10 Helpful Photoshop Timesavers
1) Auto-Select a Layer – Hold down the Cmd/Ctrl key and at the same time click on a layer in the main image window in Photoshop.
2) Remove Color – Removing all color from an image without going into grayscale mode simply press Shift Cmd/Ctrl U (‘Desaturate’) while still in RGB mode to make your image grayscale. Another option is to use the channel mixer which will actually create a better result. In this option, all you need to do is click on the Grayscale option.
3. Press Cmd/Ctrl J to copy a selection into its own layer. Press Shift Cmd/Ctrl J to cut and move a selection.
4. Press Ctrl/Cmd H to hide the ‘marching ants’ (selection marquee).
5) Feathering ” When setting a feather using the Lasso Tools, press the Return/Enter key. This will highlight the Feather field in the Options palette and you can enter or change the value.
6) Color Fill – Press Alt/Option Delete to fill a layer or area with the color in the forefront. To fill a layer or selection with the background color, press Cmd/Ctrl Delete.
7. Press the [ ] keys to change the brush size. By holding the shift key down and pressing the [and ] keys, the brush will get softer and harder, respectively. You can adjust the level up to five times.
Removing Scratches or Blemishes ” If your edition of Photoshop does not have the Spot Healing Brush, edit out blemishes or scratches from a photo by double clicking on the Blur Tool. Next in the Blur Tool Options palette, decrease the opacity to 15%, and then change the mode to Lighten. Now when you paint over scratches they will vanish.
9) Drawing With Brush Tools ” If you want to draw a straight line with one of the brush tools, click, hold the Shift key, and click again where you want the line to end. The Photoshop program will draw a straight line from point to point. These steps also work with most tools, including erasers and even the highlight tool in the Extract filter.
10. In the Layers palette, when you choose Duplicate Layer, you can change the document setting to ‘New’ to create a brand new picture from any layer.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.