Photoshop Tools

This section of the site is a summary of Photoshop’s Tools palette with its description.,

Reference

simplephotoshop.com,

photoshoplab.com

Marquee Tool (M)

Use this tool to make selections on your image, in a rectangular shape. This changes the area of your image that is affected by other tools or actions to be within the defined shape. Holding the [Shift] key while dragging your selection, restricts the shape to a perfect square. Holding the [Alt] key while dragging sets the center of the rectangle to where your cursor started.

The Marquee Tool creates rectangular selections:

1. In the Toolbox, select the Rectangular Tool
2. Drag it on your image holding down the left mouse button.
3. While the New selection option is chosen on the Options bar, you delete the existing selection by making a new selection.
4. To add an area to the existing selection you have either to choose the Add to selection option on the Options bar or to hold down [Shift] key while selecting.
5. To subtract an area from the existing selection you have either to choose the Subtract from selection mode on the Options bar or to hold down [Alt] key while selecting.
6. To intersect an area with the existing selection you have either to choose the Intersect with selection option on the Options bar or to hold [Shift+Alt] keys while selecting.
7. To create a selection with the predefined proportions choose the Fixed Aspect Ratio style on the Options bar and set Width and Height values.
8. While creating a new selection you can constrain proportions to 1:1 (ie. create a square selection) by holding down [Shift] key while selecting.
9. To create a selection with the predefined size choose the Fixed Size style on the Options bar and set Width and Height values.
10. While the New selection option is chosen and the cursor is within the selected area the tool looks like this and can move the selection (ie. borders of the selected area and not the image content). You can also move the selection using the keyboard keys.

Move Tool (V)

Use this tool to, well, move things. Usually you use it to move a Layer around after it has been placed. Hold the [Shift] key to limit the movements to vertical/horizontal.

The Move Tool moves/duplicates a selected image area or layer.

• In the Toolbox, select the Move Tool
• To move a layer* while no image area is selected, hold down the left mouse button, drag and drop it (release the button).
• To move a layer while some image area is selected*, put the Move Tool outside the selection, then drag and drop.
• To move a selected area put the Move Tool inside the selection, then drag and drop.
• While the Move Tool is active, you can precisely move the selected area or layer (if none is selected) using the keyboard cursor keys.
• To constrain movement (to move an object strictly horizontally or vertically) hold down [Shift] key while moving.
• To duplicate a layer drag it with the Move Tool holding down [Alt] key.
• To duplicate a selected area click on it with the Move Tool and drag it holding down [Alt] key.
• After you've moved / duplicated the selection, the Move Tool moves / duplicates the selected area (not the entire layer), no matter where the cursor is (movie).
• Right-click click with the Move Tool on the image; there appears a list of all layers that are not empty in this spot. Click on a layer name to select it.

Lasso Tool (L)

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Ok, this should be the Lasso Tool, but I use the Polygon Lasso a lot more often. Use this to draw selections in whatever shape you would like. To close the selection, either click on the beginning point (you’ll see the cursor change when you’re on it), or just double-click. When holding the [Ctrl] key, you’ll see the cursor change, and the next time you click, it will close your selection.

The Lasso Tool creates freehand selections:

• To select an area In the Toolbox, select the Lasso Tool, click on the image and draw a contour holding mouse's button pressed*(or simply draw if you use sylus).
• To close the contour just release button if you draw with mouse or uplift stylus.
• While New selection option choosen on the Options bar by creating new selection you delete existing one.
• To add an area to existing selection you have either to choose Add to selection option on the Options bar or to press (and hold) [Shift] key while selecting.
• To subtract an area from existing selection you have either to choose Subtract from selection option on the Options bar or to press [Alt] key while selecting.
• To intersect new selection with existing one either choose Intersect with selection option on the Options bar or press [Shift+Alt] keys while selecting.
• While New selection option is chosen and the point of cursor is within selected area the tool looks like this and can move selection (ie. borders of selected area and not image content).
• While New selection option is chosen you can also move selection using keyboard cursor keys.

Magic wand tool(W)



Use this to select a color range. It will select the block of color, or transparency, based on wherever you click. In the Options Bar at the top, you can change the Tolerance to make your selections more/less precise.

The Magic Wand Tool selects similarly colored areas:

1. In the Toolbox, select the Magic Wand Tool.
2. On the Options bar, set the tool's options:
   • Tolerance defines the tools sensitivity. The higher value you set, the wider areas are selected.
   • Contiguous forces selecting similar colors only in the adjacent areas.
   • Anti-alised softens the selection edges. It is set by default.
   • Use All Layers makes the Magic Wand to select likewise colored areas in all visible layers.
3. Click on the image with the Magic Wand Tool to select an area.
4. While the New selection operating mode is chosen on the Options bar, you delete the existing selection by making a new selection.
5. To add an area to the existing selection you have either to choose the Add to selection option on the Options bar or to hold down [Shift] key while clicking.
6. To subtract an area from the existing selection you have either to choose Subtract from selection option on the Options bar or to hold down [Alt] key while clicking.
7. To intersect a new selection with the existing selection either choose the Intersect with selection option on the Options bar or hold [Shift+Alt] keys while selecting.
8. While the New selection option is chosen and the cursor is within the selected area the tool looks like this and can move the selection (ie. borders of the selected area and not the image content).
9. You can also move the selection using the keyboard cursor keys.

Crop Tool (C)

The Crop Tool works similarly to the Rectangular Marquee tool (see above if you have no short-term memory). The difference is when you press the [Enter/Return] key, it crops your image to the size of the box. Any information that was on the outside of the box is now gone. Not permanently, you can still undo.

The Crop Tool cuts out a defined area deleting or hiding the rest of an image:

• In the Toolbox, select the Crop Tool, click on the image and draw a rectangle holding mouse's button pressed.
• When you release the button a bounding box appears. You can move, resize and rotate it. To move bounding box by a few pixels you can use keyboard cursor keys.
• While bounding box is active you can choose Hide or Delete option: Delete completely remove cut-off (shielded) parts of the image; Hide only hides them, so you can make them visible later on using Move Tool..
• To apply crop you have either to press [Enter] key or right-click on the image and choose command Crop in context menu.
• To pre-define target image size fill Width, Height and Resolution fields on the Options bar. Units (cm or inch) have to be specified in the same fields; otherwise Photoshop sets it to px (pixels).
• Note that while bounding box is active the rest of Photoshop tools and commands are not available. You have either to apply [Enter] or to discard [Esc] crop to resume the work.

Slice Tool (K)

This is used mostly for building websites, or splitting up one image into smaller ones when saving out. It’s kind of an advanced tool, and since you’re in here for the basics, we’ll kind of skip over it. Kinda makes you mad I made you read all that for nothing, huh?

The Slice Tool cuts images to pieces for Web publications:

1. In the Toolbox, select the Slice Tool.
2. Drag a rectangle holding down the mouse button.
3. If necessary, move and resize the currently active slice. To move a slice by just a few pixels, use the keyboard cursor keys.
4. To create a slice with the pre-defined proportions choose the Fixed Aspect Ratio style and set Width and Height values.
5. To create a slice with pre-defined size choose Fixed Size style and fill the Width and Height input fields.
6. To add a slice just drag another rectangle.
7. Right-click on a slice to open the tool's context menu. Through this menu you can access the commands available in Photoshop.
8. To access the rest of the slicing commands you have to switch to ImageReady [Shift+Ctrl+M].
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Healing Brush Tool (J)

This is a really useful tool. Mildly advanced. You can use this tool to repair scratches and specs and stuff like that on images. It works like the Brush tool (see below). You choose your cursor size, then holding the [Alt] key, you select a nice/clean area of your image. Let go of the [Alt] key and paint over the bad area. It basically copies the info from the first area to the second, in the form of the Brush tool. Only, at the end, it averages the information, so it blends.

To retouch using sampled pixels:

1. In the Toolbox, select the Healing Brush Tool.
2. Set brush size and style.
3. On the Options bar, select the Sampled option.
4. Alt-click (click holding down [Alt] key) somewhere on your image to define a sampling point.
5. Paint with the Healing Brush Tool on the damaged area.
6. The Aligned gadget on the Options bar (not selected by default) forces the starting point to follow your cursor, even after you complete a stroke, while leaving it off starts the sample point back to its original location at the start of each stroke.

To retouch using a pattern:

7. On the Options bar, select the Pattern option.
8. Choose a pattern from the Pattern picker (movie).
9. Paint with the Healing Brush Tool on a damaged area.

Brush Tool (B)

This is one of the first tools ever. It’s what Photoshop is based off of. Well, not really, but it’s pretty basic. It paints one your image, in whatever color you have selected, and whatever size you have selected.

Brush is a freehand painting tool.

1. Open an image to your choice or create a new one.
2. Activate the Brush Tool.
3. In the Options bar, define brush tip size.
4. Choose a color.
5. Paint.
6. In the Brush Preset picker, adjust the brush hardness - either increase it for sharp-edged strokes or soften it for gradual color transitions.
7. There are some more controls for the Brush Tool in the Options bar. For example, you can reduce the "Opacity" value. Now the Brush paints with transparent strokes allowing seeing the previous content.

Clone Stamp Tool (S)

This is very similar to the Healing Brush Tool (see above). You use it the exact same way, except this tool doesn’t blend at the end. It’s a direct copy of the information from the first selected area to the second. When you learn to use both of these tools together in perfect harmony, you will be a Photoshop MASTA! Not really, it’s just less irritating.

The Clone Stamp Tool paints with a sampled pixels of an image.

1. Open an image to your choice.
2. From the Toolbox, choose the Clone Stamp Tool.
3. In the Options bar, set the tool's tip size and hardness as we did it for the Brush Tool.
4. Point the cursor at the image area you want to paint with, hold down [Alt] key, then mouse-click. You have just selected the source point for cloning.
5. Paint with the copied pixels.
6. The "Aligned" gadget in the Options bar (checked by default) forces the source point to follow your mouse, even after you complete a stroke. In other words, every new stroke continues the image started by the first stroke.
7. Deselecting the "Aligned" option starts the sample point back to its original location every time you release the mouse button. That is, every new stroke re-starts cloning your image from the source point.

History Brush Tool (H)

This tool works just like the Brush Tool (see above) except the information that it paints with is from the original state of your image. If you go Window>History, you can see the History Palette. The History Brush tool paints with the information from whatever History state is selected.

1. In the Toolbox, select the History Brush Tool.
2. Choose brush size and style*.
3. In the History palette**, select a source history state or snapshot.
4. Paint with the selected history state.
5. On the Options bar you can also define
   1. Airbrush mode
   2. blending mode (in the movie I choose Dissolve)
   3. Opacity
   4. Flow (matters when the Airbrush mode is active).

Eraser Tool (E)

This is the anti-Brush tool. It works like an eraser (duh) and erases whatever information wherever you click and drag it. If you’re on a Layer, it will erase the information transparent. If you are on the background layer, it erases with whatever secondary color you have selected.

The Eraser Tool clears the current layer content.

• In the Toolbox, select the Eraser Tool.
• Choose brush size and style*.
• Erase.
• On the Options bar, you may also define the erasing mode, opacity, and flow.
• The Erase to History option allows us to use the Eraser as the History Brush Tool

Gradient Tool (G)

You can use this to make a gradiation of colors. Gradiation doesn’t appear to be a word, but it makes sense anyway. It creates a blending of your foreground color and background color when you click and drag it. Like a gradient.

• In the Toolbox, select the Gradient Tool.
• On the Options bar, choose gradient sample and style.
• Click on the image to define starting point, drag and release on ending point.
• In the Options bar, you can define also blending mode and opacity.
• Dither option (selected by default) creates smoother gradients.

Blur Tool (R)

The Blur tool is cool. It makes things blurry. Click and drag to make things blurry. The more you click and drag, the blurrier things get.

The Blur Tool unfocuses image areas:

• In the Toolbox, select the Blur Tool.
• Choose brush size and style.
• Set the tool's strength.
• Drag on the image.
• In the Options bar, you can also specify the effect's "Mode".

Dodge Tool (O)

This tool isn’t as crappy as the car brand. It’s actually used to lighten whatever area you use it on. As long as it is not absolute black. Absolute black won’t lighten.

The Dodge Tool lightens image areas:

• In the Toolbox, select the Dodge Tool.
• Choose brush size and hardness.
• Set exposure (stroke strength).
• Drag on the image.
• In the Options bar, you can choose also the tool's range: Shadows, Midtones or Highlights.

Path Selection Tool (A)

You use this tool when working with paths. Since this is all about the basics, I won’t go into details. It’s related to the Pen Tool (see below) though.

The Path Selection* Tool selects and moves (fragments of) existing path's / vector shape mask's segments / anchor points:

• In the Toolbox, select the Path Selection Tool.
• Click on a path or shape component in image window to select it**.
• Drag selected path component to move it.
• To delete selected path or shape component press [Delete] key.
• To select 2 or more components shift-click (mouse-click holding [Shift] pressed) on every one.
• While multiple components selected you can align or combine them into a single path using buttons on the Options bar (movie).

Horizontal Type Tool (T)

It makes type. Or text. Or whatever you want to call it. You can click a single point, and start typing right away. Or you can click and drag to make a bounding box of where your text/type goes. There’s a lot of options for the Type Tool. Just play around, it’s fairly straight-forward.

The Horizontal Type Tool creates and edits vector-based text in a separate layer.

• In the Toolbox, select the Horizontal Type Tool.
• On the Options bar, set the font options: family (style), size, color and anti-aliasing method*.
• Click on your image and type.
• While you are typing, the cursor looks like this , so you can adjust the typed text position without changing the tool.
• While you are typing, most of the other Photoshop functions are not available. When finished, click on any tool in the Toolbox or on a layer in the Layers palette to apply the typing and return to the standard editing mode.
• To edit a previously typed text, select the proper text layer** in the Layers palette or just select the text with the Type Tool (the layer has to be selected automatically) and work like with a regular text editor.

Pen Tool (P)

I mentioned this tool above. It’s for creating paths, in which you would use the Path Selection Tool to select the path. Paths can be used in a few different ways, mostly to create clipping paths, or to create selections. You use the tool by clicking to add a point. If you click and drag, it will change the shape of your path, allowing you to bend and shape the path for accurate selections and such.

The Pen Tool creates stright lined and smooth curved vector shapes
and paths.

1. In the Toolbox, select the Pen Tool.
2. On the Options bar, choose a drawing mode: to draw a vector shape layers click button ; to draw paths (shape outlines) click button.
3. Click on the image to set the first anchor point.
4. Set another anchor point to add a segment.
5. Click and drag to add a segment and change line shape.
6. Auto Add/Delete gadget on the Options bar (selected by default) allows us to add and delete anchor points*:
   1. click on a path to add an anchor point
   2. click on an existing anchor point to delete it.
7. To delete the last added anchor point press [Delete] key. Press again to delete the rest of your path / shape.
8. Close the contour (click on the first anchor point) to complete the path.
9. Press [Shift] key while drawing to constrain the segment angle to a multiple of 45°.
10. When drawing the shapes, you can also choose a Style for the shape layer on the Options bar.

Rectangle Tool (U)

By default it draws a Shape Layer in the form of a rectangle. It fills the rectangle with whatever foreground color you have selected. It’s pretty complicated, don’t hurt yourself with this one.

The Rectangle Tool creates rectangular shapes and paths (shape outlines).

• In the Toolbox, select the Rectangle Tool.
• In the Options bar, choose a drawing mode: to create vector shape layers click the "Shape layers" button; to draw paths (shape outlines) click the "Paths" button; to create rasterized shapes in current layer click the "Fill pixels" .
• In the Options bar, click on next to button to set geometry options.
• Choose a color for your shape*.
• Drag on the image.
• When creating multiple shapes, use selector in the Options bar:
  • Create new shape layer - to create every new shape in a separate layer
  • Add to shape area - to create mutiple shapes in the same vector shape layer.
  • Subtract from shape area - to subtract shapes from the current shape layer.
  • Intersect with shape area - to intersect new shapes with existing one(s) in the same layer.
  • Exclude overlapping shape areas - to create new shapes in the current shape layer subtracting overlapping areas.
• To apply some special effects to created shape layers, choose a style in Style picker (on the Options bar).
• When creating paths, you can select add, subtract, intersect and exclude overlapping modes.
• Working in Fill pixels mode you can also choose in the Options bar opacity and blending mode.

Notes Tool (N)

Like post-it notes, but digital. You can use this tool to add small little note boxes to your image. These are useful if you’re very forgetful or if you’re sharing your Photoshop file with someone else. I’m pretty sure it only works with .PSD files.

The Notes Tool allows you to attach to image your notes*.

• In the Toolbox, select the Notes Tool.
• Drag on the image where you want to attach a note. A resizable window appears.
• Type your text and close the note (movie).
• on the Options bar you can change author's name and set font options
• You can drag your notes anywhere at any time; even while some other tool being active.
• To edit a note, open it (double-click on it), and make your changes.
• To hide / show notes, use either [Ctrl+H] shortcut or pull-down menu: View > Show > Annotations.
• To delete a note, either select it (clik on it) and press [Delete] key or right-click on it and use context menu (movie)
• To delete all notes click "Clear All" button in the Options bar.

Eyedropper Tool (I)

This tool works by changing your foreground color to whatever color you click on. Holding the [Alt] key will change your background color.

The Eyedropper Tool defines the foreground / background color.

• In the Toolbox, select the Eyedropper Tool.
• Click somewhere on your image to define the foreground color. Look how foreground selector on the Toolbox changes.
• Alt-click (click holding down the [Alt] key) to set the background color. Look how the background selector on the Toolbox changes.
• In the Options bar, you can change sample size (the Eyedropper's range):
  • the "Point Sample" picks up the color from the pixel you click on
  • all the other samples read average values from larger areas (movie).

Hand Tool (T)

You can really make short work of your job with the Hand Tool. It’s for moving your entire image within a window. So if you’re zoomed in and your image area is larger than the window, you can use the Hand Tool to navigate around your image. Just click and drag. You can get to this tool at any time when using any other tool by pressing and holding the [Spacebar].

The Hand Tool allows you to navigate an edited image, when it is not completely visible in its window.

• In the Toolbox, select the Hand Tool.
• Drag your image to bring the hidden areas into the view.
• The 3 buttons on the Options bar allow you to choose one of 3 standard viewing modes - Actual Pixels, Fit On Screen or Print Size.

Zoom Tool (Z)

Pretty obvious what this tool does. It allows you to zoom into your image. Don’t be dumb, it doesn’t actually change the size of your image. Hold the [Alt] key to zoom out. Holding the [Shift] key will zoom all of the windows you have open at the same time. Double-click on the Zoom Tool in the palette to go back to 100% view.

The Zoom Tool magnifies / reduces the image view without changing the image data.

• In the Toolbox, select the Zoom Tool.
• As default the tool magnifies the view, so the cursor looks like this . Click on any area of your image to magnify it.
• To reduce the view, click the "zoom out" button on the Options bar; then click on your image.
• If you check "Resize Windows to Fit" in the Options bar, the document window is resized to better fit your image every time you use the Zoom.
• The 3 buttons in the Options bar let you select one of 3 standard views: "Actual Pixels", "Fit On Screen" or "Print Size".
• Optionally, you can choose "Fit on screen" view by double-clicking the Zoom button on your Toolbox (movie).

Colour Selecting Box

These are your color boxes. Foreground (in the front) and Background (in the back). Click on either one to bring up the color select dialog box.

The Color box in the Tools panel displays the current foreground / background colors and calls the Color Picker.

• To adjust the foreground color, click on the Foreground square and tune the color in the Color Picker.
• To adjust the background color, click on the Background square and use the Color Picker.
• Also, you can adjust the current color in the Color palette.
• Click the Switch Colors icon on the Toolbox to swap the foreground and background colors
• To restore the default foreground and background colors (black and white) click the icon (movie).