PHOTOSHOP

Photoshop is the worlds most popular IMAGE EDITING computer program.
Learn the Photoshop Hot Keys & improve your skills doing the tutorials.
Use Pixlr for web browser based image editing. 

TOOLS, OPTIONS, LAYERS

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HOTKEY SHORTCUTS

Learn these Photoshop Hot Key shortcuts & use them all the time.
NZQA 'skillful or efficient techniques'

Move tool - V
Use V to move images around

Marquee tool - M
Use M to select areas of your image to cut or copy 
Default shape is rectangular, Shift M for square shape
Option for elliptical shape, Shift M for circle shape ​

Lasso tool - L
Use L to select areas of an image to cut or copy.
​Start at one point then click around an image and 'close the loop' back to the first point. Try all 3 types of Lasso options

Magic Wand tool - W
​Use W to select areas of one colour of an image with one click. Try the Magic Wand or the Quick Selection tool option ​

​Crop tool - C
Use this tool to crop the size of your entire image. Be careful, this is not like the M tool.
If you make a mistake with this tool, Control Z will undo your mistake

Eye Drop tool - I
Use I to select any colour of an image. This will change the 'colour box' colour to the colour you select. This is handy if you want to use a brush to match a colour on your image

Brush tool - B
Use B to select a paint brush. There are hundreds of brush styles, click the Mode preset options of the top row task bar. Change brush size by clicking the [  ] bracket keys ​

Clone Stamp tool - S
​Use this tool to select an area of an image & copy it to another area of an image.
​Click S, then click Alt & left click your mouse over an area of your image to get a 'cross hair target', then paint over another area of the image. It will paint the colour of the cross hair. Make sure you use an appropriate size brush. If you make a mistake, Control Z will undo your mistake. Practice this tool on Task 4 tutorial below. ​

Eraser tool - E
Use E to select the eraser brush. Change the size of the brush with the [ ] bracket keys.
There are 3 eraser styles 'Brush, Block & Pencil', click the Mode preset options of the top row task bar. Try the 3 types of Eraser options, 'Eraser, Magic Eraser & Background Eraser'
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Gradient & Paint Bucket tool - G
Use G to paint areas of an image with one click using the Paint Bucket option. Also use G with the M or L tool to paint specific areas of an image. Select colours from the 'colour box'.
​Option is the Gradient tool to create colour gradient effects, click the Mode preset options of the top row task bar to create your own colourful gradient effects

Pen tool - P
Use P for the pen tool brush. There are 4 different types of pen.
​Try using this tool for the Photoshop Pro Tutorial 3 Fire Letter task ​

Text or Transform tool - T
Use T to add text to your image. Just click on tour image and start typing. You can cut/paste text from other documents into Photoshop. Use the text options of the top row task bar.
Control T will 'transform' the shape of what ever layer you have selected ​

Shape tool - U
Use U to select different shapes, especially the Custom Shape tools

Hand tool - H
Use H to move yourself around the image. Good if your zoomed into an image

Cut tool - Ctrl X
Use Ctrl X to cut part of an image you have selected. Use with M or L tools

Copy tool - Crtl C
Use Crtl C to copy part of an image. Good for copying Layers

Paste tool - Crtl V
Use Ctrl V to paste part of an image you have copied

Transform tool - Ctrl T
Use Ctrl T to transform the shape of an image. A 'transform box' will appear around your image (select the right layer!). Always drag from a corner to resize image & ALWAYS press 'shift' when resizing the image to keep the image in 'proportional scale'. If you make a mistake with this tool, Control Z will undo your mistake
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