Chapter 2. Photoshop s Interface

2. Photoshop's Interface

Photoshop's interface can be pretty intimidating. Among all those windows, tools, and menu commands it's pretty easy to get lost. However, you know it's worth it to master these components. Adobe Photoshop is by far the most-used image editor, and knowing how to harness its power unlocks a world of design opportunities. Working professionals use it for a variety of tasks, from enhancing magazine photos to designing Web animations, from creating television graphics to performing medical imaging.

You can press the letter F to enter full-screen mode. This can be useful as it blocks out other images on your computer's desktop.

Open the file One Way.psd from the Chapter 2 folder on the DVD-ROM included with this book. Many of the windows in Photoshop require an image to be open before they display any detail.

The most important thing is to learn the essential features you need right away, then gradually grow into the rest as needed. I frequently tell students of all levels that there are often three or more ways to do the same thing inside of Photoshop. This is because Adobe's software designers have tried their best to make the program intuitive (and we certainly don't all think the same way). Additionally, new features are often unveiled with product updates, yet the old features remain for those who resist change or prefer the older method.

Learning Photoshop is a very doable task, especially if you take a balanced and measured approach. At this point in my career, I have taught over 25,000 people how to get more from Adobe Photoshop. I have seen older professionals as well as young students grow into the program. In fact, I tell people that learning Photoshop is the best way to learn other Adobe programs such as Illustrator and After Effects, as well as diverse tasks like color correction for video or Web page design.