Getting Around in Photoshop – Learning the Interface
From tools and panels to document windows, workspaces, screen modes and more! Everything you need to know about Photoshop's interface. Chapter 3 of our Photoshop Basics series!
We start with a general tour of Photoshop's interface and its many features. Then we explore Photoshop's tools and the toolbar, including how to reset the toolbar and, new in Photoshop CC, how to customize the toolbar to the way you work! From there, you'll learn how to manage and work with panels, and the difference between tabbed documents and floating windows.
You'll discover how Photoshop's multi-document layouts let you view two or more images at once, and even how to move images between documents! And we'll finish off this chapter by learning how to streamline and customize Photoshop's interface using workspaces, and how to maximize your work area with screen modes!
If you're learning Photoshop from the beginning, you'll want to make sure you've read through Chapter 1, Getting Started With Photoshop, and Chapter 2, Opening Images Into Photoshop, before you continue.
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01. Getting to know the Photoshop interface
In this first tutorial in the series, we take our first look at Photoshop's interface with a general tour of its layout and features. You'll learn about the document window, the panels, the Toolbar, Options Bar, and more!
02. Photoshop tools and toolbar overview
Now that we've had an overview of the Photoshop interface, let's look at its features in more detail. In this second tutorial, you'll learn all about the toolbar which holds each and every one of Photoshop's tools. You'll learn how to use the toolbar, and how to find Photoshop's many hidden tools. Includes a complete summary of the nearly 70 tools available as of Photoshop 2022!
03. How to reset the tools and Toolbar in Photoshop CC
Knowing how to select Photoshop's tools from the Toolbar is important. But so is knowing how to reset the Toolbar back to its default layout. In this third tutorial in the series, you'll learn how to reset the Toolbar, and how to instantly reset every tool in Photoshop back to its default settings.
04. How to customize the Toolbar in Photoshop CC
New in Photoshop CC is the ability to customize the Toolbar. In this fourth tutorial, you'll learn how to hide the tools you don't use, change which tools are grouped together, rearrange the order of the tools, and more! And, you'll learn how to save your custom Toolbar layout as a preset!
05. Managing panels in Photoshop CC
Now that we know all about the Toolbar, it's time to look at Photoshop's panels. Most of what we do in Photoshop is done using panels, and most of the interface is made up of panels. There are panels for working with layers, for choosing brushes and colors, working with text, and many more. In this tutorial, you'll learn everything you need to know to work with panels efficiently!
06. Working with tabbed documents and floating windows in Photoshop
The document window is the part of Photoshop interface where we view our image. In earlier versions of Photoshop, our images appeared in floating windows. But in more recent versions, we can now view them as tabbed documents. In this tutorial, we learn the difference between tabbed and floating document windows, and how to easily switch between them!
07. How to view multiple images at once in Photoshop
Photoshop has no problem letting us open two or more images at once. But by default, it only lets us view one of those images at a time. There is a way to view all of your images, and that's by using Photoshop's multi-document layouts. In this tutorial, you'll learn how they work!
08. 5 ways to move images between Photoshop documents
One of Photoshop's greatest strengths is its ability to blend and composite multiple images. But to do that, you first need to know how to move images from one document to another. By default, Photoshop opens each new image in its own separate document. In this tutorial, you'll learn five easy ways to move your images from separate documents into the same document!
09. How to use workspaces in Photoshop CC
A workspace in Photoshop is a preset layout for the interface. Workspaces control which of Photoshop's panels are displayed on your screen, and how those panels are arranged. A workspace can include a custom Toolbar layout, and even custom Menu items and keyboard shortcuts. In this tutorial, you'll how to use Photoshop's workspaces, and even how to create your own!
10. Photoshop screen modes and interface tricks
Screen Modes in Photoshop let you maximize the amount of room you have for viewing your image by hiding different parts of the interface. A Screen Mode can even hide the interface completely, letting your image take up the entire screen! You'll learn how to use Photoshop's three different Screen Modes, along with some keyboard tricks to quickly give your image more room when you need it!
Completed all 10 lessons in Chapter 3? Congratulations! You're ready to move on to Chapter 4 - Navigating Images in Photoshop. Or visit our Photoshop Basics section for more chapters and tutorials!