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Graphic LESSON 3
Design INTRODUCTION TO ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

summarynotes
The Diploma in Graphic Design Toolkit For further questions visit us online at:
www.shawacademy.com
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 S Lesson 3

WE BEGIN WITH THE

“ WHAT IS” OF GR APHIC
1.01 What Is Photoshop 2
DE SIGN AND HOW
GR APHIC DE SIGN IS ALL
ABOUT VISUALLY COM-
1.02 Tools & Shortcuts 4
MUNIC ATING AN IDE A ,
THOUGHT, ME SSAGE OR
ME ANING BY COMBINING
1.03 Photoshop Tools 6
SYMBOL S, IM AGE S AND/
OR WORDS. WE AL SO
GIVE AN OVERVIE W OF
1.04 Layer Styles 8
THE “HOLY TRINIT Y ”
OF GR APHIC DE SIGN
APPLIC ATIONS -

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP,
ILLUS TR ATOR &
INDE SIGN AND HOW
DE SIGNER S BE S T USE
THE SE TOOL S.
S Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

“While
daunting at
first,
Photoshop is
surprisingly
easy to
get to grips
with”
 S Introduction to Adobe Photoshop

Graphic Design is Photoshop is a widely held image editing software

“the art or program, which is a product of Adobe Systems
profession of visual Incorporated. It is a graphic design tool, color
communication that painting program, image editing and a photo
combines images, retouching tool.
words and ideas to It is like a digital dark room, which can be viewed
convey information as a creative editor, a scanning package and
to an audience” translator of different characteristics.
It does manipulate your original artwork, slides
and scanned images. However, Photoshop is not
Design must an internet tool, a drawing package, a web page
development tool, a movie making program or a
be interpreted slide forming package.
the same way
by everyone Photoshop is a Raster Graphics (pixel-based)
to function. editing tool. It can create images in multiple Layers.

Photoshop files have default file extension as .PSD,

which stands for “Photoshop Document.”
 S Photoshop Tools & Shortcuts

The Tool Bar (or Tool Panel) is located by

default on the left hand side of the work
area. It contains mouse based tools that
are used for editing and navigating in
Photoshop. Most of the tool icons have
a small black down-pointing arrowhead
in the bottom corner. This indicates that
there are more tools that can be accessed
bly clicking and holding down the mouse
button. Once the extended tools have
appeared, you may release the mouse
button and the tools will remain.
S Photoshop Tools & Shortcuts
S Photoshop

Menu Bar
The menu bar contains all of the basic options of a
Photoshop workspace. It contains the files bar, which is
used to open and save photos. Other than the file menu,
the menu bar contains the image and filter menus. Image
menu is used to resize the current image and alter its
settings. Whereas, the filter menu is used to add various
inbuilt filters.

Control Panel
Control panel is used to alter all of the settings of the
selected tool. For instance, if you want to change the size
of the selected brush, you can change it using the control
panel.
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1.03
Photoshop Tools

The tools that you will be using very often are the basic tools, which include but are not
limited to the following:

Move Tool (V): It allows you to move things around the canvas. You can activate this tool by clicking and
dragging at any point on the canvas.

Lasso Tool (L): Allows you to drag as well as select items within the Lasso area. It also provides you access
to polygonal lasso.

Marquee Tool (M): This tool allows you to choose a particular section of the canvas in a particular shape.

Magic Wand Tool (W): This tool allows you to select a specific spot as well as anything in the proximity of
the spot.

Eyedropper Tool (I): This tool allows you to sample color at a specific point on the canvas that you click.

Crop Tool (C): This tool works in a similar way as other cropping tools, since it allows you to resize your
image accordingly.

Healing Brush Tool (J): This tool allows you to sample a section of your image as well as use that section to
paint over a different section. Usually Photoshop will go ahead and attempt to blend the painted section
with the rest of the image.

Clone Stamp Tool (S): This tool allows you to sample a section and paint it over a new section, but with no
extra effects as it is with healing brush tool.

Paintbrush and Pencil Tool (B): This tool is in two parts; the first part emulates a paintbrush while the
second part emulates a pencil. There are various paintbrushes that you can use, including airbrush and
standard paintbrushes.

History Brush Tool (Y): This tool allows you to paint back in time. What happens is that Photoshop tracks 50
of your past moves, which you can paint in your present photo.

Paint Can Tool (G): This tool allows you to fill in a particular section with the existing foreground color.
S Photoshop Tools

Gradient Tool (G): This tool lets you generate a gradient that allows you to blend the background and
the foreground.

Eraser Tool (E): This tool functions in the same manner as the paintbrush, but it does not paint,
instead it erases.

Smudge, Sharpen and Blur Tools: These tools function like paintbrushes; however, the individual tools
have unrelated effects on your image.

Pen Tool (P): This tool allows you to generate vector graphics and it also allows you to generate paths.

Path Tool (A): This tool allows you to move around any generated paths, it resembles the Move Tool
functionality.

Type Tool (T): This tool allows you to type content horizontally. You can type vertically by using the
tools hidden below the horizontal type tool. You can also use the hidden tools to generate vertical and
horizontal text masks.

Shape Tool (U): This tool allows you to generate custom shapes, lines, polygons, circles, rounded
rectangles, and vector rectangles. These tools are highly resourceful when crafting shape masks.

Hand Tool (H): This tool lets you click as well as drag within the canvas conveniently. However, the tool
is inactive when the canvas’ resolution is the same as that of the screen.

3D Tools: What these tools do is tap the control of your graphics card in order to provide you with un-
believably fast performance.

Zoom Tool (Z): This tool allows you to zoom out as well as in of the canvas, all you have to do is click
on a particular section. Usually, this tool will allow you to zoom in, but you can zoom out by holding
down the option key along with the zoom tool.

Sponge, Dodge and Burn Tools: What the sponge tool does is saturate/de-saturates color; what the
dodge tool does is lighten up sections of your image; and what the burn tool does is darken parts of
your image.

Color Selection Tools (D & X): These tools allow you to regulate the colors that are in use.
S Photoshop Tools

1.04
Photoshop Layer Styles

You can enhance a layer by adding a shadow, stroke, satin sheen, or

other special effect from a collection of automated and editable layer
styles. These styles are easy to apply, and they link directly to the
layer you specify.

Like layers, layer styles can be hidden by clicking eye icons in the Layers
panel. Layer styles are non-destructive, so you can edit or remove them
at any time. You can apply a copy of a layer style to a different layer by
dragging the effect onto the destination layer.

You can apply a layer style to a layer by double-click-

ing the layer, going to “Layer-Layer Style” in the Main
Menu, or clicking the FX icon in the layers panel.

Drop Shadow - Adds a shadow that falls behind the contents on the
layer.

Inner Shadow - Adds a shadow that falls just inside the edges of the
layer’s content, giving the layer a recessed appearance.

Outer Glow and Inner Glow - Add glows that emanate from the outside
or inside edges of the layer’s content.

Bevel and Emboss - Add various combinations of highlights and

shadows to a layer.

Satin - Applies interior shading that creates a satiny finish.

Color, Gradient, and Pattern Overlay - Fills the layer’s content with a
color, gradient, or pattern.

Stroke - Outlines the object on the current layer using color, a gradient,
or a pattern. It is particularly useful on hard-edged shapes such as type.
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