Learning Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is the leading image and photo editing software.

Adobe provides a series of online Photoshop tutorials, complete with instructions, videos, and small sample projects. These are good for beginners as well as users who need their skills refreshed. During your course, lab time may be provided during class to work on these tutorials with the instructor available for questions.

Recommended links for basic Photoshop understanding are listed below with estimated time required to complete each tutorial. All together, the lessons listed here add up to at least 4 hours of training.

A. Getting Started (100 minutes)

  1. Get to know Photoshop (20 minutes)
  2. Change the image size (17 minutes)
  3. Work with layers (20 minutes)
  4. Adjust the image quality (16 minutes)
  5. Make selections (14 minutes)
  6. Save photos in the best format for your needs (3 minutes)
  7. Align elements in your design (7 minutes)
  8. Organize your layers into groups (3 minutes)

B. More About Selections (40 minutes)

  1. What are selections and why do you need them? (5 minutes)
  2. Simple selection tools (5 minutes)
  3. Combine selections to get exactly the selection you want (5 minutes)
  4. Quickly select and change part of an image (5 minutes)
  5. Select separate areas with the Magic Wand tool (5 minutes)
  6. Select a subject with just one click (5 minutes)
  7. Clean up a selection in the Select and Mask workspace (5 minutes)
  8. Save and re-use a selection (5 minutes)

C. Layer Masking (30 minutes)

  1. Make your first layer mask (5 minutes)
  2. Use layer masks to combine images (5 minutes)
  3. Use layer masks with selections (5 minutes)
  4. Use layer masks to adjust parts of photos (5 minutes)
  5. Fine-tuning layer masks (5 minutes)
  6. Removing and replacing a background (5 minutes)

D. Photo editing and manipulation (40 minutes)

  1. Crop and straighten a photo to improve composition (5 minutes)
  2. Adjust the color tone and cast of a photo (5 minutes)
  3. Adjust brightness and contrast (5 minutes)
  4. Adjust color intensity and saturation (5 minutes)
  5. Sharpen photos (5 minutes)
  6. Adjust perspective (7 minutes)
  7. Add text and words to your picture (5 minutes)

E. Combining Photos into a Composite Image (45 minutes)

  1. Add photos into a composite (5 minutes)
  2. Making composites with layer masks (5 minutes)
  3. Combining images with smooth transitions (5 minutes)
  4. Using blend modes in composites (5 minutes)
  5. Matching colors in composited images (5 minutes)
  6. Add elements to a landscape (10 minutes)
  7. Add special effects to a scene (10 minutes)