Hmmm... actually the best way to learn photoshop is either thru tutorials or in an actual class. Usually kase aside from the instructional text, we also need images para ma-gets talaga natin kung panu ginagawa. "Show-and-tell" kung baga.
Mahirap magkaroon ng tutorials in
some forums
[textspeak!] they don't allow posting of images or other media... usually outside links lang. So hindi effective.
For the basic stuff like:
"How to make a new photoshop document"
"How to change the color of a shirt in a picture," or
"How to make a colored picture black-and-white"
Madali lang i-cover dito. But for other stuff like:
"How to select part of a picture"
"How to select someone in one picture and put him in another picture."
"How to remove that pimple on my face," or
"How can i make myself look slimmer"
medyo mahirap na kase kelangan show-and-tell na.
Anyways, since you're both starting photoshop i guess the most basic thing to start with is
creating a new document.
To create a new photoshop document:
Go to File Menu -> NewSome options:
Name - This will be the filename of your document.
Width/Height - Document dimensions. How big do you want your image to be? Enter a number on both spaces provided. You can also choose the unit of measurement on the right side.. which could be as pixels, inches, centimeters, etc.
Resolution - Usually as Pixels per Inch. A graphic is made up of pixels... much like part of a jigsaw puzzle. Put all the pixels together, and you have an image. However, unlike a jigsaw puzzle piece which can have many colors, a pixel can only have one color (it can be blue.. but not blue AND red at the same time).
Sometimes when looking at an image on your computer, or on the web, you will notice that some images are not that good... the edges are jagged (or squared), and the images are unclear. That is because the images have a low resolution. We have a default resolution of 72 pixels per inch, which is okay. If you lower the resolution, the pictures will look bad. If you increase the resolution, to say 300, the pictures will look better. Low resolution = low quality and high resolution = high quality.
So now you ask... "
So that means i should always increase the resolution so my images will look better?" Not always.
One thing you have to ask yourself before setting the resolution is... what will i do with this picture afterwards? Will i just keep it in my computer? Will i print it? Will I post it on Friendster? etc.
Take note that the resolution of an image affects its filesize. Higher quality equates to bigger filesizes. Lower quality equates to smaller filesizes. If you plan to print you image, or maybe just keep it in your computer, then filesize does not matter. BUT, if you're planning to post your image online.. then filesize DOES matter! In the world of the web, smaller is better... because the pictures come up on screen faster. If you have a picture with a filesize of around 300KB, expect a long wait. So now you know why some people sacrifice quality... because they don't want us to wait.
Anyways, the default resolution of 72 is okay for online use... also, try to keep your images below 64kb.
Color Mode - Color mode determine the number of colors you want to use in your image.
a)
Bitmap - one color. black only.
b)
Grayscale - usually for black and white images. Choosing Grayscale will give you 256 shades of gray. Note that adding a colored image into a grayscale document will remove all colors from your image.
c)
RGB Color - RGB stands for RED, GREEN, BLUE. You have 256 shades of each color to play and mix around to get more colors. RGB is most commonly used for digital images for desktop and online use.
d)
CMYK Color - CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. You have 256 shades of each color to play and mix around to get more colors. Compared to RGB, this color mode gives you more colors. If you are planning to PRINT your images on non-glossy paper like for magazines or newspapers for instance, then CMYK is for you.
You will notice that when you print a picture on paper, the printed picture looks darker compared to the one on your computer. The bright yellow color of the sun looks dull on paper. That is because the paper absorbs the printer ink, giving your image a darker look.
CMYK is WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get. What you see on your computer screen is what you will get when you print it. Exact same colors. CMYK lacks the bright colors found in RGB, so it is perfect for print media.
e)
Lab Color - Lab stands for... i forgot. hehe
L is something about Light, while A and B are color groups. In short this mode provides the widest range of colors. I don't really use it so... next!
Background Contents - What you want your background, or "paper" or "canvas" to be. You can choose a white colored background, a transparent background, or a different colored background specifed by the back-color swatch on the floating toolbox on the leftside of the screen.
And that's it! Click OK to start making your new photoshop document or click CANCEL to... cancel.
Yun lang muna... haba e. hehe
