Adobe Photoshop Tips
My Top Tips for Learning Photoshop
- Learning Photoshop is all about Layers and Selections.
Learn those two topics in depth, and you are well on your way. - You can have up to 8000 layers, so better to have too many layers than not enough.
- Use QuickMask for only quick, simple selections. QuickMask edits are not saved with the document. Save complex selections and and then edit them through the Channels panel.
- Alpha Channels are simply saved selections. You can have up to 56 total channels; this includes your color channels, alpha channels, and spot-color channels.
- When editing your images, use the 100% view whenever possible. When zooming in, use even increments: 200%, 300%, 400%, etc. for the most accurate monitor feedback.
Quick Reset
If you are even in a dialog box that has an OK/Cancel button, you can hold down the Alt/Option key to change the Cancel button to a Reset button—setting the dialog box back to the original settings when it was opened. No more cancelling and re-opening the dialog box!
Copying Layers in Photoshop
If you option-drag an item with the Move tool, you can either dupe the item on the same layer or create a new layer depending on how it is selected. An item option-dragged with a marquee will dupe on the same layer; an item option-dragged without a marquee will create a new layer.
Skin tone examples
(not all inclusive)
| RGB Numbers | 201/155/151 | 193/137/126 | 139/95/83 | 206/128/106 | 177/126/101 | 155/93/82 |
| CMYK Numbers | 22/48/36/3 | 25/57/52/4 | 45/71/75/18 | 16/64/64/3 | 31/60/69/6 | 35/75/76/15 |
| Color Samples |
Background Layers
While JPEGs and most TIFFs open up as a background layer, there is no requirement that a Photoshop file actually have a background layer—even if importing the file into another Adobe program or QuarkXPress. You can double-click the layer name to convert the background layer to a "normal" layer. One advantage is that you can lock the normal layer to prevent accidental edits or movement (background layers are only protected against movement).
Digital Camera Resolutions (approximate—may vary by brand)
| 2 megapixel | 1600x1200 |
| 3 megapixel | 2048x1536 |
| 4 megapixel | 2448x1632 |
| 5 megapixel | 2580x2048 |
| 6 megapixel | 3000x2000 |
| 7 megapixel | 3072x2304 |
| 8 megapixel | 3456x2304 |
| 10 megapixel | 3648x2736 |
| 12 megapixel | 4000x3000 |