Professional Documents
Culture Documents
M440
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................... 4
Lesson 1: Scanning, saving and set-up .......................................... 5
Lesson 2: Tools, palettes and the mouse ....................................... 8
Lesson 3: Selections, channels and layers .................................. 10
Lesson 4: Image size and shape ....................................................11
Lesson 5: Zooming in and out ....................................................... 12
Lesson 6: Adjusting the image ...................................................... 13
Lesson 7: Rotating the image ........................................................ 14
Lesson 8: Retouching colour ......................................................... 15
Lesson 9: Duplicating irregularly shaped elements .................... 16
Lesson 10: Making simple selections ........................................... 17
Lesson 11: Moving and duplicating selections ............................ 18
Lesson 12: Rotating a selection .................................................... 20
Lesson 13: Adjusting a selection’s opacity .................................. 21
Lesson 14: Adjusting colours and contrasts ............................... 22
Lesson 15: Adding text ................................................................... 24
Lesson 16: Using special effects filters ........................................ 25
Lesson 17: Building-up a composite image ................................. 26
Lesson 18: Storage media .............................................................. 27
Further information ......................................................................... 28
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Introduction
What is Photoshop?
Adobe Photoshop is image-editing software. It allows you to transform scanned
photographs, slides and original artwork in many ways, for example, by cropping,
rotation, resizing and by creating special effects using filters ranging in effect from
blurring to mosaics.
Photoshop combines a full range of painting, editing and image composition tools,
sophisticated selection tools, and methods for adjusting levels of grey and colour in
continuous-tone images.
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To scan a picture
1. Place the original material on the scanner glass. It should be face-down. Your
scanner manual will tell you which way round to put it.
2. Launch the scanning software: Photoshop, Photo Deluxe, ScanWise, etc. If you
already have Photoshop running, you can launch the scanning package from
within Photoshop by choosing File > Import > and select the scanning package
(eg ScanWise).
See page 28 for details of Computing Service leaflets on using the PWF scanners.
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Cannot complete the requested operation: caused by having the wrong layer “live”
(for more info please see Layers page 10) or by Photoshop running out of memory
(memory fragmented). If out of memory, close down and restart the computer.
Saving
Work in Photoshop must be saved after every operation. It is surprising how much
space even a quick, simple operation such as changing a background colour can take
up. Never carry out more than one operation on a file without performing a save.
Pre OS-X Macs: Virtual Memory and Scratch Disk
Photoshop is a hungry application and uses lots of computer memory (RAM). During
each operation it also temporarily uses empty space on the hard disc (Scratch Disk).
Virtual Memory (virtual RAM) also uses empty space on the hard disc. Only enable
Virtual Memory if you have lots of empty hard disc space. Real RAM is better and
quite cheap to buy.
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If you need eventual output of several images on one page, scan each as a separate
file. Then paste both images as pictures into PowerPoint, Word, PageMaker or
Quark. This makes the eventual file size smaller because the “white space” around
the images in Word is blank whereas in Photoshop it contains information.
Always crop extraneous material from the borders of images (see page 13). If you
want a white border, copy and paste the picture into Word and then print it. (Word
ignores empty white space whereas to Photoshop, every space is recorded as
information, even if blank).
Use RGB as your colour format unless you require colour separations at printing time
(in which case use CMYK). CMYK is not available in Photoshop LE, a cutdown
version of Photoshop often supplied with scanners.
File formats
1 Photoshop (.psd): for “working” images in Photoshop
2 TIFF: for exporting to other printing applications. (24bit colour, loss-less
compression possible, channel masks saved).
3 PICT: for exporting to other printing applications (Mac only).
4 JPEG: for exporting tone-based web-images. Note, JPEG compresses the file
by losing file information so file cannot be reworked.
5 GIF: for exporting line-based web-images
6 PNG: emerging web standard to replace JPEG and GIF but not widely used yet.
6 EPS: encapsulated Postscript, for printing or inclusion in printed materials.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
History palette
The History palette keeps a step-by-step
record of every operation you perform in
Photoshop. You can undo any number of
steps by clicking on the white tab for which-
ever change you wish to go back to.
Tools
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The mouse
The mouse is an integral part of Photoshop and to make the most of Photoshop, users
must be confident in their mouse use.
Mouse operations include:
Pointing - the mouse is placed over a part of an image. This is normally a
pre-requisite to dragging or selecting;
Selecting - after pointing, the mouse is clicked or double-clicked to select (highlight)
a particular menu instruction, toolbar or part of the image;
Dragging - after pointing, the mouse button is held down while the mouse is dragged
across part of the image. Often dragging is used to move parts of the image or to drag
a new colour across;
Option-clicking (Mac)/Alt-clicking (PC) - the option or Alt key* is held down, the
mouse is then pointed at a part of the image and the mouse button is clicked once.
The option key is then released. This is used with the rubber stamp tool (see page 15)
to “pick up” a sample of colour for use elsewhere in the image.
*On some Mac keyboards, the option key is known as the Alt key.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Layers: a document usually begins with just one layer. Imagine the layer as a sheet
of clear acetate with the picture printed on it. Whenever you use drawing tools or
copy and paste selections, you can choose to do this on a new layer. Gradually you
can build up a composite image (see page 26) of several layers. Clicking the eye icon
alongside the layer’s name will hide that layer to give a different effect. Layers are a
bit like collages, they are a way of building up the picture by adding more contents to
it. The order of layers can be changed by dragging layers within the Layers palette to
bring some items to the front or to send others to the back.
Documents containing two or more layers are larger than one-layer documents,
especially when open (see page 11) so it may be a good idea to flatten (merge) all the
layers into one when you have finished editing the document (see page 18).
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Zooming in
1. Click the zoom tool from toolbox;
2. Position the pointer on the centre of the
image;
3. Click one or more times to zoom in on
the image.
NB The Navigator palette may also be used,
moving the slider to obtain the desired effect.
Zooming out
1. With the zoom tool selected, hold down the option key and click the pointer in
the centre of the image one or more times.
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1. Select the rubber stamp tool from the toolbox (see right) or press S on the
keyboard;
2. Click the Aligned tickbox in the clone tool palette (top of screen)
3. Click the Brushes tab in clone tool palette and choose brush size.
4. Working on the zoomed in view, position the pointer on the area from where the
colour is to be picked up;
5. Option-click the chosen point to set it as the sample;
6. Move the pointer to the area for retouching and begin dragging the mouse to
change the image; As you move the mouse, see how the image which appears
reflects exactly where the crosshair is on the screen;
7. Repeat the sampling if you need to change your pickup point and keep your eye
on the overall view. When you are happy that it looks realistic, stop using the
rubber tool;
8. Close the zoomed-in view and save the document.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
1. Select the rubber stamp tool (see right) or press S on the keyboard.
The image above shows the new leaf (right) appearing as the rubber stamp tool
is used to duplicate the original leaf (left).
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Layers take up a lot of space so once you have finished editing, choose Image >
Flatten Image to merge them into one background layer.
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Left: erase to background colour (white) Right: erase to background (original pic)
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Rotating a layer
1. Select the whole layer, then repeat steps 2 and 3 above.
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The example below showsthree duplicated selections, each pasted onto a new layer.
Each layer has a different opacity.
Duplicating a selection
1. Each time you press option-command-mouse and drag the mouse, the selection
is duplicated.
Duplicating selections is useful if you want to repeat an selection several times within
one document on separate layers.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
• The Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast panel from the Image menu. This gives
blanket results across the entire image. For finer control, use one of the two methods
below.
• Levels
Choose Adjust ments > Levels from the Image menu.
The graph shows the range of tones, from darkest (left) to lightest (right). The left pointer
indicates the point from which true black starts. All tones to the left of this point are black.
The right pointer indicates the point from which pure white starts. All tones to the right of
this point are white. The middle point indicates the mid-gray point.
So, move the left and right pointers to decrease or increase the purity of white and black,
and contrast. Move the middle pointer to determine the overall brightness and darkness.
The Channels option on the Levels window also allows you to change the tones within
individual colours (eg for RGB you will also find Red, Green and Blue channels). This
enables you to remove or create colour casts on your documents.
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To adjust the colours of parts of the document, rather than the whole document, use
the tools below.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Moving text
Press the command key and use the Move tool to drag the text to new position.
Deleting text
1. The text is added as a Layer. To delete the text, click the Layer containing the
text from the Layers palette and choose Delete Layer from the Layer menu, or
drag the unwanted layer to the Layers palette bin.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
1 Use the Lasso tool to draw around the outline of the horse - don’t worry
about getting it perfect.
2 Choose Copy from the Edit menu.
3 Open the file containing the background (ie mountains).
4 Choose New Layer from the Layer menu and click Okay. In the Layers
palette you will see a new blank layer as well as the background.
5 Ensure the new layer is activated (highlighted black in the Layers palette).
6 Choose Paste from the Edit menu - the horse will appear on the new layer.
7 Use the Move tool to reposition the horse and rider optimally.
8 With the new layer activated, use the Zoom tool and Eraser tool (with option
key held down, to restore background colour rather than white) to tidy up the
“edges”.
The Zoom tool enables you to enlarge the image so you can work in close-
up. The Eraser tool, with a thin brush, allows you to perform precise erasures
so that the horse’s edges lose all of their original background.
9 To change the size of the horse, follow steps for Resizing Layers on page 20.
9 If no further edits are required, choose Flatten Image from the Layers menu.
10 Close and Save the file.
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Zip and CD are currently the most popular longterm storage methods.
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Adobe Photoshop: basic techniques
Further information
Photography and Illustration Service
This service offers a wide range of services:
• Scientific photography
• Event photography
• E6 (slide) and colour print processing, black and white processing
• 35mm digital printing and scanning
• Flatbed scanning
• A4 - A0 poster production and encapsulation
• Digital slide production
• Encapsulation and mounting of wide variety of pictures and photos
Please contact the Unit for more details of these services:
Photography & Illustration Service,
Old Exams Hall,
New Museums Site,
Free School Lane,
Cambridge CB2 3RS.
Telephone external: 01223 334390, internal: 34390
E-mail: sales@ucs.cam.ac.uk
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The information in this document may be available in other forms. Please telephone the Information
Group coordinator on 334598 or e-mail documentation@ucs.cam.ac.uk to discuss what is available,
any special requirements for presentation and how we could meet them.
© 2003 University of Cambridge Computing Service. May be reproduced only with permission.
University of Cambridge Computing Service
New Museums Site
Pembroke Street
Cambridge
CB2 3QH
tel: (01223) 334600
fax: (01223) 334679
email: reception@ucs.cam.ac.uk