Photoshop is by far the most popular and best photo editors on the market. For over 30 years, this tool has been a leader in innovation and creativity. With that being said, there are many tools, features, and settings within the editor. In the sections below, we are going to dive into some tips and tricks and tricks within Photoshop that you may not have known about or can help you enhance your skills!
Install Custom Brushes
Just because there are only so many brushes listed within photoshop, it does not mean that they are the only ones you can use. You can find brushes on the internet and install them into the editor by clicking on the gear icon and then selecting “import Brushes.” This can allow you to get more creative with your content, meet specific needs, and not limit yourself to only the pre-downloaded brushes.
Learn Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts will allow you to become more efficient when editing your images rather than having to search through the drop-down menus at the top of the page. This can significantly save you time after a new update comes out, and all of the tools and menu items are moved.
Adobe provides a fantastic list of Photoshop keyboard shortcuts that will help you start saving time and from constantly searching for the tool you are looking for in the menu.
Save Your Photoshop Files Correctly
Saving your Photoshop files correctly is essential for you to be able to go back in and make edits after it is saved. There is nothing more frustrating than wanting to go back and make a minor tweak to your image and then realizing that you saved it as a flattened jpg.
One helpful tip for this is to make sure that you save your projects as a PSD file. PSD files with the layers of your projects individually so that you can return to the project at any time and make the needed adjustments. With that in mind, because these images are not flattened, they will take up more room, so it is important to make sure that you have plenty of file space available.
Utilize Layer Masks
These are some of the most powerful tools you can use within Photoshop. These can help you hide any portion of a layer, and there is no limit to how many you can use. For example, if you are editing an image of a sunrise and you want to darken the color of the sun, you can select and edit that specific area by using a layer mask.
With the endless editing possibilities that layer masks have to offer, it is very important to make sure that these are a tool you become familiar with and practice using.
Utilize the Auto Color Tool
The Auto Color Tool is a great starting point for touching up images and provides you with a starting point by automatically enhancing the colors of the image. While this tool is not always spot on, it can certainly direct you in the right direction.
One of the hardest parts about using photoshop for beginners is learning how to think like a professional retoucher, and this tool can help guide you in that direction. While any other person may think a photo looks great, it could be missing a key color, or it could be too warm or cold for it to have its full effect and really pop.
Overall, Adobe Photoshop can come off as a very challenging tool to use, but it provides many benefits and tools to help you along the way. While the tips and tricks listed above can be very helpful and assist you in improving your skills and efficiency, they only scratch the surface of the all tips and tricks out there.
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