We're not going to take a look at every single tool but we are going to look at almost every one of them.
While this overview will give you an idea of what each tool does, go find yourself a photo and start playing
around with them.
While this overview will give you an idea of what each tool does, go find yourself a photo and start playing
around with them.
Move Tool (Keyboard: V)
The move tool simply lets you move objects in a given layer around the Photoshop canvas. To use it, click
anywhere on the canvas and drag. As you drag, the Photoshop layer will move with your mouse.
anywhere on the canvas and drag. As you drag, the Photoshop layer will move with your mouse.
Marquee (Keyboard: M)
The marquee lets you select part of the canvas in a specific shape. By default you get a rectangular (or
perfect square if you hold down shift while selecting), but you can also select in the shape of an ellipse (or a
perfect circle if you hold down shift while selecting).
perfect square if you hold down shift while selecting), but you can also select in the shape of an ellipse (or a
perfect circle if you hold down shift while selecting).
Lasso (Keyboard: L)
The lasso is a free-form selection tool that lets you drag around the canvas and select anything the lasso'd
area covers. Within this tool you also have access to the polygonal lasso, which lets you create a selection by
clicking around on the canvas and creating points, and the magnetic lasso, which works the same as the
regular lasso but attempts to detect edges for you and automatically snap to them.
area covers. Within this tool you also have access to the polygonal lasso, which lets you create a selection by
clicking around on the canvas and creating points, and the magnetic lasso, which works the same as the
regular lasso but attempts to detect edges for you and automatically snap to them.
Magic Wand (Keyboard: W)
Clicking an area with the magic wand will tell Photoshop to select the spot you clicked on and anything
around it that's similar. This tool can be used as a crude way to remove backgrounds from photos.
around it that's similar. This tool can be used as a crude way to remove backgrounds from photos.
Crop Tool (Keyboard: C)
The crop tool is used to (surprise!) crop your pictures. You can specify the exact size and constrain the crop
tool to those proportions, or you can just crop to any size you please.
tool to those proportions, or you can just crop to any size you please.
Eyedropper (Keyboard: I)
The eyedropper tool lets you click on any part of the canvas and sample the color at that exact point. The
eyedropper will change your foreground color to whatever color it sampled from the canvas.
eyedropper will change your foreground color to whatever color it sampled from the canvas.
Healing Brush (Keyboard: J)
The healing brush lets you sample part of the photograph and use it to paint over another part. Once
you're finished, Photoshop will examine surrounding areas and try to blend what you painted in with the
rest of the picture.
you're finished, Photoshop will examine surrounding areas and try to blend what you painted in with the
rest of the picture.
Paintbrush and Pencil (Keyboard: B)
The paintbrush is a tool that emulates a paintbrush and the pencil is a tool that emulates a pencil. The
paintbrush, however, can be set to many different kinds of brushes. You can paint with standard
paintbrush and airbrush styles, or even paint with leaves and other shapes as well.
paintbrush, however, can be set to many different kinds of brushes. You can paint with standard
paintbrush and airbrush styles, or even paint with leaves and other shapes as well.
Clone Stamp (Keyboard: S)
Like the healing brush, the clone stamp lets you sample part of the photograph and use it to paint over
another part. With the clone stamp, however, that's it. Photoshop doesn't do anything beyond painting one
area over a new area.
another part. With the clone stamp, however, that's it. Photoshop doesn't do anything beyond painting one
area over a new area.
History Brush (Keyboard: Y)
The history brush lets you paint back in time. Photoshop keeps track of all the moves you make (well, 50 by
default) and the history brush lets you paint the past back into the current photo. Say you brightened up
the entire photo but you wanted to make a certain area look like it did before you brightened it, you can
take the history brush and paint that area to bring back the previous darkness.
default) and the history brush lets you paint the past back into the current photo. Say you brightened up
the entire photo but you wanted to make a certain area look like it did before you brightened it, you can
take the history brush and paint that area to bring back the previous darkness.
Eraser Tool (Keyboard: E)
The erase tool is almost identical to the paintbrush, except it erases instead of paints.
Paint Can and Gradient Tools (Keyboard: G)
The paint can tool lets you fill in a specific area with the current foreground color. The gradient tool will, by
default, create a gradient that blends the foreground and background tool (though you can load and
create preset gradients as well, some of which use than two colors).
default, create a gradient that blends the foreground and background tool (though you can load and
create preset gradients as well, some of which use than two colors).
Blur, Sharpen, and Smudge Tools (Keyboard: None)
All three of these tools act like paintbrushes, but each has a different impact on your picture. The blur tool
will blur the area where you paint, the sharpen tool will sharpen it, and the smudge tool will smudge the
area all around the canvas. The smudge tool is very useful in drawing for creating nicely blended colors or
for creating wisps and smoke that you can add to your photos.
Burn, Dodge, and Sponge Tools (Keyboard: O)
The burn, dodge, and sponge tools are paintbrush-like tools that manipulate light and color intensity. The
burn tool can make areas in your photo darker. The dodge tool can make them lighter. The sponge tool can
saturate or desaturate color in the area you paint with it. These are all very useful tools for photo touch
ups.
will blur the area where you paint, the sharpen tool will sharpen it, and the smudge tool will smudge the
area all around the canvas. The smudge tool is very useful in drawing for creating nicely blended colors or
for creating wisps and smoke that you can add to your photos.
Burn, Dodge, and Sponge Tools (Keyboard: O)
The burn, dodge, and sponge tools are paintbrush-like tools that manipulate light and color intensity. The
burn tool can make areas in your photo darker. The dodge tool can make them lighter. The sponge tool can
saturate or desaturate color in the area you paint with it. These are all very useful tools for photo touch
ups.
Pen Tool (Keyboard: P)
The pen tool is used for drawing vector graphics. It can also be used to create paths that can be used for
various things that we'll discuss in a later lesson (although if you watch the video you can see a type path
being created).
various things that we'll discuss in a later lesson (although if you watch the video you can see a type path
being created).
Type Tool (Keyboard: T)
The type tool lets you type horizontally. Tools hidden beneath the horizontal type tool will let you type
vertically and also create horizontal and vertical text masks.
vertically and also create horizontal and vertical text masks.
Path Tool (Keyboard: A)
The path tool lets you move any created paths around. It's like the move tool, but for paths.
Shape Tool (Keyboard: U)
The shape tool lets you create vector rectangles, rounded rectangles, circles, polygons, lines, and custom
shapes. These tools are very useful when designing or when creating shape masks for photos.
shapes. These tools are very useful when designing or when creating shape masks for photos.
3D Tools
These are the 3D tools. We're not going to be dealing with 3D stuff in these lessons so all you really need to
know is that these exist. If you're curious, this video will give you an idea of what these tools can do.
know is that these exist. If you're curious, this video will give you an idea of what these tools can do.
Hand Tool (Keyboard: H)
The hand tool allows you to click and drag around the Photoshop canvas. If the entire canvas currently fits
on the screen, this tool won't do anything. This tool is for easily navigating around when you're zoomed in,
or a picture is simple too big to fit on the screen at 100%.
on the screen, this tool won't do anything. This tool is for easily navigating around when you're zoomed in,
or a picture is simple too big to fit on the screen at 100%.
Zoom Tool (Keyboard: Z)
The zoom tool lets you zoom in and out of the Photoshop canvas by clicking on a given area. By default, the
zoom tool only zooms in. To zoom out, hold down the option key and use the zoom tool as you normally
would.
zoom tool only zooms in. To zoom out, hold down the option key and use the zoom tool as you normally
would.
Color Selection Tools (Keyboard: D for defaults, X to switch foreground and
background colors)
These tools let you manage the colors you're using. The color on top is the foreground color and the color in
back is the background color. The foreground color is what your brushes will use. The background color is
These tools let you manage the colors you're using. The color on top is the foreground color and the color in
back is the background color. The foreground color is what your brushes will use. The background color is
what will be used if you delete something from the background or extend it (although now, Photoshop CS5
will give you the option for using your foreground color instead in some circumstances). The two smaller
icons up top are shortcut functions. The left one, showing a black square on a white square, will set your
foreground and background colors to the defaults (Keyboard: D). The double-headed curved arrow will
swap your foreground and background color (Keyboard: X). Clicking on either the foreground or
background color will bring up a color picker so you can set them to precisely the color you want.
Palettes
Palettes are the things that you see sitting over on the right side of your screen. They make it easy for you to
navigate through your document, add adjustments, switch modes, and other things.
Layers
The layers palette lets you see all the layers in your document. As you start getting to know Photoshop,
you'll find yourself in this palette more than any other. It'll let you organize and arrange your layers, set
blending modes, set visibility and opacity of layers, group and merge layers, and a bunch of other neat
things we'll learn about in future lessons.
icons up top are shortcut functions. The left one, showing a black square on a white square, will set your
foreground and background colors to the defaults (Keyboard: D). The double-headed curved arrow will
swap your foreground and background color (Keyboard: X). Clicking on either the foreground or
background color will bring up a color picker so you can set them to precisely the color you want.
Palettes
Palettes are the things that you see sitting over on the right side of your screen. They make it easy for you to
navigate through your document, add adjustments, switch modes, and other things.
Layers
The layers palette lets you see all the layers in your document. As you start getting to know Photoshop,
you'll find yourself in this palette more than any other. It'll let you organize and arrange your layers, set
blending modes, set visibility and opacity of layers, group and merge layers, and a bunch of other neat
things we'll learn about in future lessons.
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