When you're learning how to use Adobe Photoshop, or any program for that matter, it is common to alternate between perusing the program's documentation and diving into the application with reckless abandon. While it's easier to learn from a book or manual if you have some specific questions in mind, fooling around with Photoshop and hitting brick walls is a good way to come up with the questions that need answers. If you've worked in traditional photography and layout, the way Photoshop's tools work may be familiar to you. Photoshop often users traditional techniques as metaphors to describe its tools and functions. For instance, the Dodge and Burn tools are similar in nature to age-old darkroom techniques of the same names and layers work a lot like the acetate overlay that designer used to create color layouts before computers came along.
This chapter introduces you to the program's workspace and the Paintbrush tools. I highly recommend getting familiar with the Paintbrush because all of Photoshop's painting and drawing tools work in a similar way. Once you learn how to use the Paintbrush, all the other tools will be a snap.
PHOTOSHOP'S WORKSPACE
Every design program has its own personality and workspace. Some programs are developed on a limited budget and have clunky interfaces. Other programs are big-budget behemoths with ornate controls. Adobe Photoshop avoids these scenarios with a well-organized, understand workspace.
Photoshop was created with the designer in mind. Once the program is launched your artwork is presented as the main focus. The program offers menus, palettes, a Toolbar, and a Status Bar-all of which the designer uses to customize the workspace and create graphics.
THE MENU BAR
Running along athe top of the Photoshop interface, the Menu Bar provides nine main options. As with any program with menus, each one contains a host of additional options that will either open a submenu, launch a dialog box, or carry out a command.
A small triangle to the right of a menu option indicates the presence of a submenu. If applicable a shortcut key will also be displayed; this will show you a keyboard equivalent to access the command. for instance, the keyboard command for Save is Ctrl+S. If you want to save a file, you can simply hold down the Command/Ctrl key and press the letter "S" rather than take the time to navigate through the menu.
Three small dots next to a menu item indicate that a dialog box will be launched if this command is chosen. Sometimes commands off the Menu Bar will appear dimmed. This means that they are disabled and not available based on the capacities of the file that is currently open.
Preferences
Photoshop's most underused menu item has to be Preferences. This feature provides dozens of ways to customize the operation of the program and to save time. You can determine not only how images are displayed, saved, and measured, but also what resources the program uses on the host computer. You can get to Preference from the Menu Bar by selecting File ->Preference or by pressing Ctrl+K (windows) or Command+K (macintosh).
This chapter introduces you to the program's workspace and the Paintbrush tools. I highly recommend getting familiar with the Paintbrush because all of Photoshop's painting and drawing tools work in a similar way. Once you learn how to use the Paintbrush, all the other tools will be a snap.
PHOTOSHOP'S WORKSPACE
Every design program has its own personality and workspace. Some programs are developed on a limited budget and have clunky interfaces. Other programs are big-budget behemoths with ornate controls. Adobe Photoshop avoids these scenarios with a well-organized, understand workspace.
Photoshop was created with the designer in mind. Once the program is launched your artwork is presented as the main focus. The program offers menus, palettes, a Toolbar, and a Status Bar-all of which the designer uses to customize the workspace and create graphics.
THE MENU BAR
Running along athe top of the Photoshop interface, the Menu Bar provides nine main options. As with any program with menus, each one contains a host of additional options that will either open a submenu, launch a dialog box, or carry out a command.
A small triangle to the right of a menu option indicates the presence of a submenu. If applicable a shortcut key will also be displayed; this will show you a keyboard equivalent to access the command. for instance, the keyboard command for Save is Ctrl+S. If you want to save a file, you can simply hold down the Command/Ctrl key and press the letter "S" rather than take the time to navigate through the menu.
Three small dots next to a menu item indicate that a dialog box will be launched if this command is chosen. Sometimes commands off the Menu Bar will appear dimmed. This means that they are disabled and not available based on the capacities of the file that is currently open.
Preferences
Photoshop's most underused menu item has to be Preferences. This feature provides dozens of ways to customize the operation of the program and to save time. You can determine not only how images are displayed, saved, and measured, but also what resources the program uses on the host computer. You can get to Preference from the Menu Bar by selecting File ->Preference or by pressing Ctrl+K (windows) or Command+K (macintosh).
1 comments:
this is beginning tutorial of photoshop and I love it
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