Module 1: Getting Started
The Photoshop Workspace
Photoshop is the standard tool for editing photographs and creating image-based designs. It is also big and busy, and many beginners lose time searching for tools or panels that have disappeared. A clear understanding of the workspace, a few essential shortcuts and a tidy setup will make every later lesson easier and faster.
Opening and creating files
Use File > Open (Ctrl+O on Windows, Cmd+O on Mac) to open an existing photo. To start a new design, use File > New (Ctrl/Cmd+N). In the New Document dialog, set:
- Width and height in pixels for screens, or in millimetres or inches for print.
- Resolution: for print, 300 pixels per inch is a common standard; for screens the pixel dimensions matter, not the resolution number.
- Colour mode: RGB for almost all work, including photos for the web; your printer may later ask for CMYK conversion.
- Background contents: white, black or transparent.
The main areas of the screen
- Menu bar: all commands. If a panel goes missing, find it under the Window menu.
- Options bar: below the menus, showing settings for the current tool, such as brush size or selection mode. It changes with each tool.
- Toolbar: on the left. A small triangle on a tool icon means related tools are grouped underneath; click and hold or right-click to see them.
- Document window: your image, with tabs at the top when several files are open.
- Panels: on the right, such as Layers, Properties, Adjustments, Colour and History.
The Properties panel is context-sensitive. It shows settings for whatever layer or adjustment is selected and offers quick actions, such as removing a background or selecting a subject. Keep it open.
Essential tools and shortcuts
| Tool | Shortcut | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Move | V | Move layers and selections |
| Marquee | M | Rectangular and elliptical selections |
| Lasso | L | Freehand selections |
| Object Selection / Quick Selection | W | Fast selections of objects |
| Crop | C | Crop and straighten |
| Spot Healing / Healing | J | Remove blemishes |
| Brush | B | Paint, including on masks |
| Clone Stamp | S | Copy pixels from one area to another |
| Type | T | Add text |
| Hand / Zoom | H or hold Space / Z | Navigate |
Also learn: Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo (press repeatedly to step back further), Ctrl/Cmd+0 to fit the image on screen, Ctrl/Cmd+1 to view at 100 percent, Ctrl/Cmd+plus and minus to zoom, [ and ] to change brush size, D for default black and white colours and X to swap them. The History panel lets you jump back to earlier states in the current session.
A worked example: setting up for product photos
Imagine you edit product photos for a small online shop selling handmade leather sandals in Nairobi. You open the Layers, Properties, Adjustments and History panels and dock them on the right. Under Window > Workspace > New Workspace you save the layout as "Product Editing". Then you check Edit > Preferences > File Handling (Photoshop > Settings on Mac) and make sure automatic recovery saving is on, so a power cut does not cost you an hour of work. Finally you create a folder system: 01_Originals, 02_Working_PSD, 03_Exports. You never overwrite the originals.
File formats to know
- PSD: Photoshop's working format; keeps layers, masks and adjustments.
- JPG: compressed, for photos on the web and social media; no layers or transparency.
- PNG: supports transparency; good for graphics and cut-outs.
- TIFF: high-quality, often used for print.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Saving over the original photo as a JPG after editing. Keep originals untouched and save work as PSD.
- Not checking the Options bar, so a tool behaves unexpectedly because of an old setting.
- Judging sharpness when zoomed out. View at 100 percent to see real detail.
- Lost panels. Use Window > Workspace > Reset to restore your layout.
Exercise
Open one of your own photos and create a custom workspace with the Layers, Properties, Adjustments and History panels, then save it with a name. Set up a folder structure for originals, working files and exports. Practise zooming to fit and to 100 percent, changing brush size with the bracket keys, and stepping back through the History panel after a few edits.
Key points
- Set size, resolution, colour mode and background correctly when creating documents.
- The Options bar and Properties panel change depending on the tool and layer.
- Learn core shortcuts for tools, zoom, undo and brush size.
- Never overwrite originals; save working files as PSD.