify control panel.

• On the left are the Distortion Tools with the Tool Options displayed in the right panel.

For an explanation of Liquify Effects and how to modify them go to:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Photoshop/11.0/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-
75faa.html

For tips on body re shaping using Liquify go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omlFrDBKTJ4

43