The Clipboard & Scrapbook

The analogy of using a clipboard and scrapbook to represent RAM memory and disk storage was unique to the Macintosh back in 1984 and, along with the graphical interface, revolutionized the concept of personal computing. Not only could you load applications that allowed you to perform specialized tasks, such as database, spreadsheet, painting, drawing, and word processing, but the clipboard enabled the user to move or copy information from one place in the document to another place in a couple of easy steps. It also gives the user the freedom to transfer information from two distinctly different formats, such as from a paint file into a word processing document. In 1984, this newly devised cross-format compatibility opened the floodgate to a whole new way of using computers.

One very important aspect of Photoshop is the ability to make a selection and then edit the contents of the selection. If you wanted to create a circle, for example, instead of using a pencil or pen tool or a brush, you could instead select pixels in the form of a circle, and then paint or fill them with color.

We'll discuss the Photoshop tools hands-on, while learning how they work.

The Tools - overview

To choose a tool:

  1. Click on it
  2. Move the cursor to the image area
  3. Click, or click and drag

One terrific thing about Photoshop (and any well-written computer software) is that it establishes a pattern of behavior, and then repeats the pattern so that the user can "intuitively" anticipate how the software will respond.

For example, clicking on the paintbrush, displays the palette that contains a variety of "options" resulting in unique behaviors for the paintbrush. The options palette, which is located just under the menu bar, allows the user customize the tool's behavior. Once we've learned how to call up the options for the paintbrush, we can assume that clicking on the pencil, for example, should bring up the options palette for the pencil, allowing you to customize its behavior.

The tool palette is divided into discrete sections, grouping tools that have related functions. If a tool displays a small "arrow" in the lower right corner of the tool, clicking and holding down on the tool will pop up an additional tool or tools with similar or related functions. Grouping tools in this manner significantly reduces the size of the tool palette, keeping its appearance neat.

We'll be examining the uses and behaviors of Photoshop's tools and features more closely as we use them in projects and exercises.

GET TOOLS overview. This pdf file summarize calls out each of the tools and summarizes their behavior.

 

This Palette shows tabs for each of the palettes docked here. Click on the tab that indicates the name of the palette you want to display.

Shows the process of reorganizing the palette positions, by dragging the "navigator" up to dock it along with the brushes. Notice the "gray outline" that follows the navigator palette into its new position. When the body of the brushes palette assumes a bold outline, it is "in position" and you can release the mouse button.

The Palettes - overview

"Be fruitful and multiply," takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to Photoshop palettes--they sure are plentiful, and become more so with each new version of the program, or maybe it's just my imagination.

Consider, for a moment, that the "Options" bar at the top of the screen is context sensitive. That means that its content changes depending on which tool it is describing.

Access the options for any tool by clicking on that tool and watch the options palette at the top of the screen update.

The options used to be contained in a palette, prior toPhotoshop 6.0.

The remainder of Photoshop's palettes can be opened using the "Window" menu. Notice that the tools are also considered a palette.

By default, Photoshop "docks" palettes together in groups, which are indicated in the window menu by the gray divisions in the window menu. Color, brushes, and swatches each appear as "tabs," like the tabs on manila folders. You can switch palettes by clicking on any one of the tabs.

If you would prefer to have two or more of the palettes showing at once, click on the tab of the palette you want to display and "tear it off" by dragging the tab away from the palette. If you want to change the positions of the palettes, so that they are docked in a custom manner, you can do that, as well. Drag the "tab" of an open palette over the palette you want to dock it to. Release when you see a bold outline appear around the body of the palette, and you should now have your own, custom docking station.

To separate grouped palettes, drag the tab of the palette away from the group and release the mouse button.

 

View your file

Probably one of the most overlooked controls by novices using Photoshop is customizing the way in which your files are viewed. Photoshop offers three different viewing options and calls these the "screen modes." You can change the screen viewing mode by pressing the letter "F" on the keyboard. This works with or without the caps lock key depressed, and toggles between the three viewing modes. Just keep pressing "F" to get to the most comfortable view.

If you prefer, you can click on the icons at the bottom of the tool palette to change your screen viewing mode. From left to right is the "standard screen mode," "full screen mode with menu," and "full screen mode."

To view your image on a black background with nothing else in the way, press the "full screen mode" button on the tool palette, and then press the "tab" key on the keyboard to toggle the tools and palettes off. Pressing the tab key again will toggle the tools and palettes back on. The "tab" toggle is a handy feature and works in the entire Adobe product line.

 

Magnification and Navigation

The Magnifying Glass, located at the bottom of the tool palette, allows you to click on the image to make it larger. Hold down the option key to change the "plus" inside the magnifying glass to a "minus" and click to reduce the size of the image. Click and drag with the magnifying glass to fill the screen with the "selected" area.

Command "+" and Command "-" are shortcuts for increasing and decreasing image size.

The hand tool is one way to move the image around within a window. Click on the tool to choose it, move the cursor to the image area, then click and drag.

A new computer user can quickly pick up speed and facility by learning to perform certain types of operations without using only key commands. Learn to use both your hands and reduce the number of mouse clicks by switching tools without using the mouse to choose them in the toolbox. Instead, trying switching using key commands.

If you see a piano player sit down to play a tune with one hand, that's a pretty good sign that they are a beginner and haven't had piano lessons. Learning to coordinate both hands is key to piano playing, typing and using a computer. It is important to be able to coordinate your hands on the keyboard and the mouse, as well.

My favorite way of getting around an image, when the image is bigger than the window, is to use the hand tool. I am usually already working with a different tool, like the rubber stamp or pen tool, when I notice I've run out of real estate. That's where a temporary, quick switch to the keyboard shortcut for the hand tool is helpful.

Listed below are some of the ways to get around the image:

  1. Press the spacebar with your free hand (the one that isn't using the mouse), and the tool you are using will automatically change to the hand tool. Click and drag, to move the window with the hand. (This doesn't work if your current tool is the "text" tool.
  2. The magnifying glass is a great way to kill two birds with one stone (what a barbaric expression). Press command and spacebar to automatically change your current tool to the magnifying glass. Click and drag to create a rectangular "marquee selection," and the window will fill with the selected area.
  3. The Navigator Palette provides an optional method of moving around within the image and combines scaling along with navigation. The best way to understand the navigator is to experiment with it. The slider controls the scaling of the image, while moving the red square within the Navigator Palette moves the image around in the window.

Sometimes the magnifying glass and the menus don't get your image to the magnification you want. If that's the case, try changing the scaling factor in the bottom left corner of the window. Type in any percentage you want.

Menu items that are "grayed out"are not available for selection.

The Menus

Like all software applications, Photoshop has its own, unique set of menu commands. Adobe has done a great job with the logical arrangement of the menus. The Window Menu, contains all of the palettes and open documents. Pull down to any of the palettes, release and that palette is opened. Open as many Photoshop documents as RAM will allow, and switch between documents using the Window Menu.

View Menu

The View Menu groups together the various options that regulate the way in which the user views the current Photoshop document.

New View - allows you to create a second window for the same document. You can set different screen sizesÉone can fit to window for an overview, and the other can be zoomed in to a specific area. Then, if you edit on the close up, you can see the two views side by side for easier evaluation.

Preview - You will probably want to use this if you plan to have your color image printed on a printing press. We usually begin working on a color image in the RGB mode. Scanners scan in RGB. If you are getting files over the internet they are probably RGB images, which are smaller than a CMYK image. Preview allows you to "test run" the color shift that occurs when you convert from RGB to CMYK by changing the only display to CMYK, without changing the file, itself.

Gamut Warning - another handy device that shows which areas of your image fall outside of the CMYK printing gamut. Use the sponge tool with its various options to gently desaturate the "silver" areas.

The next section of menu items all have to do with the magnification of the image on the screen.

Zoom In - Increases image size in window

Zoom Out - Decreases image size in window

Fit on Screen - increases or decreases image to fit it in the window

Actual Pixels - viewing an image at anything but actual pixels may create distortions in the pixels in its attempt to approximate the image. Actual pixels is the only view that shows the image at the 100% zoom ratio with no distortions.

Print Size - the purpose of this is to be able to look at the screen and see the size your image will print. It uses 72Êdpi monitor resolution as the basis for establishing the print size, but since not all monitors are 72Êdpi, print size is not always accurate.

ShowÊ/ÊHide Rulers - Use this to get at actual size to get a better idea of the size your image will print. You can also use this to measure parts of the image. The horizontal and vertical rulers meet in the top, left corner of the window. Click on the crosshair at the junction and drag the crosshair to any location to change the "zero point," the place where the ruler measurement begins to measure elements within an image.

HideÊ/ÊShow Edges - hides or shows the edges of a selection

HideÊ/ÊShow Path - hides or shows path

HideÊ/ÊShow Guides - hides or shows guides

Snap To Guides - lets you move layers and selections to line up precisely with the guides. "Snap ToÉ" acts like a magnet and attracts selections and layers that are near enough.

Show Grid - build grids to aid alignment

Snap To Grid - lets you move layers and selections to line up precisely with the grid. "Snap ToÉ" acts like a magnet and attracts selections and layers that are near enough.

FILTERS

The filter menu - the best way to learn the effect each of the filters has on a given image is to select a small area of the image and experiment. Each filter contains a set of instructions that alters the selected pixels, or if no pixels are selected, the entire image of the target layer.

The exercises in these notes will review some of the more commonly used filters.

SELECT

The select menu - contains a number of different ways to alter the selection area.

LAYERS

The layer menu - everything that is in the layer palette is in the layer menu, plus more. The menus here, as elsewhere, are divided into sections, grouping instructions based on similar relationships. For example, objects that will have effects applied to them can be put on a discreet layer, and then have the effect applied to that layer.

Effects are shown below in the Layer Menu.

IMAGE, EDIT, and FILE MENUS

The preferences are found under the File menu. Every program has its own unique set of menus and preferences. Rather than review them in cookbook fashion, I will be discussing them as needed as you work on a series of exercises designed to help you learn the distinct features and capabilities of Photoshop.

Selection Tools and techniques

Deciding the most effective approach to editing an image and then determining which pixels need to be changed challenges beginners and experienced Photoshop users, alike. We'll be exploring various selection techniques in upcoming exercises. The art in making selections is deciding which of the various tools and techniques to use when creating a selection. The purpose of a selection is to call out specific pixels so that you can edit them without affecting the surrounding pixels.

We also call a selection a mask, because all but the selected pixels are protected, or "masked." A selection may also be referred to as a channel, for once the selection is saved, it is stored in a channel so it can be called up for future use.

Figure 9-24 shows the first in a grouping of tools that have related functions. Notice that the marquee and lasso selection tools both display a tiny arrow in the button's lower right corner. Try clicking and holding the button down to display other, similar tools residing in a popup toolset.

MARQUEE SET

Rectangle - Click and drag on desired layer to select pixels bounded by a rectangle.

Ellipse - Click and drag on desired layer to select pixels bounded by a ellipse.

Row - Click to select a horizontal row of single pixels

Column - Click to select a vertical column of single pixels

Cropping tool - Crop your image to any dimension, or double click on the tool to set a specific width, height and resolution. The tool will constrain to the specified dimensions and the image will be resampled to the new resolution.

Lasso set Lasso - Click and drag to make a freehand or irregularly shaped selection

Polygon - Click to create anchor points for straight sided selections. To complete selection, click on the starting point of the polygon. Hold down the option key and drag to switch to a curved section and release to continue drawing straight sides.

Magnetic lasso - Works best with high contrast images where the foreground and background are distinctly separated. Click to being selection, then move (don't drag) cursor around edge and it will shrink to the foreground image. Click on starting point to complete selection.

Magic Wand - The Magic Wand makes selections based on the value of the pixel you click on.

Tolerance - Determines the range of pixels selected. The default, 32, selects 16 above and 16 below the pixel you click on. Values between 0 and 255 are acceptable.

Anti-aliased - Softens the edge of the selection and feathers to transparency created the illusion of a blend with the layer or background behind.

Contiguous - Selects adjacent pixels that fall within the tolerance range.

Use All Layers - Selects pixels based on tolerance settings through all the visible layers in a document.

SELECTIONS - What Now?

Once you have made a selection, you have the option to refine it or modify it before you edit the pixels contained within the selection. If your first try doesn't result in the perfect selection, you can always deselect and start over É Select MenuÊ>ÊNone, or press Command D.

Deselecting isn't always the best way to go, especially if the selection was a difficult one. Instead, just try modifying the existing selection. It's pretty easy to accidentally lose a selection by clicking outside of the selection, so in order to safeguard against accidental loss, you can undo, or open the history palette and back up to the level where the selection was made.

You always have the ability to save a selection by going to: SelectÊ>ÊSave Selection. Take a good look at the Select Menu, which is essentially, a list of ways you can modify which pixels are selected. Think if it as, "Things you can do to a selection." The menu displays keyboard equivalents on the right hand side, which are an alternative to using the mouse and menu.

All - Selects all pixels on the target layer, including the transparent pixels. Command-click the layer name on the layer palette to select everything but the transparent pixels. Or select all, choose the move tool, and then use an arrow key on the keyboard to nudge the selection and the marquee will shrink to the filled pixels.

Deselect - Removes active selection

Reselect - An "undo" command for Deselect

Inverse - Selects the opposite of the actively selected pixels

Color Range - Select pixels based on colors in the image, preset colors, luminosity or colors that are out of gamut.

Feather - Modifies the edges of the selections in order to create a gradual blend to transparency

Modify - Contains additional options to create a soft border around a selection, smooth, expand or contract a selection

Grow - Increases the range of the selection based on the current tolerance setting in the magic wand options

Similar - Selects other, non-contiguous areas of similar color on the target layer

Transform Selection - Places transformation handles on the selection so you can perform scaling, rotation and move operations without affecting the contents of the selection

Move the selection marquee

Once you've made a selection, you can move the selection marquee to a new location in the image window by placing the cursor over the selection, clicking and dragging.

 

 

Move the contents of the selection

You can move the contents of the selection by choosing the move tool, moving the cursor over the active selection, then click and drag to a new location in the image window.

Move entire layer

If the move icon appears like the one above, it indicates that the move tool is not going to act on a selection, or the contents of a selection, but on all of the pixels on the layer. This technique comes in handy for collaging images. When two files are open side by side, you can drag the active target layer from one file to another, which, in effect, copies the layer from one file to a new layer on the second file.

 

Transform selection

Once you have made a selection, you can change the size and orientation of the selection marquee. Drag on a corner point to scale both horizontal and vertical axes, drag a center handle on the perimeter to scale in a single orientation. Click and drag inside the boundaries to move, or click outside a corner handle to perform a free rotate.

 

Add to or subtract from selection

You can add to, or subtract from an existing selection by using the shift key to add, or the option key to subtract from an existing selection. Choose the appropriate selection tool and hold down the shift key, click and drag to add to the selection area. To subtract, choose the appropriate selection tool, hold down the option key, then click and drag. When you release the mouse button, the selection area will be adjusted.