Photoshop: Just a Quick Look ...

The objective of this exercise is to gain some familiarity with the basic interface of applications in the Adobe Creative Suite. Since Photoshop is the most familiar and intuitive application in the suite, we will use it for this introductory tutorial.

You will get an overview of several useful features. Among them are:

Experiment... Explore... Don't worry about perfection! You should have a satisfactory outcome in about 20 minutes.

STEPS:

  1. Copy an image from the web. *
  2. Choose FILE/New. OK. (The file size corresponds to your image size.)
  3. Paste the image.
    Note: If you "Open" rather than "Paste" an image, you must now UNLOCK the layer by double clicking the lock on the Layers Palette.

  4. Using the Elliptical marquee, drag a marquee selection around the area of the photo you want to keep.
  5. Choose SELECT/Modify/Feather.
  6. Choose SELECT/Inverse.
  7. Press DELETE. Then choose SELECT/Deselect.
  8. From the Layers Palette, click on the background layer. Then fill it with a color, such as black.
    (To fill, hold down the Gradient Tool and choose Paint Bucket. Then click anywhere on the image)
  9. Add an Custom Shape (such as the banner beneath the photo.)
    • Hold down the rectangle tool in order to choose Custom Shape. From the Control Palette, make sure the option is "Shape Layers".
    • Draw the shape.
    • Fill the foreground color if desired. (ALT-BACKSPACE)
  10. Use the Type tool to type text.

You DO NOT need to submit this. However, if you wish to save it, follow these steps:

  • Save the file as a Photoshop format in order to preserve the layers and to be able to manipulate.
  • Save again as a JPEG format in order to use it in various software programs.
image sample

 

* You will not be publishing this design. Therefore it does not violate copyright to use the picture for practice.