ChapterTwo.The Checklist


Chapter Two. The Checklist

How many times as a child did you hear "look both ways before you cross the street"? If you're a parent, you've probably said things like that many, many times. I think we can all agree that being careful and proceeding with caution is a pretty good rule for most things in life. Why then do we dive right into Photoshop and start using tools, layers , and filters without "looking both ways" first?

Of course the answer is that Photoshop is such an amazing tool with so many possibilities that we just can't wait to use it. Or maybe you've been using Photoshop for so long that you feel confident you can "get across the street" without any challenges. In reality, there are many factors that can get in the way, slow down progress, or even bring things to a complete halt.

This chapter contains an approach to help track down the cause of problems and ways to potentially avoid those problems altogether. While the Q&A chapters in this book attempt to provide quick answers to common questions, this is a chapter thathopefullywill fundamentally change the approach you take in Photoshop.

I don't want to oversimplify things, but I really believe that a simple change of habit can help solve many of the problems people run into in Photoshop. The change? Slow down, and go through a quick checklist before you start doing anything. It's easy to say, but it can be a real effort; I mean, let's face itPhotoshop is fun, and we want to jump right in and start doin' stuff. But honestly, it's that desire to "get going" that can lead to problems.

For example, you want to get to work with the Brush tool (B) so you click on it and start painting. Before you know it, you have a brush that's way too big, you've got the wrong color , you're painting on the wrong layer, or worseyou get the "I'm-sorry-I-can't-let- you-do-that" symbol. The typical response is to think, "Hey, why did that happen?" followed by a quick undo and an attempt to figure out what went wrong. Instead, before clicking with the Brush tool, go through a quick checklist:

  • Make note of the shape and size of the brush you're using.

  • Make note of the settings in the Options Bar, such as Opacity, blend mode, etc.

  • Know what Foreground color the brush will use.

And that's just for the operation of the tool itself. You also should check these factors:

  • Is anything selected (this will affect the way the tool works)?

  • Should you select an area first before painting?

  • Are you painting on a separate layer? Should you create a new layer first?

  • If you have multiple layers, is the correct layer targeted (active)?

  • Are you attempting to paint on a layer that can't be used (Type layers) or a locked layer (does the Lock icon appear to the right of the layer's name )?

  • Is the Caps Lock key on (this changes the brush size to the precise cursor)?

Here's the tricky part: When you change your tool settings, the items in your checklist will also change. Hey, I didn't say it was going to be easy and that you'd get the hang of it right away, but the concept of checking firstbefore using a toolis easy enough. It's important to remember that any setting you change becomes the default setting from then on, until you change it again. For instance, if the last time you used the Lasso tool (L) was a few days ago and you had set the Feather setting to 12 pixels in the Options Bar, the Lasso tool will continue to use that Feather amount "forever"even if you quit and restart Photoshop. That suggests that you should either (1) make sure you check the Feather setting before using the Lasso or (2) leave the Feather amount in the Options Bar at 0 pixels and use Select>Feather to add feathering to the Lasso selection.

Feathering Suggestion

Here's my strategy to avoid any issues with feathering: I always leave the Feather setting in the Options Bar set to 0 pixels whenever I'm using any selection tool (Lasso, Rectangular Marquee, etc.). After making a selection, I Control-click (PC: Right-click) within the selection, and from the contextual menu that appears, choose Feather. Then I enter the Feather Radius amount, which feathers the selection but leaves the default Feather amount at 0 pixels in the Options Bar.


Here's the other side of the checklist: You have started working (without really checking things first), and you run into a problem. The same checklist can be used to track down why you've encountered the problem. Yes, you heard it here firstthis multipurpose checklist can help you before you start and if you run into some difficulties. For example, consider these two problems and some of the possible answers:

Q: Why isn't the Fill command (Edit>Fill) working properly?

A: The layer is set to Lock Transparent Pixels.

A: The target layer is hidden.

A: More than one layer is selected.

A: The wrong area is selected.

A: The blend mode is wrong in the Fill dialog.

Q: Why can't I get the Clone Stamp tool (S) to work?

A: A Type layer is active.

A: The target layer is hidden (meaning its Eye icon is turned off).

A: The tool's settings are incorrect in the Options Bar.

A: There's an area selected that shouldn't be.

If our checklist concept were applied before attempting to use the Fill command or the Clone Stamp tool, perhaps these questions wouldn't have even come up.

With that said, here are some of the key parts of your ongoing checklist, somewhat in the order of their importance:



Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book
The Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book
ISBN: 0321337042
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 225
Authors: Dave Cross

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