Photoshop features
You can transform every aspect of an image in Photoshop. Here's how to get started with some basic photo editing techniques.
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The first step to editing a photo is importing it into Photoshop. To do so, simply use the Open command in the menu and select your image file.
Before you do anything else, make sure your photo isn’t crooked. If your image is slightly off kilter or has a crooked horizon, use the Straightening tool to level things out. Simply draw a line across the photo and the image will automatically straighten to match the line you’ve drawn.
If there are any distracting elements on the side of your image or your composition is just slightly off, crop it with the Crop tool. Make sure “Delete Cropped Pixels” in the Crop menu is turned off. That way, you can always adjust your crop later if you decide to zoom back out.
After you import an image, it can be helpful to duplicate it. Go to Image › Duplicate in the menu to make multiple copies of it. Each duplicate can serve as the basis for an individual layer. Working with layers is a crucial part of the Photoshop photo editing workflow.
Layers and layer masks are like translucent sheets that you lay over one another to create your image. Put each edit you make on its own layer and you’ll have greater control over each adjustment you make as well as the ability to undo your changes at any time. Then use layer masks to hide certain areas of your layers so your edits are focused only where you want.
Photoshop includes countless ways to transform an image. Tools and adjustments are how you make those transformations happen.
Tools in Photoshop apply permanent effects to the pixels of your image. However, if you use tools on a duplicate layer, you can always undo your change. Tools like the Spot Healing Brush let you cover up blemishes or irregularities. You can paint on an image with the Brush tools as if they were physical paint brushes. Take some time to get to know them.
Control the colour and tone of an image with Photoshop Adjustment Layers. Adjustments are not filters — but if you’re a beginner it can be useful to think of them like that. Adjustments apply changes to an image or part of an image and, generally speaking, fall into three major groups: They modify tone, colour and black-and-white conversion.
Tonal adjustments modify things like hue, contrast, vibrance and saturation. Colour adjustments help you to control the colours in an image. Black-and-white conversions can make colours more muted or turn a full-colour image into a fully black-and-white one.
Sometimes an image is just about perfect, except for one thing. Fortunately, getting photobombers or weird background elements out of the frame is usually a simple matter and there are many methods at your disposal in Photoshop to help you clean up an image.
Go a little further than basic editing techniques with these Photoshop tutorials.
Make your photo look more professional with colour editing techniques that alter the intensity of certain tones.
Separate people and objects from a background with the Quick Selection tool and put them in a whole different spot.
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