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Introduction to Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Photo Editing
- Photo editing involves altering digital or analog images and illustrations.
- Adobe Photoshop CS6 is a software tool used to create, modify, and optimize digital photos and images.
- Photoshop CS6 was created by American brothers Thomas and John Knoll in 1987 and was initially named ImagePro.
- Adobe purchased Photoshop in 1988, and it was first released on February 19, 1990, exclusively for Macintosh computers.
- The default file format of Photoshop is the .psd file, which is a multi-layer document that retains full editing options when saved.
- Photoshop documents are composed of layers that can hold images, text, and vector graphics, which can be rearranged and grouped.
- Selections in Photoshop refer to regions in an image that will be affected by various tools and operations.
- Resolution in Photoshop refers to the number of pixels in a full-sized image, with high-resolution images containing more information than low-resolution ones.
- Color mode in Photoshop refers to the types of colors used in an image, with CMYK used for printed images and RGB for web images.
- Page size and orientation can be changed in Photoshop by typing in new values for width and height or selecting presets.
- The recommended resolution for printed images is 150-300, while for web images, it is 72.
- Palettes in Photoshop contain functions that help monitor and modify images, including the Color, Swatches, and Styles palettes.
Photoshop CS6 Basics: Key Settings and Features
- Change page size and orientation by typing in values for width and height, or select from common sizes in the Preset dropdown menu.
- Resolution determines the number of pixels on a printed image; higher resolution means better image quality but larger file size. Recommended resolutions are 150-300 for print and 72 for web images.
- Choose the appropriate color mode for your project, such as RGB for web graphics and CMYK for print images.
- Select white, color, or transparent background contents for your document.
- Open an image from a disk or computer by selecting File > Open and navigating to the file location; consider saving the image under a different name to preserve the original.
- The Menu bar at the top of the screen contains main functions such as File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, Analysis, 3D, View, Window, and Help.
- The Toolbar provides easy access to major tools.
- The image appears in its own window once opened, and the image name is displayed at the top.
- Palettes contain functions for monitoring and modifying images; default palettes include Color, Adjustments, and Layers. Use the Window menu to select additional palettes as needed.
- Layers let you organize and edit your work as individual units; every Photoshop CS6 document contains at least one layer. The Layers palette allows you to control how your artwork is printed, displayed, and edited.
- The Layers palette includes options for layer visibility, locking, blending mode, fill, opacity, linking, styles, masks, sets, and creating new fill or adjustment layers.
- To delete a layer, select it in the Layers palette and drag it to the trash can icon or click the icon.
Overview of Adobe Photoshop CS6 Toolbox
- Adobe Photoshop CS6 shares some tools with other Adobe products such as Illustrator and InDesign.
- New users should keep in mind that not all tools are necessary to use.
- Some tools in the toolbar have additional “hidden” tools that can be accessed by clicking and holding down on the tool with a gray triangle in the corner.
- The Marquee tool is used to select and move objects on the page by clicking the tool button and then clicking on the object.
- The Lasso tool selects an object by drawing a freehand border around it.
- The Magic Wand tool selects all objects in a document with the same or similar fill color, stroke weight, stroke color, opacity or blending mode.
- The Crop tool is used to resize the selected area by dragging the squares at the sides and corners, and then clicking the Return/Enter key.
- The Eye Dropper tool takes color samples from colors on the page and displays them in the Color Boxes.
- The Healing Brush tool corrects small blemishes in scanned photos by holding down the ALT key and left-clicking on the base color, then left-clicking over the blemish.
- The Paint Bucket tool applies a color fill to a selected part of the image or an entire layer.
- The Pen tool draws smooth-edged paths and the Line tool draws straight lines.
- Additional tools in the toolbox include the Hand tool for moving around within the image and the Magnify tool for magnifying or reducing the display of any area in the image window.
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Description
Test your knowledge of Adobe Photoshop CS6 and photo editing with this quiz! From file formats to color modes, layers to resolutions, this quiz covers the essential concepts and tools used in Photoshop. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced user, this quiz will challenge your understanding of the software and help you improve your photo editing skills. So, put your knowledge to the test and see how much you really know about Photoshop CS6!