Photoshop 03 – Image Editing Basics

Photoshop 03 – Image Editing Basics

July 31, 2023

Basic Selection Tools:

Marquee Tool: This tool allows you to make rectangular or elliptical selections.

- - To use it, select the Marquee tool from the toolbar (shortcut: M).
  - Click and drag on the image to create a selection.
  - To make a perfect square or circle, hold down the Shift key while dragging

Lasso Tool: This tool lets you draw freehand selections.

- Select the Lasso tool from the toolbar (shortcut: L).
- Click and hold to draw around the area you want to select.
- Release the mouse button to complete the selection.

Magic Wand Tool: The Magic Wand tool selects pixels based on their color similarity.

- Choose the Magic Wand tool from the toolbar (shortcut: W).
- Click on the area of the image you want to select. The tool will select adjacent pixels with similar colors.

Cropping and Resizing Images:

Cropping an Image:

- Select the Crop tool from the toolbar (shortcut: C).
- Click and drag to create a crop box around the area you want to keep.
- Adjust the size and position of the crop box as needed.
- Press Enter (or Return) to apply the crop.
  Resizing an Image:
  - Go to the “Image” menu at the top of the screen.
  - Select “Image Size” from the dropdown menu.
  - In the dialog box that appears, enter the new dimensions for your image.
  - Choose the desired unit of measurement (pixels, inches, etc.).
  - Make sure the “Constrain Proportions” option is checked to maintain the aspect ratio.
  - Click “OK” to resize the image.

3. Adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and Color Balance:

Brightness/Contrast Adjustment:

- Go to the “Image” menu and choose “Adjustments.”
- Select “Brightness/Contrast” from the submenu.
- In the dialog box, you’ll see sliders for adjusting brightness and contrast.
- Move the sliders to the left to decrease and to the right to increase brightness and contrast.
- Click “OK” when you’re satisfied with the changes.

Color Balance Adjustment:

- Again, go to the “Image” menu and choose “Adjustments.”
- Select “Color Balance” from the submenu.
- In the dialog box, you’ll see sliders for adjusting the balance of three primary colors: Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green, and Yellow/Blue.
- Move the sliders to add or reduce the presence of each color.
- Click “OK” when you’re happy with the color adjustments.

Remember to work on a duplicate layer or create adjustment layers when making changes to your image. This way, you can preserve the original image and make non-destructive edits. Also, remember to save your work in a format that supports layers (like PSD) if you want to keep the flexibility to re-edit later.