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How to upload mod

Photoshop Basics

hesonly5

By hesonly5
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hesonly5 Grand Master

hesonly5

Posted
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Right, lets learn some of the basics in PS. I use Photoshop CS3 Extended (the latest, biggest and best :D) in Windows Vista. Even so, most versions are similar, and you should be able to follow the tutorials okay if you use a different version or OS.

 

Anyhows, enough of my rambling, lets get this show on the road...

 

Before we get our way into images, lets get used to Photoshop. So open it up, and look at what you've got.

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/th_psshot1.jpg

 

1: Menu Bar. This contains a lot of useful stuff, you'll use it a lot. Make sure you know I refer to it as the Menu Bar :P

 

2: Tool Options. This contains info and different options about the selected tool.

 

3: Toolbar. Contains all the different tools, we'll go into them a bit more in a sec.

 

4: Dock. This contains more useful stuff, which we'll go into in a sec.

 

5: The Navigator gives you a small overview of your image. The small slider underneath is the zoom. You can also change the zoom by typing it in the small box next to the slider. Once zoomed it, you can move around your imager by clicking in the red box and dragging it around your image.

 

6: Your Pallette. Yours will most likely be on the tab 'Color', I tend to keep mine on 'Swatches' as it has a load of preset colours. Simply click the colour you want, and it'll become your foreground colour.

 

7: This contains your Layer Pallette. Layers are immensely useful. They're like seperate images within your image. You can move, delete, edit, erase, and make new layers. I'll show you how to do most of this in a minute.

 

 

Before you start...

 

You'll need to know a couple of things. First of all - how to undo what you've done, either...


  • Press 'Ctrl + Alt + Z'

  • or go though your History (See #4)
     

 

You'll also need to know about your colour palette.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/colours.jpg

 

The top colour (Black be default) is your foreground colour. This will be used by most tools.

The bottom colour (white be default) is your background colour. This is only used by a couple of tools.

 

The small symbol on the top left reverts the colours back to default. The symbol on the top right switches the foreground and background colour around.

 

Click on either the fore- or background colour and this will appear...

 

 

Now we've gone over that, I'm gonna actually get on to the bits I kept promising you, lol

 

3: The Toolbar

 

Move Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/movetool.jpg

 

This is used to move the different layers around.


  • Click and Drag: This is used to move the selected layer arould

  • Hold 'Shift', Click and Drag: Moves the selected layers in a straight line, useful for alignment

  • Right Click: Shows a list of layers under your cursor. Clicking on one selects that layer, making it possible to move it
     

Marquee Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/marqueetool.jpg

 

This is used to make selections. Selections allow you to move part of an image/layer around, apply effects to that area, fill that area with a colour or gradient, etc, etc.

The different shapes allow you to select circles, rectangles and one pixel selections horizontal or vertically.


  • Click and Drag: Makes a selection

  • Hold 'Shift', Click and Drag: Makes a perfect circular or rectangluar selection

  • Hold 'Ctrl': Changes to the move tool, allowing you to move the selected layer
     

Once you've made a selection (a moving black and white line indicates your selection), you can either move the selection around, create a new one or change it. In the Menu Bar (the bit at the top, remember?) you will see it says 'select'.

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/selectmenu.jpg


  • All: This selects the whole of your image

  • Deselect: Removes all selections

  • Inverse: Switches your selection around. Selects the bits that weren't and deselects the bits that were.

  • All Layers: Selects every layer, useful for applying effects to whole image, etc.

  • Deselect Layers: Does what it says on the tin. Haven't the foggiest why that'd be useful, but hey :p

  • Similar Layers: Selects every layer of that type (text or image, etc)

  • Color Range: Allows you to choose areas of the same colour

  • Refine Edge: Gives various options to give smoother, better looking edges

  • Modify: Options to change your selection.

  • Grow: Automatically expands the selection to more of the same colour

  • Similar: Same as Grow, but selects similar colours from the rest of the image as well.

  • Transform Selection: Brings up the Free Transform tools for your selection allowing you to adjust the selection as you wish.

  • Load Selection: Allows you to choose a previously saved selection shape

  • Save Selection: Saves the current selection shape
     

Lasso Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/lassotool.jpg

 

Also used to make selections, but not of preset shapes. You have 3 different tools;


  • Lasso Tool: Freehand selection tool, click and move around the area you want to select. (Not the easiest tool to use, I never touch it)

  • Polygonal Lasso Tool: This is much easier to use, click to create a starter point. Click further on to make another point. Click further on to make another, and so on.

  • Magnetic Lasso Tool: Works in the same way to the basic Lasso Tool, but snaps the selection to edges of images.

  • Holding 'Shift' or 'Ctrl' have the same properties as above
     

Magic Wand Tool (Quick Selection Tool by default in CS3)

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/selectiontool.jpg

 

You have two tools:


  • The Magic Wand Tool again, makes selections. This selects areas of similar colour with just one click. The tolerance can be adjusted in the tool options.

  • The Quick Selection Tool.... I really haven't worked out how to use it yet, I'm baffled :huh:
     

Crop Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/croptool.jpg

 

I'd be worried if you didn't know what this did, but anyway. This cuts out a defined part of your image and throws away the rest. Click and drag to select area of an image, fiddle around with the controls to get it perfect. Hit Enter(or return, whatever) or click the tick at the top in tool options. Voila. :lol:

 

Slice Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/slicetool.jpg

 

Never found a use for this, what does it do? :confused:

 

Spot Healing Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/spothealingtool.jpg

 

Four Tools:


  • Spot Healing tool: This is used to remove blemishes, dirt, scratches etc from pictures. Click and drag over the blemish to remove.

  • Healing Brush Tool: Same as the Spot Healing Tool, but you define a point to take detail from (Hold Alt and click) before going over the blemishes.

  • Patch Tool: Use the freehand selection to go around the blemish. Click and drag the selection to an area with detail you want to replace the blemish with.

  • Red Eye Tool: Removes Red Eye from photos. Click and Drag to make a selection over the eye.
     

Brush Tool

You'll use this quite a lot, it's used to put colour on images in various shapes and sizes.


  • Brush Tool: You'll use this quite a lot, it's used to put colour on images in an infinate range of shapes and sizes. Click and drag to 'paint' on your image, hold 'Shift' to create only straight lines, 'Ctrl' changes to the move tool.

  • Pencil Tool: This is similar to the brush tool, but doesn't have smooth edges. Often used at size one for pixel art. Same action as above

  • Color Replacement Tool: Changes areas of a certain colour to the foreground colour. You can adjust the tolerance in Tool Options. Again, same actions as above.
     

Photoshop come with lots of preset brushes, although they ain't that interesting. (How to download new brushes [link])Click on the drop-down menu and see what you've got (ignore the mahoosive (massive) bit on the right.

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/th_brush.jpg

 

The top slider adjusts the size of the brush. The box 'Use Sample Size' is for downloaded brushes, it puts them back to the default size.

 

The bottom slider (not activated in my pic as I had a downloaded brush selected) adjusts how smooth the edges are. 0 means a real blurry edge, 100 is a very hard edge.

 

The bit below these contains your brushes. Click on it to select that brush, and colour your image with that shape/style.

 

Now to the mahoozive bit on the right. Click the small arrow in the top right of the drop-down box, and it'll appear. Probably won't be quite as big as mine :P

Anyhoos, you probably won't need to worry about most of it except the big list at the bottom that starts 'Assorted Brushes'. This shows all the installed brushes in Photoshop. By default, these won't all be showing in the area where you select your brushes. But surely you want to have a play and see what they look like? So, click one of the bits in the list, start at the top if you're organized.

 

:eek: Oh noez, the computer is shouting at you...

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/ohnoez.jpg

 

But it's fine, don't worry! Clicking OK removes the current list of brushes and replaces it with the one you selected. But I want to see them all at once! I hear you cry (well, I did anyhows). Click 'Append' and it'll add 'em on the the end of the ones you already had. Hoorah :)

 

Clone Stamp Tool

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/stamptool.jpg


  • Clone Stamp Tool: This is used to replace areas of an image with another part of it (much like the Healing Brush). Hold 'Alt' to select a point to take detail/colour from. Go to the point where you want to cover summat up and click and drag. Voila. You can adjust the brush size for doing larger/smaller areas.

  • Pattern Stamp Tool: This works in the same way as the brush tool, used to put pre-defined patterns on your image. The pattern is change in Tool Options.
     

History Brush Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/historybrush.jpg


  • History Brush Tool: This, again, works in the same way as the brush tool to put certain areas of your image back to how they were when you first opened it, or a pre-defined point (See #4)

  • Art History Brush Tool: Um, can't say I've ever found a use for this. Nor do I have the foggiest what you could use it for :oook:
     

Eraser Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/erasertool.jpg


  • Eraser Tool: Click and drag to delete that area of the selected layer. Hold 'Shift' to erase only in straight lines. The brush size and shape can be adjusted in Tool Options. Erasing the background will put in the background colour unless you use the...

  • Background Eraser Tool: This will erase the background and make it transparent (signified by white and grey background).

  • Magic Eraser Tool: This keeps what you erase within the outlines (ie, large colour changes) of what you're erasing. To a certain degree, can't say it's that brilliant.
     

Gradient Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/gradienttool.jpg


  • Gradient Tool: Click and drag to insert a gradient in a selection, new layer, or an existing layer (will overwrite what was on that layer). By default, the gradient will be from your foreground to background colour, but you can change this in Tool Options.
    http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/th_gradientoptions.jpg
     
    Clicking the long box (white to black in my pic) will bring up the Gradient Editor. You will see a few preset gradient, and the ability to make your own at the bottom.
    Next to that box are a range of different gradient styles - Linear, Radial, Angled, Reflected and Diamond.
    Have a fiddle with each, see what comes up :)
     

  • Paint Bucket Tool: Click to fill with colour in a selection, new layer, or area of colour on a current layer. Hold 'Alt' to bring up with colour picker, and click to change the foreground colour to what your cursor is hovered over.
     

Blur, Sharpen and Smudge Tools

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/blurtool.jpg

 

These do pretty much what it says on the tin. They work just like the brush tool - click and drag, the size and shape can be adjusted in Tool Options.

 

Dodge Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/dodgetool.jpg


  • Dodge Tool: Click and drag to lighten an area of an image.

  • Burn Tool: Click and drag to darken an area of an image

  • Sponge Tool: Click and drag to desaturate/saturate an area of an image.
     

With each tool, the brush size and shape can be adjusted in Tool Options, and you also have the option of whether you desaturate (reduce colour) or saturate (increase colour) when using the Sponge Tool.

 

Pen Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/pentool.jpg

 

The Pen Tool creates paths. Paths are similar to selections, but don't have to be a closed area, and are much easier to create and modify until perfect. To create a simple path, select the following in Tool Options.

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/path.jpg

 

The other option to the left creates a filled area on a new layer. The option to the right creates a filled area on the current layer. Anyways, we want the one in the middle for now.

 

To create a path, click. It's that simple. You now have your starting point. Click again, somewhere else, and you have another point with a straight line in between. To make a curved line, click somewhere on you're existing line. Now you have another point. Hold 'Ctrl', click and drag that point to create a curve. Simple, see? You will notice you also have two other smaller points sticking out each side of that point. These adjust the angle of the curve, and whereabouts along the line it curves. Hold 'Ctrl' and click to pull, twist and jiggle them around - see what happens.

 

You can have any number of points on one line, click to create, 'Ctrl' + Click to move, click on it again to delete. When you've finished making your curve, click again further on from the end of your last point, and the line will go there. Then set about making the curve again.It may seem long winded at first, but you get used to it.

 

Anyway, once you've created your path, you can stroke, fill, make selection or define custom shape. Right click to bring up the menu.


  • Make Selection: This (surprisingly) turns your path into a selection. Usually best to use this on a closed path (ie, the ends meet) otherwise Photoshop will do it for you and you'll have some dodgy straight line that messes up your path.

  • Fill Path: Also only works on closed paths, fills it with the foreground colour.

  • Stroke: This creates a line on you image along the path. When you click 'Stroke Path' it asks which tool you'd like to use. So, you have to set up that tool beforehand so it looks right. For example, most people use the brush tool. So, select the brush tool and set it to 1 pixel. Set your foreground colour to black and select the pen tool again. Stroke path with the Brush Tool and make sure 'Simulate Pressure' is unticked. Ta-dah, one pixel stroke. Now you've done that, you can fiddle with different sizes and try turning on 'Simulate Pressure, this can create quite nice effects.
     

 

As for the other tools in the drop-down menu, most of them we have use by pressing keyboard shortcuts, much easier than going there every time. The only one that might be of use is the Freehand Pen Tool, but as you know I hate freehand tools so we won't talk about that ;)

 

Text Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/texttool.jpg

 

You should really have worked out by now that this inserts text onto your image. You know, writing, words, letters, etc?

 

Click to create the text layer, type with keyboard. Voila. Change font, size, etc in Tool Options or see #4.

 

The Vertical Text Tool does the same thing... just vertically. Clever, see?

 

Path Selction Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/pathselecttool.jpg

 

Once again, also does what it says on the tin... As for the 'Direct Selection Tool', I haven't the foggiest. I didn't know it was there 'til I was taking screenshots and haven't quite worked out what it's for :p

 

Rectangle Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/shapetool.jpg

 

These tools create paths of preset shapes. Click and drag, hold 'Shift' to make a perfect shape. On some of the tools there are extra options.

 

 


  • Rounded Rectangle Tool: Ability to change the size of the corner

  • Polygon Tool: Ability to change the number of sides

  • Line Tool: Ability to change the width of the line

  • Custom Shape Tool: Ability to change shape. As with the brush tool, not all are loaded by default.
     

 

 

Notes Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/notetool.jpg

 

This inserts notes or audio comments in your file. Only works in PSD as far as I'm aware, usually used for communication in companies. ie, designer makes it, person who approves it looks at it, makes comments for them to change, and sends it back. I think. Anyways, its irrelevant :p

 

Eyedropper Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/eyedroppertool.jpg

 

The main tool here is the Eyedropper Tool, click this and you can select a colour from you image to become your foreground colour. Hold 'Shift' to use the Move Tool.

 

Hand Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/handtool.jpg

 

Used to navigate around your image when zoomed in. Click and drag to move around.

 

Zoom Tool

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/zoomtool.jpg

 

Obvious, really. Change from Zoom In/Out in Tool Options, or just hold 'Alt' to change.

 

 

 

#4: The Dock

 

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/moreusefulstuff.jpg

 

Unless you've got Photoshop CS3, this won't actually be there. All of the various bits and pieces will be part of the tabs at the right, or won't even be visible (for now). Either way, you can bring them up by clicking 'Window' in the Menu bar and finding them from the list. If they're already open in the tabs, it'll bring them to the front. In CS3, you can bring windows you've opened from this menu into the dock.

 

History

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/history.jpg

 

This displays a list of the last few changes you've done. Remember that it doesn't keep everything you've done, after a while it overwrites the oldest changes. If you're going to do something you're not sure will work that will clog up the history (such as using the pen tool), right click and select 'New Snapshot' and it'll save the image in that state. To the right of every history item you will see a small empty box. Clicking this will define a point for the History Brush.

 

Actions

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/actions.jpg

 

These are a saved sequence of changes made to an image. There are a few preset ones in Photoshop, but you can easily make your own. Simply press 'New Action' http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/newaction.jpg and name it. Then hit the small 'Record' http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/record.jpg button before you make the changes. Once you've made the changes, press 'Stop' http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/stop.jpg.

Now you've saved your action you can apply it to another images by simply pressing 'Play'http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/actions.jpg.

 

Tool Presets

 

 

This is mainly for the Brush Tool and things like that. They are a set of saved tool settings - ie size shape, hardness, gradient - various things like that. There are again, a few preset ones in Photoshop but it's possible to save your own by clicking Edit in the menu bar and choosing 'Define Brush Preset'.

 

Brushes

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/brushes.jpg

 

This is another are to chose your brushes and change the settings while giving a live preview of what it'll look like.

 

Clone Source

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/clonesource.jpg

 

This is for use with the Clone Stamp Tool and gives you option to have more Source points and to show the overlay of where you are copying from

 

Character

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/character.jpg

 

This gives lots of options for text, including height, kerning, tracking and the usual things such as font, size, bold, italic, etc.

 

Paragraph

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/paragraph.jpg

 

This gives more text options for the text including line spacing and alignment.

 

Layer Comps

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/layercomp.jpg

 

These are saved layer properties in an image. It means you can easily change between different designs of the same thing, as each layer comp saves properties such as position and visibility. You can create a new layer comp by clicking 'Create New Layer Comp' http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x12/randomus_robbius/newaction.jpg. Then you can choose each one from the list.

 

 

That's it!

 

That's the end of this tutorial. This is just from my personal use of Photoshop. If anyone has summat they'd like to add, sned it to me and I'll put it in :)

 

Now go press some shiny buttons ;)

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hesonly5 Grand Master

hesonly5

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This guide answers many of my questions about the tools.

 

Cool, glad it helped :)

 

I would rep you but I need to spread it first

 

Hehe, it's the thought that counts ;)

 

Randai, the Quick Selection tool allows you to select parts of an image and allows you to put those parts into another image, its like a easy way of copying something from a image and pasting into another.

 

Ive found the quick selection tool a god send for rendering images off a plain background.

 

I honestly can't use it. No matter what I do with the settings/how I click/where I click/etc it always ends up selecting bits I don't want and usually the whole bloomin' image xD

 

Pen Tool is best for renders anyway :p

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Guest RB26DETT

Guest RB26DETT

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Ive found the quick selection tool a god send for rendering images off a plain background.

 

magic eraser for me. :thumbsup:

 

i still have to learn how to render with a pen.

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eleKtro Grand Master

eleKtro

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Posted
magic eraser for me. :thumbsup:

 

i still have to learn how to render with a pen.

 

 

Shouldn't be proud of it mate :) Eraser is not the way to go, you should really start using pen tool now incase you constantly use eraser and get screwed over.

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