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Now that we’ve got a good idea of what to expect from Photoshop’s user interface, let’s take a look at the basic structure of a photoshop file.
New Terms:
- Artboard - The artboard is the container of a photoshop document where the final artwork will appear.
- Layer - Layers represent individual pieces of content and stack one on top of another within the artboard.
- PSD - A PSD file is a native photoshop document that preserves all our layers, as opposed to exported file formats such as a JPG.
- Properties Panel - The Properties Panel allows us to make fine adjustments to the Photoshop Document.
- Crop Tool - The Crop Tool allows us to adjust the dimensions an artboard.
Let's now take a closer look at
the structure of a Photoshop document.
0:00
The general structure of a Photoshop
document consists of the artboard, or
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the area in which your content displays,
and
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layers of content stacked
one on top of another.
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Let's have a closer look at artboards.
0:12
The artboard is an area in which all
of our content will display in our
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final graphic.
0:17
Think of the artboard as a frame for
our content.
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We can have the content
outside of our artboard, but
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it won't show in the final product.
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We're also able to adjust our
artboard size in a few ways.
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One way is to view
the Properties panel and
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input the exact number in which we
want to have the artboard displayed.
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Another is to use the Crop tool and
use the click and drag handles to adjust
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the size While not as precise,
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we can always make adjustments in
the Properties panel if need be.
0:50
Using the Crop tool on an artboard will
not modify the content of the artboard,
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and we can essentially use the same
handles to expand the artboard again.
0:58
Similarly, the Artboard tool can
be used to click and drag, or
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select a pre-set from the top tool bar.
1:07
Next, let's have a look at layers.
1:16
Layers represent different pieces of
content within the document stacked
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one on top of the other.
1:22
Within the Layers panel,
we can add new layers.
1:24
We can change the order.
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And we can also change the visibility.
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The order of layers can be important
on how the final graphic appears, so
1:38
if you happen to have a photo filter
on top of another photo filter,
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it will likely have a different
effect if you change them.
1:46
Generally, any time you add new
content to a Photoshop document,
1:49
it will likely create a new layer.
1:52
So, for example, the Type tool.
1:54
If we happen to type in
some new content here,
1:56
it adds it to its own layer
within the Layers panel.
2:01
However, things like
painting with the Brush or
2:06
Gradient tool will only affect a currently
selected layer that already exists.
2:09
That's looking pretty horrendous,
so I'm gonna go ahead and
2:20
click on the History tool and
go back a few steps.
2:23
Keeping the Photoshop document
organized will come in very handy
2:27
as you add content and layers.
2:30
We can group layers within folders and
create additional artboards.
2:32
Within the Layers panel, clicking on
a folder icon will create a new folder,
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and we can drag whatever content
we'd like within that folder.
2:42
As your document grows in layers and
possibly artboards,
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it's a good practice to name them.
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One way we can rename a layer is
within the Layers panel itself.
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Just double-click on a layer name and
give it a title.
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This will help you keep track of
what's going on in each layer.
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Now, things are a bit different
if we've opened a photo that
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isn't a native Photoshop document or
a PSD file.
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Let's open this original
JPG file from my camera.
3:15
If we take a look at our Layers panel,
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we don't see that this image lands in
an artboard, and is simply a layer.
3:23
Using the Properties panel
to adjust the size, or
3:27
using the Crop tool will
indeed cut off our content.
3:30
And I'm not able to uncrop
this as we did before.
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Again, I'm going to head back to
the History panel and undo that change.
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If we would like to create an artboard,
we can use the Artboard tool to draw one.
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If we take a look at our Layers panel,
we can see that we have indeed created our
3:55
own artboard, and
our photo has remained in it's own layer.
4:00
That's the general structure
of a Photoshop file.
4:05
Layers are the building blocks
of any Photoshop document,
4:08
and artboards are the frames
that hold those creations.
4:10
Folders can be used to help group
your layers and stay organized.
4:14
In this stage, we've introduced
the mighty graphics tool, Photoshop.
4:19
We went through a brief
history of the application and
4:23
learned a bit about how it evolved.
4:25
From two brothers simply wanting to
display an image on a screen to a world
4:28
recognized app that's used in many stages
of a standard creative process today.
4:32
We took a brief look at the user interface
of Photoshop and shared a few tips for
4:38
rearranging your panels, and where to
look for adjustments for an active tool.
4:43
We then deconstructed a Photoshop
document learning about layers,
4:48
artboards, and how they work together.
4:52
In the next stage,
we'll dive in head first and
4:56
start creating our ads for
client's photo studio
4:59
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