Pixels and Vectors. Raster VS Vector Raster images are made up of pixels. A pixel is a dot of color on a computer screen. If you zoom in on raster images, you will see big squares of color (pixels). Vector images are made of mathematical equations. Vectors are lines between anchor points. They can be straight or curved. No matter how much you zoom in on vector images, they will still be sharp. Pixels - Tiny squares of color. Vectors - Lines defined by equations. Raster = Pixels | Vector = Math Adobe Photoshop uses raster images.

Key Commands. This is the COMMAND KEY. Switch Programs - Command Tab Quit Program - Command Q Save - Command S Undo - Command Option Z Redo - Command Shift Z Select All - Command A Deselect - Command D Zoom In - Command + Zoom Out - Command - View All - Command Zero Command C Copy Command V Paste (Creates a new layer) Command T - Free Transform (Lets you move, scale, size, rotate) Hold Spacebar and click and drag to move around the canvas when zoomed in.

Selection Tools. Lasso Menu Lasso - Lets you click and drag to select a freeform area. Polygonal Lasso - Lets you select an area by clicking anchor points. Double-click to complete the selection. Magnetic Lasso - Attempts to select a specific part of an image by tracing it. Click and drag to trace and the Magnetic Lasso will detect the outlines. Double-click to complete the selection. Marquee Menu Elliptical Marquee - Select ovals and circles. Rectangular Marquee - Selects rectangles, squares, boxes.

Selection Tools. Quick Select Menu Magic Wand. Selects an area by specific color and value. Tolerance - Low numbers mean only very similar colors will be selected. High numbers will select colors with more variation. Contiguous - If checked, only colors touching the color you click on will be selected. Otherwise, similar colors anywhere on the canvas are selected. Quick Select Tool. Lets you click and drag within an area to select it. To save a selection you’ve made: Menu Bar > Select > Save Selection > Type a name. To load a selection you’ve saved: Menu Bar > Select > Load Selection

Selection Tool Attributes New - Default - makes a selection. Add - Combines the new area with what was already selected. Subtract - Removes the new area from what was already selected. Intersect - Leaves only the overlapping parts of the new and old selections. Feather - Creates a soft edge around the selection for as many pixels as you type in. For a hard edge, leave the Feather option at 0 px. Selection Tools.

Modifying Selections. After you’ve made a selection: Menu Bar > Select > Modify Border - Selects only the outline of the area. Smooth - Makes your shape less bumpy and smoothes corners. Expand - Enlargers your selection. Contract - Shrinks your selection. Feather - Adds a soft feathered edge to your selection. Note that for each option, you must tell Photoshop how many pixels you want the effect to be applied to. Larger = More noticeable effect. If you don’t like the result, just Undo. Making Outlines - The easiest way to make outlines around a selection is to use the Expand command on a selection, make a new layer for the outline, fill it with paint, then drag it below the original layer. You can also try using the Border command.

Filling Pixels With Paint. Paint Tools. Each can be used independently or within a selection. Brush - Paints a stroke of color. Opacity and style are editable. (Opacity - 0% = Clear | 100% = Solid | 0-99% = Transparent) Eraser - Erases painted areas. Paint Bucket - Fills a selection or area with color. Opacity editable. Gradient - Creates a smooth transition between colors in a selection or space. Opacity and style are editable.

Layers. Create New Layer. Delete Selected Layer (Or click and drag a layer to trash to delete.) Make layer visible / invisible. Name your layers! Double click layer names to rename them. Layer Commands Menu Bar > Layer Merge Down Combines selected layer with the layer below. Merge Visible Combines all visible layers. Flatten Image Combines all layers into one.

Sizing / Rotating /Moving. Move - Click this tool to move the selected pixels. If there is no selection, this will move all pixels in the current layer. Free Transform - Command T or Menu Bar > Edit > Free Transform Free Transform allows you to move, resize, or rotate whatever you currently have selected. To move it, just click and drag in the middle of the box. To rotate something, click OUTSIDE the box and drag. To resize, click a corner point on the box and drag (if you hold SHIFT before clicking and dragging, the shape remains the same and only the size changes - otherwise you can stretch or smash the image).

First Photoshop Project. Create a logo for yourself including your name and elements of visual imagery which describe you as a person. Requirements - New file, 3000px wide by 2000px high, RGB color, 8-bit. - Must include legible text for your name, as well as additional visual imagery/objects. - Text and letters must be created as selections, not using the text tool. - Do not use the paintbrush to draw shapes. Each shape must be selected and filled. - Detailed brushwork! You may start with a flat color or gradient, but each shape must then be detailed using the paintbrush. Typically, large brushes with 0% hardness and low opacity work best for this. - Save file as “Your Name - Logo.psd”

Layer Settngs. Layer Blending Mode - This is where it says “NORMAL” by default. A normal blending mode will not interact with the layers below it. Different blending modes have different effects, blending them with layers below. The “MULTIPLY” blending mode is also rather useful and can be used to add color to a layer below without having pixels erased. Opacity - At 100%, the layer is complete opaque and you cannot see through it. Adjusting this value will make the layer transparent, such that you see layers and pixels underneath.

Adjustments. Menu Bar > Image > Adjustments > Brightness/ Contrast or Hue/Saturation Contrast adjusts the intensity level between darks and lights in the image. Hue changes the overall color of the pixels. Saturation changes the vividness or dullness of the colors.

Copying Colors and Pixels. Eydropper - Click on any pixel to steal the color of the pixel as your active color. Or click and drag across pixels until you find the specific color you want. Clone Stamp – Allows you to paint with pixels from another part of the image. First, you must define an area by holding OPTION on the keyboard and clicking the area where you want to “steal” pixels from. Then, click and drag to paint with pixels from that area. *This tools has the same settings and options as the regular paintbrush. Cloning works best with a soft-edged brush (zero hardness). If the “Aligned” option is NOT checked, then each time you click to paint it will start again from the point where you defined the clone (OPTION-clicked). If “Aligned” IS checked, if you stop and then click to paint again, it will continue from where you left off.

Painting Brightness/Saturation. Burn - Darkens pixels based on their current colors. You can select to darken the highlights (light areas), shadows (dark areas) or midtones. For best results, combine all three. You can also set the Exposure (how strong the effect is) from 0% to 100%. The burn tool tends to work best with a soft-edged brush with low hardness. Dodge - Lightens pixels based on current colors. Everything else works exactly like the Burn tool. Sponge - Used to Saturate (make colors brighter) or Desaturate (make colors duller) specific pixels. You must select which mode you want to use. Like burn and dodge, typically you would use a soft-edged brush with low hardness for this tool.

Blending/Sharpening Pixels. Sharpen - Makes individual pixels more clear and pronounced. You can edit all brush settings, as well as the strength of the effect between 0% and 100%. This can be used to make subtle textures more evident. Blur - Gently blends pixels together. Basically the opposite of the Sharpen tool, and has the same settings. Using blur makes edges and textures less defined, almost like looking at an out-of-focus photograph. Smudge - The Smudge tool creates an effect similar to pulling your finger through wet paint. It will actually move pixels from one place to another as you click and drag. The strength setting on this tool is very important, because the effect can be extreme if it’s set too high.