Index (this will be updated as the series unfolds)
Part 1a: Importing Files and File Types
Part 1b: Camera Raw
Part 2: Colour
Part 3: Workspace
Knowing the workspace
Layers
Duplication
Part 3b: Example Layers Workflow
Part 3c: Adjustment Layers
Part 4: Grouping, Masks & History
Part 5: Selection and Paths (Pen Tool)
Part 5b: Healing Brush, Patch or Clone Stamp Tool?
Workspace and Basic Layers
If you're new to Adobe Photoshop have patience - it's an amazing (if initially daunting) program that can work through from simple corrections to billboard-sized complex composites. It comes with a steep learning curve, though, so don't run before you can walk. By gradually understanding individual processes it becomes possible to utilise your knowledge in series to successfully reach your goals. Here we will cover many of the basics interlaced with some more complex elements:
Knowing the workspace:
Opening Photoshop for the first time needn't be as complex as “teach yourself hieroglyphics” would be on cassette. The various tools and windows may not be immediately intuitive, but will gradually worm their way into your brain. In no time you'll begin to wonder what you were unsure about in the first place. Here's a quick walkthrough of what to expect:
In the middle: This is your workspace window/area, where you can open multiple images to work upon, and also where the other toolbars and windows can be contained (or 'eat into your space' may be a more valid description).
To the left: This is your toolbar. It contains a series of tools that can do just about anything, bar making tea and toast. Hovering over the icons for 2 seconds will give a title prompt so you know what each tool is. Click and hold any tool icon that has a small black arrow in the bottom right corner, and there will be other derivatives of that tool available also. A single click and the selected tool will become highlighted - meaning it's in action!
To the right: By default this will contain Navigator, Color (that's right, colooor), and Layers. Photoshop CS3 also has other available windows tucked away (collapsed) into a series of toolbars - this is to prevent excess tools and windows dominating the workspace. It's a useful feature that allows for the expanding, collapsing and moving of windows and toolbars around the workspace as you see fit.
It can be common to 'lose' windows or toolbars. But fear not - everything is tucked away in the top menus! If you randomly misplace a window or toolbar then click Window (top of screen, 2nd from right) and anything that is 'checked' will display in your workspace. Simply check or uncheck. If you have really messed things up beyond all compare, simply exit Photoshop and restart it, pressing and holding the Control-Alt-Shift (Command-Option-Shift in Macland) as it begins. This will restore everything, but will keep the plug-ins. Hurrah!
To the top: This is your display bar. Content varies depending on which tool you have selected - the purpose being to break down any possible variables a tool may have, providing total control.
Above this again is the standardised set of menu tabs, File, Edit, Image and so on - which will become essential pathways through your workload prior to you becoming fluent in shortcuts (quick access key combinations). The use of shortcut keys is a bit like a badge of honour among Photoshop experts; if you spend time pulling down menus to access tools, Grandmaster with the funny eyes will never teach you the secret death-grip Control-Alt-Shift-Key command, Grasshopper.
Layers
Image layers are among Photoshop's key features - a simple but effective idea that allows you to stack images and/or graphics (or sections thereof) on top of one another. Each layer is an individual image which can be treated separately to any other image layer(s).
Layers work in a stack-like hierarchical formation. Whatever is on top is 'most visible' and any content on a layer will “hide” the layers below.
You can also adjust a layer's Opacity - that being the percentage of visibility. This is particularly useful during workflow as a device to see what is behind your work layer; allowing for precise positioning and other such tasks. For some work, the opacity may even become a feature of the final work itself.
Duplication
If you going to edit an image then the number one rule is to always duplicate the original image before you do anything else. Should you make excessive mistakes, or aren't happy with your retouching work, then there's always that original to go back to.
It's among the most important rules, but can almost be a little too easy to forget sometimes - imprint it in your brain before anything else, it's simple to do:
Right click the original/background layer to bring up a list of options, then select duplicate layer from this list. (If the list does not have this in the menu, then you may have right clicked the layer thumbnail - just move the mouse over and re-click the correct area)
To follow up this rule, here's the second that should never be forgotten - Save as you go! Although Photoshop's History Palette can help right those wrongs, Photoshop can only deal with so much; as can your computer. Sometimes things go wrong, sometimes the amount of data involved just gets too much and it all comes crashing down. It's important to continue to save your work, and also to further back up your work
File > Save As (Shift+Ctrl+S) Save as a .psd file for working purposes will save you any problems. It's good practice to make sequential additions to files as you go also - for example, “Portrait001.psd” is worked on for an hour, so save as “Portrait002.psd”, then “Portrait003.psd” and so on. This will counter any file corruption, and may lend you the option of going back to early versions to retrieve previous work as required.
Continue to Example Layers Workflow...
