Posts Tagged ‘photoshop’
Precise Photo Editing Is Made Easy With Photoshop’s Grow Tool
January 23rd, 2010 | 
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If you have been learning to do digital photo editing in Photoshop and have been going crazy trying to do precise object selection the following information is going to be music to your ears. Just about everything you do in Photoshop seems to involve selecting objects or people for purposes such as copying, color correction, special effects, and more. Have you ever wanted to cut an irregular shaped object out of the photo for use with another background? It can be difficult if not darned near impossible to perfectly select the object using your mouse and the selection tool. Let me introduce you to the “grow” tool. The grow tool give you the ability to easily select an object with a photograph with almost perfection. What used to be an enormous source of frustration is now a breeze. In fact, the “grow” tool makes what was previously often considered impossible possible. Here is how the grow tool works. Let’s say you have an irregularly shaped object that you need to select for the purpose of extracting it from the original image for use in digital photo collage. Without the grow tool you would have to increase the size of the image and slow move your curser around the object until you had selected the entire object and even then your selection would probably be off quite a bit. Another option might be to use he magic wand tool but the grow tool works wonderfully for this purpose. When you select an area within an object the grow tool makes the selection grow or expand to the areas adjacent that are similar in color. Using the grow tool you don’t need to worry about selecting your object perfectly to the edge. Just select the best you can and let the grow tool expand your selection to the edge of the object.
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Basic Photoshop Tutorials Using The Eraser Tool
Have an object with edges you want to isolate? This is one way to use the Background Eraser tool. The Magic Eraser is often used to blast large areas that contain unwanted pixels. It certainly can be effective if you want to get fast results, but it is less than subtle. This works well when you want to eliminate big areas of color that you don’t need. It is not always as useful when you are working with areas that are more intricate. This is one of the reasons that Photoshop is so great. This program provides the user with lots of selection tool choices. Each tool has its own options that can be customized. Now, there are some kinds of selection jobs that work better with the Background Eraser than with the actual Magic Eraser. The Background Eraser is more versatile and gives you greater control over some of the more difficult tasks. For instance, if you are selecting intricately shaped objects, the Background Eraser may be the tool for the job. Let’s say you want to isolate your image in your picture by removing the sky. The sky consists of edges that may prove difficult to work with. Remove the sky along with the detailed edges using the Background Eraser tool. Some selection tools would not be able to handle the job because of the position of the crenulations and the arches of the towers. This makes it very tricky when you want to try to remove the sky that is hidden among all of that other stuff. Here is the way that you can work with the Background Eraser tool to accomplish the above task. You can cut out the complex shapes easily using the Background Eraser. Now you may need to spend a little time fiddling with the options to get the most use of the tool when you are working on a complex project such as this one. Begin by selecting the tool from the toolbox and in the options bar you will want to set the Sampling option to Once. Sample a section of the blue sky by clicking and the background swatch icon will change color. This lets you know the pixels that are headed for deletion. If you hold the mouse button down and spray the eraser’s brush around the image you will be able to get rid of all the pixels of the same color. Pixels of other colors will not be removed as you spray around the edge of the building. If you want the best results you can tweak the Tolerance setting.
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Getting The Upper Hand With Photoshop Layer Sets
Anyone who plans on spending any length of time wandering the halls of Photoshop should consider learning how Photoshop layer sets work. Layers are crucial to the entire mechanism of Photoshop design and enhancement. The Photoshop “Layers” palette maintains a precise history of all your keystrokes… so you don’t have to remember anything. Layers can be likened to your command post, so it behooves you to spend some time in there. Let’s take a brief look around right now. Hmm, looks complicated, doesn’t it? Well, unlike a lot of other functions inside Photoshop, Layers really is pretty simple. Basically, it isolates different sections or transformations so you can work on them without affecting the rest of the image. Which really comes in handy when you find yourself up against the wall and need to start that particular enhancement over: just throw that layer away. Your Photoshop Layers box will automatically create a new layer for you for some changes, but you can also create a new yourself. On your top menu bar, click “Layer,” then “New.” You’ll see a brand new, empty layer appear inside your Layers box. Notice that it has been highlited and the “background,” or original, layer is not. The highlighted layer is the active layer, meaning that’s the one you’re presently working on. To activate a different layer, simply click on it, and Photoshop highlights (activates) it for you. Becoming aware of this one function is essential for successfully working in layers. (Note: Photoshop CS2 lets you activate multiple layers.) Once you have a few layers inside your Layers dialog box, try clicking the eyeballs next to each one. You’ll see that in this way you can visually isolate layers so you can tell exactly what it is you’re working on. At times, you will find yourself creating many, many layers for a single image. When that happens, it gets difficult to find the layer you want to affect. The solution to this problem lies in creating groups, or “layer sets.” Grouping layers allows you to place them into a folder. (In Photoshop CS, first link the layers, then choose “New Set from Linked” on the side menu of the Layers box.) In Photoshop 7, you create a group by choosing each one, then clicking “Group with Previous” inside your Layer option in the top menu. Or you can click the tiny folder icon at the bottom of the Layers palette and drag the layers into that layer when it appears, then click the collapse arrow to the left of the set folder to hide the layers inside the folder. If you want to get rid of the set folder later, highlight it, then click Layer, Delete, Set, then choose either “Set and Contents” or “Set Only.” Some versions of Photoshop require you to choose your layers and then “Shift-Click” on the bottom folder icon to create a set folder. In Photoshop CS2, you can align layers by choosing View > Show > Smart Guides. Like all the other fabulous Photoshop functions, Layers offers almost limitless ways to affect your photos and the way you maneuver around inside Photoshop itself. Master The Basics Of Adobe Photoshop With My 2 Hour Easy To Use Photoshop Video Tutorial.
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Paint Like Monet Using Photoshop Paintbrush Tool
Learning to use the paintbrush in Photoshop is easy with Photoshop Fast Track. You will be creating original works of art within minutes. The Photoshop paintbrush has more uses than you might imagine. When you get good with the paintbrush you will be able to create some awesome graphics. Photoshop has two types of paintbrushes you will be using. Airbrush: The first type of paintbrush available in Photoshop is the airbrush. This paintbrush tool is very much like using a can of spray paint. It virtually sprays the paint onto the image or canvas. Photoshop gives the user maximum control by allowing you to adjust the diffusion or amount of pain being applied as well as the speed with which it is applied to the canvas. There are also many different brush sizes and shapes you can use. Paintbrush: The paintbrush tool is more like using an actual paintbrush and applying paint by hand. Much like using a real paintbrush the virtual paintbrush in Photoshop applies paint in much more even distribution compared with the airbrush tool. You will have fun experimenting with the different options available for creating digital works of art using the paintbrush in Photoshop. The best thing about it is that you don’t have to worry about mistakes as you would on a traditional canvas using real paint. This is especially true if you are working in layers. If you don’t like your results simply delete that layer and try something else. Check out Photoshop Newbie video Tutorials and learn how to master the basics of Photoshop in just 2 hours with David Peters. Sign up today and receive Free daily email tips on mastering Photoshop and also view a Free video photoshop tutorial online. This is a a short video shows you how to remove “red-eye” from a photo.
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Basic Photo Corrections In Photoshop Cs
Welcome to the cadillac of photo-enhancers: Photoshop CS! Retouching in Photoshop can be a breeze… but not until you learn how. The Photoshop CS program is such a powerful application you could spend years just mastering the basics. Most of us, however, don’t really need a Masters in Photoshop. What most of us want is the flexibility, integrity and vast array of choices that Photoshop provides. Let’s look briefly at some of the most basic photo corrections in Photoshop CD, the ones you’ll really need. Here are the first steps recommended by the experts, and they represent the process they apply to every photograph: 1- First and foremost, duplicate your original and work only on the copy. That way, if something goes wrong, you’ll always have the original. This is a great habit to get into. 2- Next, assure the correct resolution. There are two basic categories of “resolution” in computer graphics: the monitor resolution and the image resolution. Image resolution varies from low (about 72 pixels per inch, or “ppi”) to high (anything 300 ppi or larger). Of course, the higher the resolution, the bigger the file. To change the resolution of your photo, click “Image,” then “Image Size.” On the bottom left of the box that comes up, type in the ppi you want, for example, 300 ppi. (You will probably want to change the size at this point. That’s fine, you will still retain the ppi you chose.) 3- Use your Crop tool ( ) from the toolbox to shape your picture the way you want it. Many people don’t notice the width and height options underneath the top menu, but it’s a very handy feature. At times you have an exact measurement you need to fill; rather than fiddling with the numbers after you crop, the proper way is to insert the width and height immediately after clicking the Crop tool, and then making the crop, dragging down diagonally with your mouse. You will notice the exact measurements appear without a struggle. 4- Experiment with your automatically adjusting features. Click on “Image” in your top menu, then “Adjustments.” You will see options for automatic levels, contrast and color. After you’ve tried them, you can go ahead and hone in to polish, if you like. You can also try Image> Adjustments> Shadow/Highlight (or “Variations”). You’ll be astonished at the variety of preset options there. As you gan imagine, there are endless variations on the themes represented by these basic steps and the choices made therein. But Photoshop expands past them and out into the great beyond, offering an unlimited palette and a universe of options. Your only problem will be how to tear yourself away.
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Photoshop Video Tutorials On File Formats
Photoshop files themselves can’t be embedded into a web page. You will need to export your file and save it in a web-friendly format. There are three formats for web graphics: JPEGs, GIFs and PNGs. JPEG: The JPEG format (pronounced “jay-peg”), works best with photographic images or images that have more than 256 colors and gradients, such as the flowers. Images saved in JPEG format are compressed, which means that image information will actually be lost, causing the image to degrade in quality. JPEG Quality: Changing the value in the Quality drop-down box alters the level of compression for the image. Reducing the quality may result in blurring or pixelation, but too high a setting will produce a large file that will take users too long to download. A good approach is to decrease the quality value gradually until you notice the degradation of your image becoming unacceptable. A reasonable compromise will be somewhere around this point. GIF: The GIF format (pronounced “jiff” or “giff” depending on which side of the tracks you grew up) can have a maximum of 256 colors. GIF files support transparency and animation, and work best with graphics that have large areas of the same color. PNG: The PNG format (pronounced “ping”) is similar to the GIF format in that it supports transparency and works best with solid-color images, but it’s superior to the GIF format as it has the ability to support true levels of transparency for colored areas. Transparent PNGs are currently not in widespread use on the Web because older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer do not support them; however, they’re often used in Macromedia Flash movies. PNGs can produce a better quality image at a smaller file size than can GIFs. Photoshop allows you to save an image as a PNG-8 file (which works the same way as a GIF would with 256 colors) or a PNG-24 file (which allows for millions of colors as well as variable transparency). GIF/PNG-8 Colors: Adjusting this setting reduces the number of colors used in any image. This will usually make the biggest difference in the final image. dither amount and type (No Dither, Diffusion, Pattern, Noise) This setting has nothing to do with being nervous or agitated. Dither refers to a compression technique in which the pattern of dots is varied to give the illusion of a color gradient. Changing the dither will result in a more noticeable degradation for images that involve a large number of colors blended together.
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Photoshop Layers Tutorials
Layers are a powerful feature of Photoshop that allow you to work on one part of an image without disturbing the rest of it. While the concept of layers may seem intimidating at first, once you get the hang of using layers you’ll wonder how you ever survived without them! The transparent parts of any layer, shown by the checkered grid, allow the layers beneath that layer to show through. You can show and hide each layer in an image by clicking on its corresponding eye icon in the Layers palette. To organize your layers, you can arrange them into layer groups by going to Layer > New > Group…. Each layer group displays in the same way as any ungrouped layers on the Layers palette. A layer group is signified by a folder icon. You can collapse or expand layer groups by clicking on the triangle to the left of the folder icon, and nest layer groups within each other by dragging one folder icon into another. Here are 10 quick Layer Shortcuts. 1 – Rename layers by double-clicking on the layer name. 2 – Select a layer by using the keyboard shortcuts Alt-[ and Alt-] (Option-[ and Option-] on a Mac). 3 – Merge a layer into the one beneath it by pressing Ctrl- E (Command-E). If you have selected layers, this shortcut will merge those selected layers together. 4 – Change the transparency of a layer by changing its opacity with the Opacity slider, or typing a value into the Opacity box (which is visible when you have the Selection, Move, or Crop tools selected). 5 – Duplicate a selected layer by pressing Ctrl-J (Command-J on a Mac). You can also duplicate a layer by dragging it while pressing the Alt (Option) key. 6 – Select multiple layers by holding down Ctrl (Command on a Mac) and clicking the layer names. This forms a temporary link between the selected layers that allows you to move them as one unit, delete them all, and so on. 7 – You can also link layers together. Select layers by clicking on them while holding down Shift or Ctrl (Command on a Mac). 8 – To unlink all the layers, select one of the linked layers and go to Layer > Unlink Layers. 9 – To temporarily unlink a layer, hold down Shift and click on its link icon (a red “X” will appear over the link icon). 10 – Reactivate the link by holding down Shift and clicking the link icon again.
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