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[A.M]

Want to make your own banner? What about a support bar? Opening Photoshop and not too sure where to start?

I'm hoping this will clear up some things and make Photoshop easier to use. (Photoshop 7)
I know some people can find it challenging and I'm not going to lie; it is a hard program to use in the beginning. =o=" (I have no idea what some of the things do, either...)
But I'm going to try breaking down some things, and hopefully make it seem more comfortable and easy to use. I've put several pictures in, as well.

• 1. The Workspace - basic overview
• >> 1.2. The Tool Window - tools and modes or options that you might/might not want to consider learning, rasterizing
• >> 1.3. The Navigator - Zooming in and out, moving around
• >> 1.4. The color Window - Making new swatches, deleting, renaming
• >> 1.5. The Layer Window - folders, locking, linking...etc.

1. The Workspace:

Spoiler:

When you first start up Photoshop, it should look something like this:

Spoiler:

To the left is the tool window. To the right (from top to bottom) is the navigator, color, history, and layer windows.
You can move the windows around, change what's shown, and resize most of them to your liking.
*Everyone has their preferences, but removing the "History" window and changing the "color" window's tab to "Swatches" is probably a good idea.

>>1.2. The Tool Window:

Spoiler:

I highlighted in blue the tools that I think you might want to consider knowing how to use:

Spoiler:

(Tools with little triangles at the bottom-right have extension forms, accessible by right-clicking on its icon)

1 = Marquee Tool (M) - This lets you make selections and apply various changes to or within your selection. It has extensions; default is the Rectangular Marquee.
Its options: For RMing, don't worry about the options and stuff that show up at the top, for now. You don't really need the right-click extension tools, either. All I think you should just know how to use is the Rectangular Marquee; or combining it with things like the paintbrush tool.

2 = Move Tool (V) - This lets you move things around; you can move part of a selection or move what is on your layers.
Its options: You can ignore the 1st check box. The 2nd box at the top though gives you a small, dotted guide around what is on a layer, so it can be handy.

3 = Lasso Tool (L) - This is exactly like the rectangular marquee, except you can draw it out instead. Use a mouse/ tablet, and hold down while drawing.

4 = Brush/Pencil Tool (B) - You probably know how to use this, so all I'll say is that right-clicking on its icon changes it to the pencil tool. Right-clicking on the canvas lets you adjust the brush size.
Its options: You can ignore Flow and Auto-Erase, but Opacity will adjust how weak/strong the color your using will be. A vague idea of what one or two modes do is a good idea, too. Especially things like "color" or "Overlay".

5 = Eraser (E) - You also probably know how to use this. You don't really need the right-click extensions, though.
Its options:Mode will let you change the eraser from a brush to a pencil or block.

6 = Paint Bucket/Gradient Tool (G) - The paint bucket is again, something you probably know how to use. The gradient, maybe not so much, but very useful as well.
It does what the painbucket does basically, except you can merge two or more colours together. Click, drag, and release with your mouse/ tablet to fill the area.
Its options: Don't worry too much about them; although you should probably keep the Tolerance low and leave the 1st check box blank when using the gradient.

7 = Type Tool (T) - This lets you add text and... well, it's also prolly pretty easy to figure out. It's a lot like MS Word or typing in a post.
Its options: You can change the font, color, size, style, positioning in the text box, and how you want the letters to appear (crisp/smooth...etc.).
The Vertical Type Tool is a lot like the Horizontal one, and so are the Type Tool Masks. They all pretty much do the same thing.
*Note - when you create a text box, it'll create a special layer for it. You'll need to rasterize it if you want to make any non text-based changes to it.

8 = Eye Dropper Tool (I) - Also something you might be familiar with, the eye dropper lets you sample colours.
It's options: You can probably pass on its extensions for now, and changing the sample size area isn't really necessary.

9 = The foreground/background palette (interchangeable by pressing "X") - This shows the current color you've picked. The background color changes the secondary color in a gradient and affects the color of extensions when enlargening a canvas. It's also the color the eraser will "draw" behind, if a layer is locked. (More about locking later)

>>1.3. The Navigator:

Spoiler:

This is the "map" of your canvas, and it makes moving around much easier.
You can drag the red frame around to change your positioning on the canvas.
The scale at the bottom of the window will let you zoom in/out, although the small, triangular icons at either end make the scaling smoother.
Info displays various... information. It's handy, but I don't really think you'd need use it all that much.

>>1.4. The color Window:

Spoiler:

For the color window, the swatch and color tab are prolly what you'll use more.
You can right-click on an existing swatch to delete it, rename it, or make a new one. You can also make new ones by just clicking on an empty area within the swatch window, though. (Or clicking on the icon beside the trash can, at the bottom of the window)
The new swatch color is based off your current color, your foreground color.

>>1.5. The Layer Window:

Spoiler:

Layers are a really great part of Photoshop. They have modes like brushes, you can put different things on top of each other, and you can hide some things under others.
But try not to put too many closely-placed things on one layer-- you'll have a harder time going back and making changes. More layers increase the file size of your document, however.

You can ignore the two tabs behind "Layer", the icons beside "Lock" (excluding #1), and all the icons at the bottom (excluding #3, #5, and #6) for now:
(<-- Folder and an invisible layer)

Clicking on the 1st icon beside "Lock" will lock the transparent pixels on a layer; it'll make you unable to affect/color outside the items on your layers. It's really handy, since then you don't have to worry about accidentally coloring outside the lines or anything. It's perfect for quickly going over something.

The 3 icons I mentioned earlier are useful, too. The 3rd makes folders, the 5th makes new layers, and the 6th deletes layers.
Folders aren't necessary, but I think they really help to keep you organized. They also make some mass-changes easier, like changing the opacity of all the layers or quickly moving a bunch of things.
The 5th icon is done by just clicking on it as well. You can also drag layers down to the "new layer" icon to duplicate them, though.
And as for the last icon... yeah, it deletes layers. Just drag and drop, and it's gone. '^'

Oh, yeah, one more thing; you can make layers invisible and link them.

Linking lets you merge with other linked layers, and move layers that're linked altogether as one. Click on an empty square beside an eye, and you will lock that layer.
It can be really handy, like with visibilty. You can turn it on or off to see what's under a layer or see what's on one.

-----------------------------------------------
...Whew.

This post has been edited by A.M: May 22 2011, 01:42 AM

[Pentagonbuddy]

This will be really great for anyone just getting started with PS. Very nicely done~!

[A.M]

Haha, thanks! .u.

Yeah, I'm hoping it'll be useful too.
I know some people've mentioned that getting started w/ these programs can be pretty rough.

Tsk, tsk, so you've become a leecher now? Lol;

[Celianna]

Shame on you! No explanation on the zoom tool? D: Or even how pressing the spacebar lets you drag the document around for ease of use? Tsk tsk.

Nice and simple explanations though. I never use the history or navigator windows (who finds the navigator window useful, really?). I only have the character (text) and layer window open. I don't use swatches either, heck I don't even have the colour window open haha. Takes up too much space.

[LordBagardo]

Great tutorial A.M.
Inspiring PS noobies like myself (I can use GIMP but I find PS's layout confusing lol) to have another go at it.

=u= Thanks.

[Pentagonbuddy]

No explanation on the zoom tool? D:

Oh gosh I shouldn't spam in the forum I mod in and yet here I am anyways

[Celianna]

Awesome comic Penta XD

Though there's one other thing you can do with it! You can ... drag it to zoom in on a certain spot!
It took me two years of working with Photoshop to figure it out when I accidentally dragged it while zooming in ... quite sad.

[A.M]

@Celianna: Rofl; well I really wanted to make this a simple, basic tutorial, so I excluded shortcuts. :2
And... you use the zoom tool and hand tool? Interesting, I've never actually really used it myself. The windows I always have open are Navigator, Swatches, and Layers. (I can't believe you only use two windows!)
But yeah, it can get pretty clustered, so they're always floating around or being shrunken to the smallest size or something.

You can do that w/ the zoom tool?? o_o It seems like you're always teaching me something new.
Funny, you never seem to realize how much you don't know about something until you're trying to explain it...

Spoiler:

I found out earlier today that you can set down multiple color samplers on a canvas... The tags draw the color info and show it in the "Info" tab.

@Penta: Ack, I swear I end up reacting like that too whenever I discover something. Lol;
especially if it's something that could've saved a lot of time... Rewarding and... a bit annoying. =_="

@LordBagardo: Yw; I rememeber you talking to me about it several days ago, so that's part of what motivated me. .o.
And hey, go go! You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
I gave up on Sai for a few days, when I was trying to figure it out 3 weeks ago. But then... well, you can't expect to get better if you don't try. I really wanted to use it.

[Celianna]

I'm always using the zoom and hand tool. I'm always zooming in, and because of that, I need to see the rest of the stuff I'm working on, so I use the hand tool to go to a different spot. Double clicking the zoom tool will cause your document to go at 100% zoom level. Holding alt while using the zoom tool causes it to switch to the other option (either plus or minus). See, the zoom tool has more options than just 'zoom'

What do you do with the navigator though? Isn't it just blocking up space? D:

[WilliamJConn]

I don't use the hand or zoom tool! Lol. I zoom by inputting the number in the box at the bottom left side of the project window. From where I'm zoomed, I use the navigator window to move to different places at the same zoom level. I think it's much more efficient....but I'm a clicker, not a hotkey user.

[Scinaya]

ewe I use whole zoom as hotkey... I always have another hand on keyboard another holds tablet pen or mouse~ When I want to zoom I press Ctrl+space bar for zoom in or alt+space bar for zooming out. This way is most convenient for me, as I don't need to cease anything for typing numbers/clicking or swap tools manually to zoom and back.

But really aside zoom~ >u< The tutorial is beginner friendly and I am sure it will help peeps out. ewe I prefer myself the color over swatches, but I think it is just that I am used to use it. <u< PS is after all pretty flexible and every user has their own favourites of tools and windows. ewe You have introduced the most basics and I believe that people will find their own best choices only with trying and time, but this provides simple know-how where to start from. =u=b (Also it is great to hear other people's fav functions... (May try out these, there is always improvement possible in own working techniques Owe)

Also, XD Penta, is Masada thinking what I think they are thinking about "growing bigger or smaller" with zoom?

This post has been edited by Scinaya: Apr 4 2011, 03:20 AM

[A.M]

@Celianna: Jesus murphy, you're right...
As for the double-clicking thing, arg; I wish I knew that before. How cheap, that's actually really convenient... =_="
I've always just used the navigator all this time. I admit, I thought the zoom tool was just for simple zooming-in/out.
But now that I know all that, hmm...

I tried removing the navigator window, but I think after having it there for all these years, I'm really used to it.
It feels odd not having it there... although less clutter would be nice. (D:) I started using Ps in Gr.7.

@William: Interesting, a lot of people seem to have different approaches to this.
I never really tried typing it in, either. Used the navigator =o (or Ctrl + "+" or Ctrl + "-"); I use the shortcuts pretty often.

Edit: Thanks!
And true; the variety here so far has been interesting. Zooming-in/out seems to have many options. '-'

This post has been edited by A.M: Apr 4 2011, 03:28 AM

[WilliamJConn]

@William: Interesting, a lot of people seem to have different approaches to this.
I never really tried typing it in, either. Used the navigator =o (or Ctrl + "+" or Ctrl + "-"); I use the shortcuts pretty often.

Yeah. For some reason, I've never really been a hotkey user. Not even for computer games. Haha. I just love clicking the mouse! However, typing in the zoom has its advantages when you get used to it. I use some presets - 100%, 200%, 300%, and 600% - I've come up with over the years to zoom exactly how I want, so it doesn't take much more than half a second to zoom in and out.

This is a great resource to give new users a general idea of the layout!

[A.M]

You can make zoom presets?? That sounds very convenient.
But then wouldn't you have to keep clicking on that small box in the corner to type the numbers out? =-= (Not criticizing you)
Unless... there's a button on the keyboard that automatically selects it...? Hm.

And thanks! I sure hope so.
The layout of anything new can feel be a bit overwhelming, but I don't want new users to give up on it.
Photoshop can really come in handy later down the line.

This post has been edited by A.M: Apr 5 2011, 12:54 AM

[WilliamJConn]

You can make zoom presets?? That sounds very convenient.
But then wouldn't you have to keep clicking on that small box in the corner to type the numbers out? =-= (Not criticizing you)
Unless... there's a button on the keyboard that automatically selects it...? Hm.

Haha. I'm not sure if you can actually set them in Photoshop, but I've used them for long enough to know what level of zoom to use for specific things.
It doesn't take any time at all once you get used to it! Just a quick click and drag, type in the number, and hit enter!

[A.M]

Haha, that seems much nicer to my mouse-friend than spam-clicking the buttons on the navigator... ^^"
I can see how that can work well, though.
If you're used to something, you're usually pretty efficient at it.