1. Keep it simple and take your time
When everyone starts out on Photoshop the program can seem quite overwhelming especially when you see all the amazing pieces of art people create using it. However, when you start keep your aspirations simple, watch some videos on what you want to achieve to help you, including the ones on the In Detail Design site or the YouTube channel. Start by learning the basics which I cover in my recent video on the site then do something small like cutting around a shape and taking it out of the background just get yourself familiar with a tool and how layers work.
2. Learn your keyboard shortcuts
Learning even some of the most basic keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase the efficiency of your work on Photoshop and make it more of an enjoyable experience.
Some of key ones you should learn:
Ctrl/Cmd + (C or V) – Copy and Paste
After you’ve made a selection with one of the selection tools use the Ctrl + C shortcut or Cmd + C on Mac and it will copy the selection to your clipboard. This will allow to paste it on another layer or project using the Ctrl/Cmd + V shortcut to paste it.
Ctrl/Cmd + D – Deselection
It may seem like a shortcut you won’t use that often but believe me when I say there’s a lot of selecting in Photoshop and the number of times you select something you don’t need to will quickly rack up. Using Ctrl/Cmd + D will deselect your current selection and save you a lot of time.
Ctrl/Cmd + Z and Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + Z – Undo and Step back
Everyone makes mistakes on Photoshop even the very best professionals. This is probably the most used shortcut and is one you must learn. The Ctrl/Cmd + Z shortcut will undo what you just did while Ctrl/Cmd +Alt + Z will take you a step back, which can be useful if you made multiple changes to a project and decided you didn’t like them.
Ctrl/Cmd + T – Resizing
Resizing an image in a project will probably occur in every project you work on. Clicking Ctrl/Cmd + T on your keyboard will select the image with ability to resize and rotate the image. Also if you hold shift while resizing the image it wont effect the aspect ratio of the image.
3. Make sure you’re editing on the correct layer
When you’re in the zone and editing away, it can be really easy to spend thirty minutes editing on the wrong layer, effectively merging your new work with the work already on the layer. You can undo the work you just did to save the layer you already had but all the work you’ve just done is wasted. Additionally, if you want to edit a layer that has work on it but you’re not sure if it’s going to come out right do the work on a new layer to ensure that you don’t ruin the work you’ve already done.
4. Follow Tutorials
As mentioned at the start following tutorials can be the most useful thing you can do when learning photoshop, I use them from time to time. It’s one of the best ways to learn, you can either watch one of the videos on the site or watch one from another creator, just type in whatever you’re trying to do on Google and the chances are someone has made a video on it. Even if you have an idea of what you want to do, having someone explain it to you step by step can be extremely helpful when it comes to understanding a subject, so if you’re ever stuck give video tutorials a go.
5. Save Your Work!
Finally, the most important tip of all, save your work. A power cut or your computer crashing can be the difference between a completed piece of work and a piece of work that’s just been started. Save your work regularly and save them in drafts so you can revert to previous pieces if needed. You should also aim to organise your work as best as possible because when you want come back to a piece of work a year after you have completed it, it can be near impossible to find the original piece amongst all your other files if they aren’t organised properly.
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