Photoshop tips and tricks!

01. Rotating patterns

Photoshop tips: Rotating Patterns

You can make amazing kaleidoscopic patterns with the help of a keyboard shortcut. Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T lets you duplicate a layer and repeat a transformation in one go. To demonstrate, weve made a narrow glowing shape by squeezing a lens flare effect, but you can use any shape, image or effect you like. First, make an initial rotation by pressing Cmd/Ctrl+T and turning slightly, then hit nter to apply. !e"t, pressCmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T repeatedly to create a pattern.

02. Combine images with text

Photoshop tips: Combining images with text

Theres a really easy way to overlay an image on top of te"t. #rop an image layer over a type layer then hold down Alt and click the line between the two layers in the $ayers %anel to clip the image to the te"t. 03. Birds Eye View &hen zoomed in close, hold down H and drag in the image to instantly dart out to full screen then 'ump back to another area. (ne of the best %hotoshop tips for viewing work) 04. Quick full Layer asks

You can Alt-click on the $ayer *ask icon to add a full mask that hides everything on the layer. 05. Easier mar!uee selections +old down Alt to start a selection at the centre point with any *arquee tool, and then hold Space to temporarily move the selection around.

06. "unky backgrounds

Photoshop tips: Funky backgrounds

&ant to change the default grey background to something more funky, Shift click over the background area with the %aint -ucket tool to fill it with your foreground colour. Right-click it to go back to grey. 07. #$$$ %istory states .o to Edit>Preferences>Performance to change the number of +istory states up to a ma"imum of /000. -eware though of the effect that this has on performance. 08. Colour Code Layers 1se colour coding to organise your $ayers %anel. Right-clickover a layers eye icon to quickly access 2 colour code choices. 09. Close all images To close all of your documents at the same time, Shift-clickany image windows close icon. 10. &pring'loaded o(e

&hile using any tool, hold Cmd/Ctrl to temporarily switch to the *ove tool. 3elease to go back to your original tool. !ote that spring4loaded keyboard shortcuts work for other tool shortcuts, too.

11. )nteracti(e *oom For interactive zooming, hold Cmd/Ctrl+Space then drag right to zoom in, or left to zoom out. The zoom targets where your mouse icon is, so its one of the quickest ways to navigate around an image. 12. Lightning fast layer copies +old down Cmd+Alt and drag any layer to instantly make a copy. 13. +iffuse effects

Photoshop tips: Diffuse effects

The #iffuse .low filter can give highlights a soft ethereal feel, especially when you combine the effect with desaturation. +it to !ilter> istort> to reset colours then go iff"se #lo$. 5eep the effect fairly subtle, then go

to%mage>Ad&"stments>H"e/ Sat"ration and drop the saturation down to complete the dreamlike effect. 14. ,ndo- ,ndo- ,ndo You probably know that Cmd/Ctrl+' is 1ndo, but you may not know Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+' lets you undo more than one history state. 15. Cycle Blend odes Shift + or 6 will cycle through different layer -lend *odes, so long as you dont have a tool that uses -lend *ode options settings.

Shortcuts (16 - 43)

Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E will merge a copy of all Layers ! Cycle through wor space !ac grou"#s ( Cha"ge your foregrou"# a"# !ac grou"# colours

$eset foregrou"# a"# !ac grou"# colours to !lac a"# white ) a"# * Cha"ge your !rush tip si%e
Cmd/Ctrl++ &uplicate a layer or selectio" Space ,ar 'ol# (pace a"# #rag to "a)igate arou"# the image TA, 'i#es or shows all pa"els a"# tools Cmd/Ctrl+T *ra"sform a layer Cmd/Ctrl+E +erge selecte# layer #ow", or merges se)eral highlighte#

layers Cmd/Ctrl/Ctrl+Shift+-pt+S (a)e for we! - #e)ices Cmd/Ctrl+. .ri"g up le)els !o/
Cmd/Ctrl+T 0pe" 1ree *ra"sform tool Cmd/Ctrl+/ 0pe" Cur)es Cmd/Ctrl+, 2#it Colour .ala"ce Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+-pt+C (cale your image to your preferre# state Cmd/Ctrl+-pt+# Create clippi"g mas Cmd/Ctrl+0 1it o" scree" Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+>/1 3"crease4#ecrease si%e of selecte# te/t !y 2pts Cmd/Ctrl+-ption+Shift->/1 3"crease4#ecrease si%e of selecte# te/t !y

10pts )/* 3"crease4#ecrease !rush si%e

Shift+!2 1ill the selectio" 3/4 3"crease4#ecrease !rush har#"ess ,/. pre)ious4"e/t !rush 1/> 1irst4last !rush Cmd/Ctrl+) .ri"g layers forwar# Cmd/Ctrl+* (e"# layer !ac Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+* (e"# layer to !ottom of stac Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+) .ri"g layer to !ottom of stac

Layers

Photoshop tips: Layer tricks

44. Con(erting Layer &tyles 7onverting a $ayer 8tyle to a normal pi"el4based layer gives you greater control to

edit the contents. To do so, add a style then right4click ffects and choose 7reate $ayer. 45. View one layer 9f youre working with multiple layers and you want to view one layer on its own, theres no need to hide all the others manually, simply hold down :lt and click the ye icon of a layer to make every other layer invisible. +old down :lt and click again to reveal them. 46. )n(ert a Layer ask

:fter adding any :d'ustment $ayer, hit 7md;7trl<9 to invert the $ayer *ask and quickly hide the effect, then paint back over the image with white to selectively reveal the ad'ustment. 47. ,nlink layers and masks You can move either a mask or an image independently of one another by clicking the link between the two thumbnails in the $ayers %anel. +ighlight the thumbnail you want to reposition, then grab the *ove tool. 48. Quick copy +old down :lt and drag a mask, style or layer to quickly duplicate it. 49. Con(ert the Background #ouble4click the -ackground $ayer and hit (5 to convert it to an editable layer 50. .d/ustments :lways use :d'ustment $ayers rather than directly editing a layer. This gives you three advantages= you can edit it at any time, control the strength with (pacity, and use a mask to make it work selectively. 51. o(e !uery

&hen using the *ove tool, right4click over a point in the image for a list of all the layers youre hovering over.

52. 0anel 1ptions The $ayers %anel is the most important bo" in %hotoshop, so youll want to make sure its set up properly for your needs. 7hoose %anel (ptions from the Fly4out menu to select different thumbnail sizes and content. 53. o(e layers up or down

You can move layers up or down the stack in the $ayers %anel while watching the image change. +old down 7md;7trl and press > or ?. :dd in 8hift to move a layer right to the top or bottom. 54. "ill shortcuts You can press :lt<-ackspace to fill a layer or selection with the Foreground colour, 7md;7trl<-ackspace to fill a layer or selection with the -ackground colour, or 8hift<-ackspace to quickly access the Fill (ptions. 55. 2he 3$4 grey layer : new layer filled with @0A grey is useful in lots of situations. For e"ample, you can dodge and burn with it, add te"ture, or manipulate a $ens Flare effect, all in a completely non4destructive way. To create a @0A grey layer, make a new layer then go to ditBFill, then set the -lend *ode to (verlay. 56. Layer 5roup shortcut $ayer .roups are incredibly useful, but dont bother clicking on the $ayer .roup icon, as youll have to add layers to the new group manually. 9nstead, you should highlight several layers and either drag them to this icon or alternatively hit 7md;7trl<..

57. Edit multiple type layers

Photoshop tips: Edit mu tip e type ayers

To apply a change of font or size to multiple type layers at once, hold down 7md; 7trl and click the layers in the $ayers %anel to highlight them, then simply select the Type tool and change the settings in the (ptions -ar. 58. Layer ask (iews

Photoshop tips: Layer mask !iews

+old down :lt and click a $ayer *ask thumbnail to toggle between a view of the mask and the image. +old down 8hift and click to turn the mask on or off. 59. &elect similar layers To quickly select all layers of a similar kind, such as shape or type layers, highlight one of them and then go to 8electB8imilar $ayers. 60. Change 1pacity &hen not using a painting tool, you can change layer (pacity simply by pressing a number key. +it / for /0A, @ for @0A, and 0 for /00A. 61. Quick masking You may be familiar with 7olor 3ange in the 8elect drop4down menu. -ut did you know that you can access a similar command through the 7olor 3ange button in the *asks %anel, C&indowB*asksD. This allows you to quickly make a mask by sampling colours, which can be used for making a quick spot colour effect.

567 Step-by-step Blend fire effects

A8 Copy in the fire

Photoshop tips: Copy in the fire

(pen a portrait image and a generic fire image, then grab the /o9e tool and check A"to-Select .a:er and Sho$ Transform Controls. #rag the fire image into the girl image to copy it in, then change the ,lend /ode of the layer toScreen.
,8 0osition and warp

Photoshop tips: Position and warp

7lick the bounding bo" to transform the fire layer, then resize, rotate and position the layer. Right-click while in Transform mode and choose &arp to wrap the fire around the body. +itCmd/Ctrl++ to copy the fire layer and transform again to build up the effect.

Top Tool Photoshop Tips

63. Right'click for contextual menus :lmost all tools have a conte"tual menu thats accessed with a simple right4click. This usually gives you the tools ma'or controls and a few handy shortcuts. :s well as the tool you have active, where you right4click affects the menu, too. For e"ample, a right4click over a layer thumbnail or mask thumbnail gives different options.

64. &peedy na(igation -eing able to quickly and easily move around your image and zoom in or out will speed up your workflow more than anything else. 1se Cmd/Ctrl and + to zoom in, Cmd/Ctrl and 6 to zoom out. +old the space bar to temporarily access the Hand tool and drag around the image. 65. Crucial selection shortcuts &ith any selection tool, hold 8hift to add to an e"isting selection and Alt to subtract from it. Shift+Alt together allows you to intersect selections. 66. 0aste in place 7ut and paste a selection to a new layer and %hotoshop will place it in the middle of the screen. 9f you want to paste it to a new layer, but keep the position the same, use Cmd/Ctrl+( to cut and Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+; to paste in place. 8imilarly, you should hold down 8hift while dragging layers between documents with the *ove tool to keep the same position. 67. %ide the arching .nts %ress Cmd/Ctrl+H to hide or reveal a selections Emarching ants line. Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+H does the same for a %ath line. 68. 2he ama6ing Cmd7Ctrl8click 1se the Cmd/Ctrl+click shortcut on any layer thumbnail, mask thumbnail, 7hannel or %ath to load its shape or contents as a selection. 69. &witch lasso &hen using the .asso tool, hold :lt then release the mouse button to temporarily switch to the Pol:gonal .asso tool. 70. "ixed Ratio selections The 3ectangular *arquee tool has a useful E8tyle setting in the (ptions -ar that lets you make a selection at a fi"ed ratio or size. This is helpful if you want to select a specific area to use as a wallpaper or for web pages. 71. 2ransform a selection You can transform a selection in 'ust the same way as a layer. Fust go to Select>Transform Selection. Right-click to choose from familiar transform modes like Ske$ and <arp.

72. 0en tool rubber band 9f youGre new to the %en Tool, this is one of the best %hotoshop tips out there) :s a new user it can be frustrating when plotting anchor points, as often youre not entirely sure how your ne"t curve will behave. Theres a useful feature hidden in the (ptions -ar that can be a godsend for beginners. 7lick the E#eometr: options= drop4down Cne"t to A"to Add/ eleteD and checkR">>er ,and. !ow, as you use the %en tool youll see an interactive preview of your ne"t curve before you add it. 73. 9on'destructi(e crops

Photoshop tips: "on#destructi!e crops

: little4known feature of the 7rop tool allows you to hide, rather than delete cropped areas. To do this, youll need to make the -ackground $ayer editable first, so double4click it then hit (5. !e"t, grab the 7rop tool and drag a crop window, then instead of applying the crop, check +ide in the (ptions. !ow you can re4crop at any time by dragging outside the window to reveal the previously cropped areas.

Pen Tool Tips

74. 2weak anchor points &hen using the %en tool, hold down Cmd/Ctrl to temporarily switch to

the irect Selection tool. This lets you move anchor points and control handles. 75. .dd a point To add a point, hover over the e"isting path line and the %en tool will automatically change to the :dd :nchor %oint tool. 76. Remo(e handles 3emove handles from a point and make it into a sharp angle by Alt-clicking over it. 77. "rom selection to path Turn any active selection into a path by clicking the E /ake <orkpath from Selection icon at the bottom of the %aths %anel. 78. .dd handles :dd handles to a point by holding Alt then dragging outwards from the point. 79. 0ath options (nce youve made a path with the %en tool, right-click for lots of options, including *ake 8election, Fill %ath and 8troke %ath. 80. agnetic 0en For a magnetic %en tool that behaves 'ust like the *agnetic $asso tool, choose the Freeform %en tool from the Tools %anel then check E /agnetic in the (ptions -ar.

?@7 Step-by-step: Select s y !ith "hannels

A8 Copy Blue Channel Photoshop tips: Copy $ ue channe

.o to &indow 7hannel then drag the -lue 7hannel to the !ew 7hannel icon to duplicate it. +it Cmd/Ctrl+. to access $evels, then drag the white and black point sliders in dramatically to make the sky totally white and the land black. !ow use the -rush tool and paint with black to tidy any bits in the land. ,8 Load a selection
Photoshop tips: Load a se ection

+old Cmd/Ctrl and click the -lue 7opy 7hannel to load a selection of the white

areas. 7lick back on the 3.- 7hannel then go to the $ayers %anel and add a 7urves :d'ustment $ayer. The selection is automatically turned into a mask. #rag down on the curve to darken the sky.

Brush and paintin# Photoshop tips

82. 2ry .dobe Ea6el For tablet owners, :dobe azel is both fun and a serious painting tool. Finger4 painted brush strokes have a fluidity thats difficult to create on a computer. &ireless transmission between tablet and %hotoshop streamlines the painting process. 83. Change the brush angle &hen using a non4circular brush, you may find the need to change the angle of the brush tip. To do this, click the -rush %anel in the (ptions -ar then highlight -rush Tip shape and drag the circle to change the angle of the brush. You can also flip it horizontally or vertically with the check bo"es. 84. Rotate the clone source 7lone around corners by rotating a clone source. To do so, use Shift+Alt+ 1 or >. 9t helps if you have 8how (verlay checked in the 7lone 8ource %anel, so that you can see the rotation. 85. Real paint ridges The -evel and mboss filter is often used by digital painters to make brush strokes look like ridged layers of paint. *erge a copy of all the layers, then set the -lend *ode to (verlay and apply the -evel and mboss filter. 86. )nteracti(e brush settings &hen using the -rush tool, hold down :lt and the right mouse button for a preview of the -rush tips size and hardness. #rag down and up to increase or decrease hardness, and drag right or left to change the size.

87. 2ilt Can(as

Photoshop tips: %i t Can!as

%hotoshop tips donGt 'ust come in the form of shortcuts. &hen painting, its often easier to rotate the canvas rather than try to bend your wrist into an uncomfortable position. Fust as a sketcher would angle a piece of paper, you can angle your canvas by holding down R then dragging it around. 3elease Rand youll flip back to your original tool. To revert back to normal, hold down R and click Reset ;ie$ in the options. 88. &mudge painting 8mudge painting is quick and immensely satisfying. To paint with the 8mudge tool, fill a layer with an off4white tone, duplicate the -ackground $ayer and set it at the top of the stack, with (pacity at about /HA, then highlight the 8mudge tool, check 8ample :ll $ayers, and start painting. 9ts that simple. 89. .dd texture to paintings
Photoshop tips: &dd texture to paintings

:s a finishing touch, you can make your paintings look much more authentic by adding a paper te"ture. 7opy a te"ture on top of your image, then e"periment with -lend *odes and (pacity until you get the right effect. The #arken or *ultiply modes will usually provide you with good results.

Precise colour and lines

90. +raw straight lines To draw a straight line with the -rush tool, hold down Shift and then click two points. 91. &ample a colour &ith the -rush tool selected, hold down Alt and click to sample a colour and then set it as your Foreground colour.

92. 0recise painting %ress Caps .ock to switch your cursor to a crosshair. 93. Cycle through the brushes 1se A and 7 to cycle left or right through the brushes in the -rush %reset %icker. 94. +odge or Burn &hen painting with the -urn tool, you can hold down Alt to switch instantly to the #odge tool. 95. 5et a pen and tablet 9f youre into digital painting, but dont own a graphics tablet, youre missing out on a whole new world of creativity. There are plenty of good, entry4level tablets available, but if you want mid4range features that include multi4touch input, treat yourself to a &acom 9ntuos @. 96. Change hardness :s you probably know, the ) and * bracket keys change your brush size, but you can also use 8hift+ ) or * to change the brush hardness. 97. Quick 1pacity change &hen using the -rush tool, press any number between 0 and I and the -rush (pacity will set to it. / for /0A, I for I0A, 0 for /00A. %ress Shift and a number to ad'ust Flow.

$dobe "a%era &a! tric s

987 ,se &elect .ll
Photoshop tips: 'se se ect a

The following %hotoshops tips focus on 7amera 3aw. To quickly batch process a group of images, open them all in :73 Cthe easiest way to do this is through :dobe -ridgeD and then clickSelect All. !ow, any changes you make to one image will be applied to all the open files. 997 1pen &mart 1b/ects +old down Shift in :73 and the -pen %mage button switches to -pen ->&ect. !ow the file opens as a Smart ->&ect, which means you can do">le-

click the layer thumbnail in %hotoshop to go back and edit the layer in :73. 1007 ask &harpening
Photoshop tips: (ask sharpening

The *asking slider in the #etail %anel lets you control which areas of an image are sharpened, but its impossible to 'udge unless you hold down Alt as you drag. This displays a greyscale view, in which black areas are protected from sharpening, enabling you to isolate the sharpening to edge areas. @0@7 Reset the sliders !uickly
Photoshop tips: Reset the s iders )uick y

o">le-click any slider to reset it to 0. 9f you click once, then the slider 'umps to the point youre over. 8o if you keep the mouse still, you can single-click, then do">le-click over a point for a quick Ebefore and after view of any ad'ustment youve made. 1027 Crop ratios
Photoshop tips: Crop ratios

8quare crops can help to make your images stand out from the crowd. For a list of different crop ratios, hold down the mouse button over the Crop tool. 3emember, like everything else in :73, cropping is non4 destructive, so you can try out different ratios and ad'ust the crop at any time. 1037 Exposure before colour 9ts always best to ad'ust e"posure before you move on to colour correction. 104. .d/ustment Brush controls
Photoshop tips: &d*ustment $rush contro s

The :d'ustment -rush is perfect for selective toning in :73. The brush works by

setting pins, each linked to a painted mask that specifies the area you want to tweak. Youll need to view the mask when painting, and hide it when using the sliders to ad'ust the area. +it B to switch the view of the mask on or off. 105. Erase masks &hen painting with the :d'ustment -rush, hold down Alt to erase parts of the mask. 106. Clip the blacks #eep blacks give an image e"tra punch, so its okay to clip the blacks a little. For deep blacks, drag the -lack point slider inwards while holding down Alt until a few dark spots appear. 107. &traighten hori6ons +old down A and drag a line to straighten your images. 108. Clipping (iews +old down Alt while dragging the "posure, -lacks or 3ecovery slider to see any clipped pi"els, or click the icons at the top right and left of the histogram to see them all the time. 109. &creen real estate *ake the most of your screen size by hitting ! to switch the :73 display to !"ll Screen /ode.

$"& and Brid#e

110. :+ carousel (iew
Photoshop tips: +D carouse !iew

$ooking for %hotoshop tips to view images in interesting ways, $ook no further. :ll you need to do is hit Cmd/Ctrl+, to see your images in a snazzy H# carousel. 8croll through the images with the left and right arrow keys and hit down to remove an image from the view. 111. 0aste .CR settings
Photoshop tips: Paste &CR settings

You can copy :73 treatments from one file to another in -ridge. Right-click any file with the circular :73 icon, then go to e9elop Settings>Cop: Settings. Right-click another file Cor hold down Cmd/Ctrl and click to select more than oneD then choose Paste settings. 112. &tack similar images
Photoshop tips: ,tack simi ar images

8tacks can help you keep your workspace tidy and easier to navigate by grouping similar images together. 8elect a group of files Chold down Shift and click the first and lastD then go toStacks>#ro"p as Stack. 113. 1pen in .CR
Photoshop tips: -pen in &CR

3aw files open automatically into :73, but you can open F% .s and T9FFs, too, by right4clicking them and choosing E(pen in 7amera 3aw, or simply hit Cmd/Ctrl+R. 114. 1pen as layers
Photoshop tips: -pen as ayers

You can load a group of images into layers of a single document by going to Tools> Photoshop>.oad !iles into %hotoshop $ayers.

@@27 Step-by-step Solarisation in $"&

A8

ake a cone'shaped cur(e

Photoshop tips:

(ake a cone#shaped cur!e

(pen an image in :73, then click the Tone C"r9e Panel. #rag all the points off the curve to delete them, then make one single point in the middle. #rag this down, then drag the bottom left of the curve to line up to the top, making an inverted cone shape.

 ,8 Con(ert to mono Photoshop tips: Con!ert to mono

7lick the HS./#re:scale Panel and check ECon9ert to ,lack and <hite. 1se the sliders to tweak the black and white conversion. 9f you want to add some colour, go to 8plit Toning and ad'ust the sliders to add colour to the shadows and highlights. (ne of the top mono %hotoshop tips)

Brush up your s ills

116. Create a brush You can create a brush tip from any image you like. 8imply convert to monochrome, then make a selection and go to Edit> efine ,r"sh Preset. (nly dark parts are recordedJ any parts that are pure white arent included in the brush tip. 8o if you want the shape of the brush to be clear, you need to isolate the ob'ect or shape against a white background. 117. ake sketch lines

Photoshop tips: (ake sketch ines

9f you want to turn a photo into a painting, adding sketch lines can make the effect look more realistic. To do so, duplicate your layer then go to !ilter>St:lise>

#lo$ing Edges, then invert the colours, desaturate and use the #arken or *ultiply -lend *ode. 118. Experiment

Photoshop tips: Experiment!

The -rush %anel is the control centre for hundreds, if not thousands, of different brush effects and settings. The best way to find out how it works is to grab the -rush tool, choose a colour, open a new document and start painting. 119. 5o further To take the above tip further, try painting on different layers and use different -lend *odes, or add $ayer 8tyle effects to your painted layer.

@607 Step by step: 'uic brush effects

A8 &et up the Brush

Photoshop tips: ,et up the brush

$oad up a generic portrait image and then load the 8quare -rushes from the -rush %icker drop4down menu. 8elect a square brush, then open the -rush %anel and use these settings= -rush tip shape= 8pacing KH/A. 8hape #ynamics= 8iz