Art New Media Science - Photoshop

Workshop Date: October 26th 10-11:30am and 11:30 - 1pm

Workshop overview

introduction to working with Photoshop to explore basic functionality and concepts behind the software.

Key topics

• Media management and file hygiene
• how Photoshop works as a graphical interface managing data
  • open same image file in text editor, metasynth (listen to image data) and photoshop
• ways that Photoshop can help you with basic design principles
  • Composition : rulers, guides and cropping
  • Color: Histograms (and channels), level adjustments, color modes

Key skills

• Layers and Compositing
• Color Correction

Photoshop interface and navigating an image

1. Zoom: Cmd +/-
2. Hand tool: Space Bar (used to move around an image)

Image size and resolution

1. Image > image Size to see the overall size in pixels of your image
   • Resizing photos for various usages including: Web, email attachment, and print
2. Cropping - using the crop tool to remove portions of the image outside of the crop selection
   • You can set the image size to crop to in the properties bar i.e. 400 px (remember the px)

Image adjustments

located under Image > Adjustments

• Levels - set your black point
• Convert an image to black & white

Saving your work

1. File > Save as. Choose Photoshop as the file format. This will create a uncompressed Photoshop native image file format. It's a good idea to keep an uncompressed copy of your images.

Working with Layers

• Create new layers
• Copying between layers
• Duplicating layers
• Adjustment layers

Working with selections

• intro to selection tools: marqui, lasso, etc.
• adjusting selections
• copying selections to another layer

Exercise: create a composite image using multiple pinhole camera images

Saving for web

1. Saving for web: File > Save for Web & Devices
   • Choose the highest quality with the best (smallest) file size.