Speed ​​of action in Photoshop is one of the most important factors in project delivery, getting to know shortcut keys can speed up your operation in Photoshop and make it easier for you. 

In this article, we will introduce you to three Photoshop shortcuts.

Trick 1:

How to copy a part of a document composed of several layers:

When you select an area of ​​a document and press Ctrl + C to perform the copy operation, that area will only be copied from the selected layer. But if you want to copy all the layer components in that new layer in a new layer, you can do it by adding the Shift key to the Ctrl + C keys.

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Trick 2:

See your documents together:

At the start of Photoshop (Dinosaur Life) When you open a few documents, Photoshop will display them in front. That means the images are opened one after the other, which is called Cascading. But if you want to put your open image in your example, just open the Documents menu from the Windows menu and select the Tile option.

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Trick 3:

Presentation Mode to Customers in Photoshop:

It’s time to show your final design to the customer, but you do not want the customer to know that you’ve worked with Photoshop. The reason for this is that the customer immediately says:

You work with Photoshop, and my neighbor also has this program) and the meaning of this is that my neighbor can do this for me at no cost to me. You can press the F key twice on the keyboard and press the Tab key once to get the photo viewer in Photoshop. And You can see that the layout is covered by a black background and the menus are removed.

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Trick 4:

Travel between documents:

If you work with more than one document, you can navigate between documents by pressing the Ctrl + Tab keys.

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Trick 5:

View active layer and hide other layers:

If you have a multilayered document, you can see the only layer you are working on. You can do this by pressing the Alt key and clicking on the eye icon in the layer layers palette. Repeat this again to view all layers again.

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Trick 6:

Create circle choices:

When you draw a circle, Photoshop draws the circle by default from the point you click. You can keep the circle from holding Alt key while drawing a circle

Draw a center. If you want your circle to be round, you can use the Shift key.

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Trick 7:

Delete line layouts:

If you have dozens of manuals for the script in the layout and now you want to delete them, you do not need to drag them one by one out of the document environment, but you can select the Clear Guides option from the View menu.

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Trick 8:

Change the Quick Mask settings:

If you want the red color in the Quick Mask environment of your choice or if you want to use another color for the Quick Mask environment, just double-click on the icon by which you enter this environment.

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Trick 9:

Selectable Layer Moving Between Layers:

Using the Ctrl + key, you can move your selected layer below your bottom layer, and with the Ctrl + key you can move the selected layer to the top of the top layers.

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Trick 10:

Hide selection mode:

To do this, just press the Ctrl + H keys after the operation. In this case, your selection will not be deleted, but will only be hidden from the view and reappear every time the mouse button is pressed on it or dragged it.

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Trick 11:

Get rid of pixels in black and white edges:

If you work on a picture with a combination of different photos and add a picture that has a white or black background, its edges may have white or black pixels. To get rid of these pixels, select the Matting option from the Layer menu, and then, depending on the color, select Remove White Matte or Remove Black Matte.

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Trick 12:

 RGB and CMYK simultaneously:

If you are working on an RGB document and you know that the image will be in CMYK for the final print, in order to view the final image in CMYK mode and compare it with the current RGB document, you can select Document from the Windows menu and then New Select Windows. This will open a different view of the existing document. Return to your original document and continue to work. You can see that what you are doing is also applied to the CMYK document.

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Trick 13:

Place the guide in your preferred location:

If you know where exactly you want to put the guide lines on them

Over the last few years, new image editing apps have come along that are almost as good as Photoshop, for a fraction of the price. Let’s have a look at some of them.

GIMP (Free on Windows, Mac, Linux)

I’ll be honest up front: I’m not personally a fan of GIMP. I think it’s a god-awful piece of software that embodies everything that can be bad about open source projects. Teaching myself how to use it was a huge hassle, and there are a lot of things in GIMP that are more convoluted than they should be.

But there’s no doubt it’s a powerful program, and it’s 100% free.

In fact, it’s so powerful, that there’s not a lot you can do in Photoshop that you can’t also do in GIMP. You just have to do those things in a less intuitive, roundabout way. If price is your only consideration (or you’re running Linux), check out GIMP. But if you want your life to be easy, try one of the paid (but relatively inexpensive) alternatives below.

Affinity Photo ($50 on Windows and Mac)

Affinity Photo is one of the first apps to even make me consider switching from Photoshop. It’s available on Windows and macOS for only $49.99.

Affinity Photo is a great alternative to Photoshop, and like with GIMP, it can do almost anything Photoshop can. The only thing you really miss out on is Adobe’s ecosystem, and a bit of Photoshop’s extra polish and more advanced features.

For everyday users and amateur photographers, it does pretty much everything you need. $49.99 may seem steep for some, but compared to Photoshop, it’s a steal, and a big step up from GIMP.

Pixelmator ($30 on Mac)

Pixelmator is a Mac only image editor. It’s not as fully featured as Photoshop, but it can still do a lot. At $29.99, it’s the cheapest great app you can get.

Like Affinity Photo, Pixelmator is a worthy Photoshop alternative that’s a massive step up from GIMP. The biggest problem is that the workflow can be very unintuitive, especially if you’re coming from Photoshop, or Photoshop-like apps. There is a learning curve if you want to switch.

What sets Pixelmator apart from Affinity Photo is that you can do a lot more design and vector work. Affinity Photo can replace Photoshop for photographers, but Pixelmator can do it for everyone.

Photoshop—Yes, the Photoshop ($10 a Month on Windows and Mac)

Okay, I tricked you a little bit. Yes, I’m putting Photoshop itself on this list, and here’s why: its current pricing scheme is, depending on your situation, cheaper than it used to be. So if you haven’t looked into Photoshop for a few years because of it’s $700 price tag, I recommend looking again.

Instead of having to remortgage your house, you can now pay $9.99 a month to sign up for the Adobe Creative Cloud Photographers plan. Your ten dollars per month gets you Photoshop, Lightroom, the Photoshop and Lightroom mobile apps, a hosted website, a subscription to the portfolio site Behance and a few other small features.

As good as the other apps on this list are, they still aren’t Photoshop. And at ten bucks a month, it’s still not cheap, but arguably less expensive than paying $700 up front—especially if you used to pay $700 each time a new version came out. Plus, Lightroom is a good program for photographers, so if that’s something you would have also bought, you’re getting an even better deal.

There have never been more great, non-Photoshop image editors available. Affinity Photo and Pixelmator are fantastic and GIMP…well, GIMP works when you need it to. Even still, with Photoshop’s current subscription pricing, it might be the best for you.

But how do you learn and master Photoshop skills?

The simplest answer is in that old piece of wisdom, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Yes, it’s a starting point but it could also lead you astray down a few rabbit holes. Since everyone has to begin somewhere, let’s look at a few ideas that will help you learn Photoshop without getting overwhelmed in the process.

1. Learn the Basics of Graphic Design First

It is easy to take graphic design for granted. After all, you hardly notice concepts like alignment, contrast, negative space, rhythm etc. unless they go wrong. Art school isn’t necessary grounding for a graphic designer’s job if you roll up your sleeves and go through the grind of mastering the fundamental principles of good design.

There are countless free and paid resources to learn the nuances of design. You won’t have to buy Photoshop just yet. If you are rushed for time, try the Canva Design School. Also, HackDesign has an excellent newsletter course that will pull you in every week.

How To Learn Color Theory In Less Than One Hour How To Learn Color Theory In Less Than One HourBasic knowledge of color theory can mean the difference between an “amateur” aesthetic and a “professional” one – and it really doesn’t take long to learn.

2. Get to Know the Photoshop Workspace

Adobe itself will take you around the workspace in Photoshop. The Get Started with Photoshop tutorials show you how to utilize the workspace. Open the sample image provided and follow the instructions in the video.

Keep the Workspace basics support page bookmarked if you need to refer to a tool. Also, Photoshop features Rich Tooltips which give you a text description and a video lesson to help understand the function of each tool. Just hover the mouse pointer over a tool.

3. Pick One Tool a Day

The palette of Photoshop tools on the left may be narrow and long. But there are more hidden tools once you click the little arrow under some of them. There are nearly 65 tools organized for selection, cropping and slicing, retouching, painting, drawing, and for type. So, here’s an experiment you can try to familiarize yourself with each of them:

Pick one tool every day. Search for a basic tutorial that shows you how it is used in an actual project.

For instance, a simple query like “tutorial magic wand tool photoshop” will net you many step-by-step lessons on YouTube. The Rich Tooltips in Photoshop are a good starting point too. Use the Search feature within Photoshop to find relevant links.

By learning Photoshop one tool at a time, you won’t feel overwhelmed. Also, it is a good way to memorize the Photoshop keyboard shortcuts right from the onset.

Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts 101: The Most Useful Commands Adobe Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts 101: The Most Useful CommandsWhether you’re a beginner or a pro, these Photoshop keyboard shortcuts will save you hours of time. Click here for the full list!

4. Focus on a Photoshop Microskill

Adobe Photoshop is the software photographers must learn to process their images. According to the Adobe Blog:

“Over the past 21 years, Photoshop has meant many different things to many different people. Whether it is used to tell a story, put ideas into motion, imagine something new, visualize science or any of its other many uses.”

But did you know that you can even edit videos here? Or create wonderful typography posters? You can even design an email, HTML newsletter, or T-shirt too. Maybe, your boss wants you to design 3D mockups. You have so many opportunities to pick up a skill or area you are interested in and get acquainted with Photoshop.

Tip: Photoshop is designed around three core workspaces (Essentials, Photography, Graphic and Web). But you can create your own custom workspace and use that to focus on a microskill.

5. Follow a Photoshop Expert

The easiest way to learn Photoshop is from an expert. A real-world mentor can be difficult to find, but virtual mentors are far easier to get hold of. Decide on the area you want to master and search for the online experts who specialize in that niche.

For instance, when you want to learn digital painting, find a digital artist who offers a digital painting tutorial.

Adobe’s own Photoshop Experts such as Julieanne Kost and Terry White can help you get started. You can find them and others on Adobe TV as well. Sites like Lynda.com, HowNow, KelbyOne, and PluralSight offer instructor-led courses from the top names in the field.

6. Challenge Yourself With Microjobs

You can start out with a rough idea of how to monetize your Photoshop skills in the future. Microjob sites like Fiverr and DesignCrowd can help you earn some money in your spare time. But you may not be ready for a competitive project yet. So, why not use the simpler ones as a testing ground and see if you can meet the challenge head-on.

20 Micro Jobs to Help You Make Money in Your Free Time 20 Micro Jobs to Help You Make Money in Your Free TimeOnline opportunities to earn additional income are everywhere. It can be difficult to sniff out the legit companies from the scams. Below are 20 legit opportunities to easily make some extra income in your free.

Assignments are usually simple. For instance, someone may ask you to remove the background from a batch of photos. Or restore a damaged photo. This is the “sink or swim” approach to learning Photoshop, but it comes with a degree of responsibility.

Of course, as a beginner your portfolio may not attract attention. But you have to start somewhere. Alternatively, you can use the skills advertised by others as a template for your own education.

Tip: Seek out virtual volunteering opportunities. Platforms like OnlineVolunteering.organd Creatives Without Borders can not only help you learn Photoshop skills but also give you valuable alternative work experience.

7. Do a 30-Day Challenge

The duration of the challenge matters less than the habit of learning you put yourself through. I like the 30-day span because it is not too long but not too short. Plus, a month is easier to track than a whole year.

But what you will take on during this 30-Day sprint?

If you like structure, then CreativeLive has a 30-Day Bootcamp course on Photoshop. Udemy has several free courses and its most popular course on Photoshop will set you back just a few dollars.

If you like free, then Photoshop Essentials has a well-organized tutorial website with YouTube videos and PDF downloads. Envato’s Tuts+ has a superb section called Learning Guides which will guide you well. And if you love YouTube you can try the excellent Photoshop Training Channel.

There’s no shortage of Photoshop tutorials online. Just don’t let your persistence flag.

In fact,

it can be hard to picture (see what I did there) a world without the amazing images created with this software.

In the right hands, photographs can be created that would leave you believing that a magical unicorn had walked through your back yard, like this:

But, with all its power comes a steep learning curve. And that’s intimidating.

Simply loading up the software and trying to figure things out on your own doesn’t work as well when you want to learn Photoshop as it does for other pieces of software.

And, while you could try and read the manuals (which may be more effective at putting you to sleep than anything else), a more visual and interactive learning approach is almost always the better option.

Luckily, a high-quality learning experience may be just a few clicks away. Here are 14 places that will let you learn Photoshop for free, giving you all of the information you could want for the most reasonable price in the world.

1. Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

When your goal is to learn photoshop, sometimes it pays off to go to the source.

 Adobe provides access to a plethora of videos and hands-on tutorials designed to help you learn the basic when you start out and work your way up to more advanced techniques.

The tutorials are available for free, so you can use them at your leisure.

2. Phlearn

For a wide range of video tutorials that let you learn Photoshop basic and advanced techniques, as well as a range of special effects,

Phlearn connects you with a lot of resources in one location.

Many of the tutorials are free, though there is also a subscription option to provide you with more access, should you want to dive deeper into the world of Photoshop.

3. Udemy

While Udemy offers more paid courses than anything else,

there are numerous free options focused on Photoshop. Many of these are suitable for beginners and they generally rate well with the Udemy community.

4. GCF LearnFree.org

The free tutorial on GFCLearnFree.org provides you with access to 10 core lessons and five extras, including a quiz that lets you put your skills to the test.

These modules are really intended for beginners, but make it easier to learn Photoshop from the beginning.

5. Photoshop Essentials

Every lesson on Photoshop Essentials is created “with beginners in mind.”

You can access information straight through the site or by visiting their companion YouTube channel.

Some of the information is basic, like how to open images using the software,

while others focus on fun edits, like giving a person rainbow colored eyes.

6. Photoshop Café

Another site full of tutorial videos is Photoshop Café. Using their instructional content, you can learn to do popular tasks like cutting out trees, putting text inside a shape, and how to turn a photo into a pencil sketch.

7. Tuts+

This site goes beyond the basic, letting you learn Photoshop techniques to help you accomplish goals like creating photo-realistic wax seal mock-ups and aligning your Facebook cover and profile picture for a seamless image.

8. Design Stacks

Design Stacks offers shareable tutorials to help you learn Photoshop from nearly beginning to end.

You can start with the basics which will help you understand concepts like layers and non-destructive dodge and burn, and move on to photo manipulations, special effects, and web layouts.

9. Trevor Morris Photographics

This site offers only a few tutorials now, but the keyboard shortcuts downloads are helpful for anyone who wants to learn Photoshop. Why?

Because sometimes pressing a few keys is so much faster than digging through menus. And who doesn’t love saving some time and hassle.

10. PluralSight

PluralSight, which recently absorbed the learning destination known as Digital Tutors, offers a wide array of Photoshop tutorials and courses.

Some of the information is suitable for beginners while others require being familiar with the software to accomplish the goals set forth in the project.

However,

all of it is useful, and it’s a great resource if you want to learn almost everything Photoshop can do.

11. Sleek Lens

This photography blog isn’t entirely focused on tutorials, but there are plenty to choose from. For example, you can learn how to digital add fire to a photograph using one of the posts.

There’s also general photography advice, such as how to take the highest quality photos under specific conditions,

as well as other helpful information, like camera reviews.

12. Floqq

Floqq offers a free course called, “Learning Adobe Photoshop in 30 Days.”

The class is divided into 30 steps and includes 32 videos (and introduction and conclusion,

and one video for each step).

13. Alison

Similar to Udemy and other learning platforms, Alison provides access to two free courses designed to help you learn Photoshop, as well as some others that may be helpful, like guides to digital photography.

14. Photoshop Forums

While this isn’t a traditional learning platform, Photoshop Forums does have a significant amount of information available.

The site is now considered closed,

but the threads persist. So, you can dig into the archives to find answers to questions you may have.