Ethics of Generosity - Photoshop

JPEG is the most widely used file format in photography. JPEG file format throws away information through a process called lossy compression
RAW file formats contain all of the data that the camera format captured. RAW files still apply compression to files, but the quality of the image is not compromised.
DNG format, digital negative format, is another RAW file format created by Adobe.

Working or Master File Formats:

PSD: Saves all Photoshop options, including layers, type, shapes, adjustment layers etc.
TIFF: Also saves all of these options (both Lossless compression)

Output Formats:

To reduce file size, output file formats often flatten and compress images, making it easier to upload or transfer files more quickly.
For print, you will want a file with more information so keep files as a PSD or a TIFF

Flattening images:

Make sure that you have saved a version of your project that is not flattened if you think you will need to make further changes to a layer in the future.
Make sure that all the layers you want to keep are visible.
Choose Layer > Flatten Image, or choose Flatten Image from the Layers panel menu

Workflow Essentials

Document Size:

Image menu > Image Size

Turn off Resample if you don’t want to add or subtract pixels when you resize.
Automatic Resample will use the best form of resizing for the changes
300 pixels per inch is the needed resolution for print

Multiple Undo and the History panel:

Cmd + Z is Undo, if you need to step back farther than one move, use the history panel

By default, the history panel will keep tract of 50 actions

Cropping, Straightening, and Adjusting Canvas Size:

Crop Tool:

C is the keyboard shortcut, or use the tool bar

Crop marque activates around the document
You can drag a new crop marque with the cursor
Use the handles to change the crop area
You can set aspect ratio at the top of the panel
If you want to delete the crop pixels outside of the marquee tool check Delete Cropped Pixels
The large checkmark icon crops the image
If you don’t select Delete Cropped Pixels, after the crop you can use the Move tool and see that Photoshop has keep the original file information
If you decide you don’t want to crop after activating the tool, hit the cancel icon

Straightening the image:

C tool, for Crop
In the options bar select the Angle tool (next to Straighten) and draw a line over the horizon line in your image
You can also straighten your image by clicking outside of crop area and rotating with the cursor

Ruler Tool:

Nested with the eyedropper
Click and drag out and Select Straighten Layer
This will enlarge the canvas size to include all the data from the original file

Cropping to achieve the proper image size:

Select the crop tool
Right click on the tool and reset it
Select Width, Height, and Resolution
This allows you to set a specific image ratio and keep your needed resolution

Increasing Canvas Size

With the crop tool:

Select the crop tool
Convert your background to a layer by clicking the lock icon in layers
Drag the marque tool all the way out and release
Then you can drag further
The checkerboard is a transparent layer in Photoshop

OR With the Image Menu:

Image menu > Canvas Size

You can add canvas size by adding width or height, or with a relative amount

Solid Backgrounds:

If you want to fill the canvas with a background color select Layer menu > New Fill Layer > Solid Color

To change the layer arrangement so it fills the background, reposition the Color Fill Layer so it’s underneath the original layer in the layers panel

Brush Options:

B key or the tool bar
Tool preset picker lets you change the size, hardness, brush tips
To increase brush size ] to decrease brush size [

Making Selections:

Using the Marquee and Lasso tools:

Marquee tool:

Click and drag in an area, shift key constrains the shape to a square
To deselect, click anywhere outside of the marching ants
If you hold shift key you can add to your marquee select

Quick Select Tool:

You can use the Quick Selection tool to quickly “paint” a selection using an adjustable round brush tip. As you drag, the selection expands outward and automatically finds and follows defined edges in the image.

1. Select the Quick Selection tool . (If the tool isn’t visible, hold down the Magic Wand tool .)

2. In the options bar, click one of the selection options: New, Add To, or Subtract From.

New is the default option if nothing is selected. After making the initial selection, the option changes automatically to Add To.

3. To change the brush tip size, click the Brush pop-up menu in the options bar, and type in a pixel size or drag the slider. Use the Size pop‑up menu options to make the brush tip size sensitive to pen pressure or a stylus wheel.

Note: When creating a selection, press the right bracket ] to increase the Quick Selection tool brush tip size; press the left bracket [ to decrease the brush tip size.

4. Choose Quick Selection options:

Sample All Layers: Creates a selection based on all layers instead of just the currently selected layer.
Auto-Enhance: Reduces roughness and blockiness in the selection boundary. Auto-Enhance automatically flows the selection further toward image edges and applies some of the edge refinement you can apply manually in the Refine Edge dialog with the Contrast and Radius options.

5. Paint inside the part of the image you want to select.

The selection grows as you paint. If updating is slow, continue to drag to allow time to complete work on the selection. As you paint near the edges of a shape, the selection area extends to follow the contours of the shape edge.
Note: If you stop dragging and then click or drag in a nearby area, the selection will grow to include the new area.

• To subtract from a selection, click the Subtract From option in the options bar, then drag over the existing selection.

• To temporarily switch between add and subtract modes, hold down the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key.

• To change the tool cursor, choose Edit > Preferences > Cursors > Painting Cursors (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Cursors > Painting Cursors (Mac OS). Normal Brush Tip displays the standard Quick Selection cursor with a plus or minus sign to show the selection mode.

6. (Optional) Click Refine Edge to further adjust the selection boundary.

Magnetic Lasso tool:

When you use the Magnetic Lasso tool, the border snaps to the edges of defined areas in the image. The Magnetic Lasso tool is not available for 32‑bits-per-channel images.

1. Click in the image to set the first fastening point. Fastening points anchor the selection border in place.

2. Release the mouse button or keep it pressed, and then move the pointer along the edge you want to trace.

3. The most recent segment of the selection border remains active. As you move the pointer, the active segment snaps to the strongest edge in the image, based on the detection width set in the options bar. Periodically, the Magnetic Lasso tool adds fastening points to the selection border to anchor previous segments.

4. If the border doesn’t snap to the desired edge, click once to add a fastening point manually. Continue to trace the edge, and add fastening points as needed.

Fastening points anchor selection border to edges

5. To switch temporarily to the other lasso tools, do one of the following:

• To activate the Lasso tool, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and drag while pressing the mouse button.

• To activate the Polygonal Lasso tool, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click.

6. To erase recently drawn segments and fastening points, press the Delete key until you’ve erased the fastening points for the desired segment.

7. Close the selection border:

• To close the border with a magnetic segment, double-click, or press Enter or Return. (To manually close the border, drag over the starting point and click.)

• To close the border with a straight segment, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and double-click. 8. (Optional) Click Refine Edge to further adjust the selection boundary.

Convert a selection into a new layer:

1. Make a selection.

2. Do one of the following:

• Choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to copy the selection into a new layer.

• Choose Layer > New > Layer Via Cut to cut the selection and paste it into a new layer.

• Right click and Select New Layer Via Copy

Adjustment Layers:

Layer menu > New Adjustment Layer

Allows you to make nondestructive changes to your images

Touchups:

Spot Healing Brush Tool:

J key
Content aware, Photoshop automatically samples pixels

Healing Brush Tool:

When you want more control
Use the opt to select the source of your paint

Clone Stamp tool:

S key
Unlike the Healing Brush it makes an exact duplicate
To set the sample point hold down the option key
Your source point stays in alignment so you can get variety

Text:

Adding Text:

1. Select the Type Tool and begin to type in your composition.

2. This will automatically make a new text layer.

Edit text:

1. Select the Horizontal Type tool or the Vertical Type tool.

2. Select the type layer in the Layers panel, or click in the text flow to automatically select a type layer.

3. Position the insertion point in the text, and do one of the following:

• Click to set the insertion point.

• Select one or more characters you want to edit.

4. Enter text as desired.

5. In the options bar, do one of the following:

• Click the Commit button (checkmark button) to apply your changes to the type layer.

• Click the Cancel button (cancel icon) or press ESC.