Elementary PhotoShop

Browsing, Viewing, Cropping, Adjusting Levels

 

PhotoShop is a very powerful image editing program from Adobe.  It’s used by professionals all the time.

 

Below are some of the really basic things in PhotoShop that anyone in the Yearbook class should be able to do.

Browsing Files to Open, Rename or Delete

Just go to the File, Open dialog box.  You can filter for a file type like JPEG, or select from all files.  Navigate to the drive and folder you want.  If you click the Thumbnails View as shown below, it’s a good way to browse.

 

You can rename by clicking on the filename and typing the new name, or delete by pressing the Delete key.

Double-click to open.

Seeing the Whole picture in the Editing Window

Maximize the window.  Use the scroll wheel to zoom in/out.

Cropping  (keeping the part you want) : 

 
  1. Use the Cropping Tool (highlighted below) to draw an initial rectangle around the part you want.  Take out busy or boring backgrounds; leave the part that makes the picture “say something”.
  2. Adjust the cropping rectangle with the handles.
  3. Press Enter and the picture is cropped.

 

 

Save using the same filename if you don’t think anyone would want the cropped parts, or a new descriptive name like Flying crutches

Adjusting Brightness, Contrast with “Levels”

Image before – too flat, dull

After adjusting levels - sharper

After too much adjustment!!!

 

These will rescue a lot of otherwise dull pictures, but don’t overdo it.  Brightened pictures lose detail in areas that are already bright, like the skin & sky above.  Choose Enhance, Brightness/Contrast, then Levels,  or just press Ctrl-L.   Play with the 3 central sliders, carefully.

You can also just try Auto-Levels (Ctrl-Shift-L).  This often does a good job, but not always.  Watch for weird colour shifts!

Click here for more details on Level Adjustment

 

Saving

Usually you can just click the disk icon to save under the same name.  If you want to keep the original, change the filename.

 

There LOTS MORE ON PHOTOSHOP here – make sure you can expertly use all these handy techniques!