How to use Adobe Photoshop
10 Tips for Photoshop design
1. Move layer with the CTRL key :--
You don't need to activate the Move tool to move layers around. Simply hold down the Control key (for Windows users) or the Command key (Mac users) and click and drag on your layer with the mouse:
2. Drag Layers between Documents :--
You can copy a layer from one document to another by clicking on it in the Layers palette and dragging it across to the second document window:
3. Use Layer Groups:--
If you're using Photoshop 6 or higher, check out Layer Groups.. These let you organize your layers into folders - very useful if you have lots of layers in a document! To create a new LayerGroup, click on the folder icon at the bottom of the Layers palette, then drag layers on top of a layer set to add them to the group. Use can also create Group by select all layers, which you want to put into the group, press CTRL+G.
You can also give name to Layer Groups as per your choice.
4. Keeping to straight lines :--
You can often constrain movement of the mouse to the nearest 45-degree or 90-degree angle by holding down the Shift key while you click and drag with the mouse. This works on tools such as the Paintbrush Tool, Line Tool and Move Tool. Great for drawing straight lines!
5. Tab key for palettes :--
Sometimes, when you working in Photoshop, having a bunch of layers open really uses up your screen. It brings difficulty in working on large images. Don't' worry! Just use TAB key. It hides your all your open Palettes. Also you can use "f" key to view fullscreen.
6. History palette :--
Sometimes beginners don't realize that Photoshop can have more than one undo. Well, technically there is only one 'Undo', but you can always go back in the History palette if you need more.
The History Palette is a list of actions that you have taken since the file was opened (you start over when you close the file). If you click ABOVE an action, then it never happened, but it's still there greyed out in the list to be reapplied if you click down to the bottom of the list. But if you go on from there and do something different you wipe out the greyed action entirely.
This palette starts off with a default state of 20. You can up the limit, but beware, it stores the history on your computer so it may become a trade-off for performance if you raise it too high.
You can also use ALT+CTRL+Z to cycle backwards in history palette and SHIFT+CTRL+Z. to cycle upwards.
7. Hand Tool vs. Scroll Bars
When you want to move around in your image, many people will use the scroll bars on the side and bottom. This is painfully slow and not too accurate.
Instead, you'll use another modifier key - the Space bar. Holding down the Space bar will switch you over to the Hand tool from your current tool. As long as you're holding the Space bar down, you can click and drag on your image to move it around to the exact part that you want to see or edit.
Letting go of the Space bar will then return you to the tool you were using.
The exception to this is if you are using the Type tool and the cursor is blinking. In this case, as you might expect, holding down the Space bar will result in spaces getting added to your text.
8. Launch An Open Dialog Box Quickly
DOUBLE CLICK anywhere on Photoshop's background to quickly launch the Open File dialog box.
9. Use of Guides :--
Use guides! If you are designing a website or something similar guides are extremely helpful! You will be able to see a lay out before you start working! Also when working with marquee tools it will snap to guides giving you perfect measurements. To clear all the guides go View -> Clear Guides Top
10. Use of Pen Tools :-
The pen tool is very helpful to draw paths or smooth objects. The easiest way to use it is with keyboard shortcuts. Pressing "P" key will bring up your pen tool. Now you can add two points on your workspace, but don't use the handle bars to curve anything.
Now, if you hover over the path you will see a little "+" sign next to your pen image. If you click anywhere on your path you will make a new point. Holding down CTRL click and drag that center point and you will get a really nice curve. This is a great way to create a path around an object to get rid of it's background.
