Creating a New Image


Photoshop CS

Creating a new image in Photoshop is like giving a painter a blank canvas. Photoshop CS offers several new options when you create a new image. In the New dialog box you can use document presets (Photoshop comes with quite a list all ready for you to use) to select a specific image size, create and save custom document presets, and delete presets. All of these features are discussed in the following steps.

You can also choose the color mode and color depth you want to use, and adjust the color profile to match your monitor type. The color mode and color depth you select depends upon the type of image you’re creating. (For more about color mode and depth, look at Chapter 4; to learn about color profiles and color management, turn to Chapter 5.)

To create a new image:

  1. Choose FileNew or select Ctrl+N (z+N on a Mac).

    The New dialog box, shown in Figure 3-1, appears, displaying many options.

    click to expand
    Figure 3-1: Use the New dialog box to set the size, resolution, and color mode of the image.

  2. Type a name for the image in the Name text box.

    The name you enter appears in the image’s title bar, but Photoshop doesn’t automatically save the image using that name because you haven’t saved the image yet. (To find out how to save an image, check out “Saving a new image,” later in this chapter.)

  3. Set the size of the image.

    You can choose a preset document size using the Preset drop-down list box, or you can enter the image dimensions in the Width and Height text boxes.

    Tip

    If you have copied an image to the Clipboard, the New dialog box automatically displays the image’s dimensions and the Preset drop-down list box displays Clipboard.

  4. Enter the resolution you need for your final output.

    If you are going to print the image you create, you’ll want to set this option for at least 300 ppi (pixels per inch); if you are creating an image for the Web, set this option to 96 ppi. (Turn to Chapter 4 for a discussion about image resolution. I cover printing in Chapter 6, and in Part VII I discuss preparing images for the Web.)

  5. Select a color mode and bit depth.

    Use the Color Mode drop-down list to select a color mode and use the drop-down list to the right of the Color Mode box to select a bit depth. The color mode you select depends upon the type of image you are creating. A good default selection is RGB. You can always convert the image to a different color mode later.

    Photoshop CS

    In addition, a new bit depth feature in the Photoshop CS New dialog box, determines the maximum number of colors possible in an image. Turn to Chapter 5 for a complete explanation of color modes, converting images from one color mode to another, and bit depth.

  6. Select a background color using the Background Contents drop-down list box.

    In the Background Contents drop-down list box, you have three options to choose from for the image’s background:

    • White: White creates a new image with a white background.

    • Background color: Background color refers to the color currently selected in the Background color square in the Toolbox

    • Transparent: Transparent sets a layer as the bottom tier of the document (for more about layers and transparency, check out Chapter 8).

    To find the location of the Background color square, look at Figure 2-2 in Chapter 2; for information on selecting a Background color, turn to Chapter 5.

  7. Click the button next to Advanced to expand the New dialog box.

  8. Use the Color Profile drop-down list to select a color management option.

    Color management deals with how color is handled between Photoshop and peripheral input and output devices (such as digital cameras, scanners, computer monitors, and printers). Color management is a system that equates colors between these devices, making the input (for instance a photograph from a digital camera) look like the output (a printed version of the photograph).

    If you’re not sure what to select from this menu, just use the Photoshop default already selected in the drop-down list. For more information about color management and setting color profiles, turn to Chapter 5.

  9. Click OK.

    The new image window opens, ready for action, as shown in Figure 3-2.

    click to expand
    Figure 3-2: The new image is just like a painter’s empty canvas. Grab a brush and start painting.




Photoshop CS For Dummies
Photoshop CS For Dummies
ISBN: 0764543563
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 221

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