10 Top Photoshop Tips

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1. Hold down the Cmd/Ctrl key while at the same time clicking on a layer in Photoshop’s main image window to auto-select a layer.

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. To set a feather using the Lasso Tools press the Return/Enter key to highlight the Feather field in the Options palette and here you can enter or change the value.

6. To fill a layer or selection with the foreground colour, press Alt/Option Delete. To fill a layer or selection with the background colour, press Cmd/Ctrl Delete.

7. To change the brush size. Press the [ ] keys. If you hold the shift key down and press the [and ] keys, the brush gets softer and harder, respectively. (You can change the level up to five times).

8. If you want to quickly remove scratches or blemishes from a photo and your version of Photoshop doesn’t have the Spot Healing Brush, double click on the Blur Tool, and in the Blur Tool Options palette, lower the opacity to 15%, then change the mode to Lighten. When you paint over the scratches they will disappear!

9. Photoshop will draw straight lines for you. Using any of the brush tools, click, hold the Shift key and click again where you want your line to end. Photoshop will literally connect the dots. This can work with most any tool from erasers to even the highlight tool in the Extract filter.

10. Create a brand new picture from an existing layer by choosing Duplicate Layer in the Layers palette and changing the document setting to New.