Photoshop Introduction
Note: This tutorial is written in 2005... I am lazy to refine it... sorry...This is the first time I write a photoshop tutorial, so I am not really sure if the stuff I include here is enough or not. I learnt photoshop by myself since January 2005, so I guess I don't really have much to teach. I will explain some of the simplier functions in this tutorial.
The version I am using right now is Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. It is quite an old version, since the latest is Elements 4.0 and Photoshop 9.0. However, if you have some problems, I will still try my best to help you. Keep in mind that I am not a professional and it has only been a year since I started photoshop. Hope you can understand my explanation below.
What is Photoshop?
This picture shows the screen you will see when you first enter photoshop. If you are starting a new project, choose "New File", if you want to edit an existing file, choose "Browse For File".
Photoshop is a software from Adobe which acts like Painter in Microsoft but contains many more functions. It is most suitable for editing photos and computer graphics by putting in the different effects. It can also make gifs with transparent backgrounds which Painter cannot. The file extension for photoshop is .psd. Photoshop also enables you to divide the picture you are working on into different "layers", and testing the different layers enables you to try different matches without redoing your picture.
Main Menu & Functions
1. Marquee Tool - there are two types of marquee tool, the Rectangular Marquee Tool and the Elliptical Marquee Tool. This
tool is used for selecting a rectangular or an elliptical area for editing, moving or copy/cut-ing.2. Lasso Tool - there are three typws of lasso tool, the Lasso Tool, the Polygonal Lasso Tool and the Magnetic Lasso Tool. The original Lasso Tool is used to select a random-shaped object, the Polygonal Lasso Tool enables you to select an object by straight lines and the Magnetic Lasso Tool selects objects according to the colour contrasts.
3. Selection Brush Tool - selects an area of your image using a variety of hard edge or soft edge brushes.
4. Drawing Tool - this tool allows you to draw different shapes, including the rectabgle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, polygon, line, speak bubble and a Shape Selection Tool which you can select different shapes and edit them.
5. Paint Bucket Tool - used to colour a selected area by one click or a region bounded obviously by a different colour.
6. Brush Tool - contains the normal brush tool and the Impressionalist Brush Tool. The normal brush tool enables you to draw with brushes of different thickness, opacity, mode, style and size depending on need. The type of brush can be set on the toolbar on the upper part. The Impressionalist Brush gives a greater effect to the stroke you applied, giving it a "stylish" look.
7. Eraser Tool - there are three kinds of eraser tool, the Normal Eraser Tool, the Magic Eraser Tool and the Background Eraser Tool. The normal eraser is just normal, it clears the area which you erase, replacing it with the background colour chosen at that moment. The background eraser tool enables you to erase the background of the picture, as in some gif images. The magic eraser is similar to the background eraser, but it erases all the colours of similar contrast in one click.
8. Blur Tool - Blur the area you drag over. It can be used to clear the details of something you don't want to be shown.
9. Sponge Tool - Change the colour saturation of the area you drag across.
10. Dodge Tool - Lightens the area whihc you drag across.
11. Clone Stamp/Pattern Stamp Tool - The Clone Stamp Tool duplicates a sample of the area you choose. It can also be used to delets a part of the image. The Pattern Tool enables you to select a certain pattern in the image and use it as the shape of a brush.
12. Hand Tool - This is used when the image is too lage and you can use it to move the image to see the areas hidden at the sides.
13. Move Tool - You can use this to drag a selected area across the screen to another part of the image.
14. Magic Wand - Selection tool according to the colour of an image. The distinguishing of the colours depends on the tolerance set.
15. Crop Tool - Selects an area and trims it. The rest of the image is sut off the screen.
16. Horizontal/Vertical Type (Mask) Tool - Basically this tool is used to add words to an image by a different layer. You can add the words either horizontally or vertically. More functions can be done on the font such as the gradient function (see below) and the strike/fill functions in View.
17. Gradient Tool - Uses multiple colours and form a blend to colour areas selected. The opacity and transparency of the colours can be set on the top tool bar. You can also set the type of gradient, eg. blend in circles or just flat layers.
18. Pencil Tool - Works like a pencil, used to draw whatever according to how you drag the pointer along the screen.
19. Red Eye Brush - Removes the redness in people's eyes in photographs just by a few clicks.
20. Shapen Tool - Shapens the edges of an image as you drag along. It also increases the clarity of the image.
21. Smudge Tool - Smudges an image by taking the colour from where you start dragging to the direction of the drag.
22. Burn Tool - Darkens the area of an images as you drag across.
23. Eyedropper Tool - Select any part of the image and this tool will have a sample of the colour of that part. You can then use this colour for brushes, filling or other options. You can also view the average colour of the location.
24. Zoom Tool - Zooms in and out of an image so that you can view it in large or small size.
25. Colour indicator - Indicates what colour you are using at present on the top square, such as those when you use a brush or filling. The colour at the bottom square is the background colour, which you will see when you use the cut function.
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