How to Use Photoshop CS
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most powerful tools available today for people who work in photography, image enhancement and graphic design. Virtually endless possibilities are available for creating and manipulating art with the software, but before you can maximize your artistic potential with Photoshop, learn a few basics to get started.
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Instructions
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Open Adobe Photoshop and select the "File" option from the control menu. Select "New" from the File menu to create a blank canvass. Select a custom size for your canvass, or select one of the pre-existing sizes offered by Photoshop. Alternately, you can select "Open" to locate and open an existing image file to work with.
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Familiarize yourself with the tool panel. It may seem intimidating with all the tools and options, but knowing which tools to use and when becomes easier with each use. The tool panel is off to the left of your canvas. You will find most of the tools you will need to manipulate your images here. A few of the most commonly used tools to begin using are the "Move Tool," which is used to move and transform an image or object on your canvass, the "Marquee Tool," which is used to select an area to apply a given tool or effect, the "Brush Tool," which is used to apply color or patterns to your canvass and the "Pen Tool," which is used to draw specific selection paths for cropping or changing. Hovering your cursor over each tool will present a small box that gives you the tool's name.
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Familiarize yourself with the window options panels to the right of your canvass. These panels are used to control the details of how the tools will work and how your entire image is organized. Some of the most important window panels are the "Layers" panel, which is used to control and create each layer so you can apply tools and effects separately to each element of your image, and the "Color" and "Swatches" panels, from which you can select the color of a fill or brush to be applied to your canvas. Many window panels do not automatically show in Photoshop, but every one that is available is listed under the "Window" part of the control menu.
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Double-click on your background layer in the "Layers" panel and click "OK" in the dialogue box to unlock the layer. Now you can use your tools to add color and effects to the canvas or image.
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Experiment with the different tools and window panel settings. An easy way to start is to select the "Brush Tool" and draw a quick doodle on the canvas. Select the size and type of the brush in the control panel above the canvas. Select a color for the brush in the "Color" panel to the right.
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Select "Filter" from the control menu and select one of the many filters and effects Photoshop can apply to your image. A Gaussian Blur effect will soften your image and give it a ghost-like effect or make your doodle look like it was done in colored pencil. The combinations of filters and settings mean you can make your image look just about any way you like.
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Click File > Open and select a photograph from your computer if you have any. Double-click on the layers panel and select "OK" to unlock the image and experiment with the filters. Make a photograph look neon or blur everything. Trying new things is the best way to learn Photoshop. If you do not like what you have created, you can always remove it with Edit > Undo.
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Click File > Save As to name your file and save it.
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Tips & Warnings
Certain tools in Photoshop are better for graphic design and certain ones are used more often for photo enhancement. Experiment with the settings for each tool to find your favorite image effects.
