Photoshop Tools and Features User Log

The purpose of this log is for you to record what tools and features you used in the creation of your digital graphics. You should try to use as many
as possible and you must record how, why and when you used them. You do not need to record repeated actions but each single new action
should be recorded. An example of this would be setting up a new Photoshop file/image which would cover the ranges; Image Settings (all) and
part of Menus (some of). You only need to do this once. Remember that where the e.g. appears in a range, as many of the items should be
covered as possible but not all of them; your tutor will guide you here. Where possible you should also provide a screen dump to illustrate the
action (see sample image below).

Tools and
features
Menus:

Open;

save;

How, why and when used.

I have opened my Photoshop file and
started to enter the graphics that I
want to choose. I have chosen 800 x
600 as this is more suitable for what I
want.
I have now saved my work in the file
format jpeg.

Screen dump

import;

I have now imported my Photoshop

file, to do this, I went on settings and
pressed the section import. My next
task to do will be exporting it.

export;

Similar to importing, I went on

settings and pressed export across,
you will see the exporting evidence.

Image
settings:
3

edit;

As my work needed editing after

being imported and exported, I
edited the document by going on
edit which was in the navigation bar
above and then pressed edit as it has
its own section, once I did this, I
edited some of my document and
then did my importing and exporting
once again.

view;

To view my document, I went on,

edit; then view and then viewed
my document, this is the first think to
do before you edit your document.

help

The help edit has its own section, this

section just gives you information
and help so that you can complete
your work without asking anyone
else, this is a big plus towards the
site.

size;

When I add the size of my image, it

will be 600 x 400.
The higher the resolution the more
colours you tend to get, you can
adjust this when you open up
Photoshop, you can change the
resolution to whatever you want to
change it, suitable for you. For
example: 72 x 46 or 400 x 800.
The width I am going to choose is,
400 pixels.
The Height I am going to choose is,
600 pixels.
The colour scheme I am going to use
Blue and black as I think that this will
be suitable to me and my target
audience.
My background will be used for my
buttons, I will use a big rectangle
over the buttons, it will be the
colours Blue and Black as I have
explained above.
I will be changing my original
transparency from white to faded.
I did not use this feature when using
Photoshop.
Saving the file name under a suitable
name that you remember is
important so that you can find it
again.

Resolution;

width;
height;
colour mode;

background;

transparency;
aspect ratio,
file name

Drawing tools:
4

tool options;

brush;

pencil;

duplicate;

clone;

I used text as a drawing tool in my

product, I did the text for my logo.

The brush tool is suitable when you

need to edit your image. However,
this drawing tool can be confusing to
use if you are not the best at using
Photoshop.
Similar to the brush drawing tools the
pencil tool is very helpful but hard to
use.
I did not use this when I was using
Photoshop as I didnt need the exact
tool for what I was doing.
I did not use this when I was using
Photoshop as I didnt need the exact
tool for what I was doing.

fill;

The fill tool is very useful, as it allows

you to click a colour, which will fill
the whole shape in colour.

text;

The text is a helpful tool as it always

you to type text for Photoshop. You
can change the text size using this
and also the style in what you want
from the text.
The line tool is used to line
everything up, similar guides and
rulers which I am going to talk about
further down, on the right hand side,
I will show you an illustration of what
this is like and the symbol that is
used.

line;

stroke;

shape;

I did not use this tool, as I did not

need this when using Photoshop,
however this tool is helpful if
alongside the pencil tool.
The shape tool (Also known as the
Rectangle tool) is used to create a
shape, there is an option of which
shape you can choose, usually this
tool is helpful as it can be used in

zoom;

guides and
rulers;

Grid;

Snap;

different ways from filling it with text

and colour e.c.t.
Zoom allows you to zoom in or zoom
out, the button (which I will show you
using illustration to your right) is a
good way of seeing things clearly.
The illustration shows a magnifying
glass.
Guides and rulers is used, similar to
the line tool as you can line up the
ruler so that you can see exactly
where the text needs to go, so that it
is central or diagonal. The guide can
also be used for a rough guide if you
are unsure of where it needs to go.

The grid tool is used as another guide

to show you exactly where you need
to put the text, as there are many
different methods of this, this is a
tool that it hardly used but can be
very helpful.
I did not use this tool/feature as I felt
that It was not essential, however
this can be used in different ways.

Paletts, e.g.
colour,
gradients,
layers, object,
brushes,
history, actions,
size, resolution;
Layers, e.g.
copying, saving,
arranging;
flattening;
colour selection,

Palettes are extremely helpful, as you

can choose exactly what you need to
personalise it to you, by choosing the
colours e.c.t. this allows you to create
it how you want it.

Colour
selection, e.g.
foreground,
background,
colour swatch,
eyedropper

This colour section, is everything you

need to change the background e.c.t,
this allows you to choose any colour
and change the foreground,
background, colour swatch and
eyedropper from a boring white to
any colour that you want, a pallet as I
have talked about above will be
alongside this section, ensuring you
have every possible colour that you
desire.

Editing tools:

Layers are essential as you need to

save your work, layers also allow you
to copy, arrange, flatten and colour
section. The copying layer section,
allows you to copy the work that
youve already done and duplicate it.

Selection, e.g.
marquee, lasso,
magic wand,
magnetic lasso,
deselect;

Transform, e.g.
scale, rotate,
skew, flip; cut;
copy; paste;
crop; trim;
erase; undo; fill
Advanced

tools:
Effects, e.g.
layer effects,
filters, channels;
image
adjustments,

Editing is another important thing,

especially when you make mistakes,
this covers marquee, lasso, magic
wand, magnetic lasso and deselect,
this means that even if you mess up
your work, these tools will help you
go back and change your work so
that you get the right result that you
wanted in the first place.
Transforming is virtually messing
about with tools to modify your
results from cutting and coping to
erasing, this transform can help with
mistakes as well as creating
something different to you own way
that you choose.

Advanced tools if for the more

advanced Photoshop users, this can
be used for effects e.c.t, these tools
are helpful if you wanted a more
professional look, however these
tools are harder to use, as I have
mentioned as they are more
advanced. This section covers,
layers, effects, filters, channels and
image adjustments.

Image
adjustments,
e.g. brightness
and contrast,
hue and
saturation,
colour balance,
gradients,
transparency,
invert; masks;
Paths, e.g.
vector paths,
converting text
to paths; image
slicing.

10

Image adjustments allow you to play

around with an image as you can
change the brightness and contrast,
you can also change the colour
balance, linked with the colour
palette, you can take a colour from
the palette and then modify it to your
own way.

Paths includes: Vector paths,

converting text to paths, image
slicing. These can all be helpful tools
If needed but they are hardly used.