This Adobe Photoshop guide include quick practical tips and advices both for novices and intermediate users who would like to know Photoshop better without spending much time on different tutorials. You will learn tips and tricks on different areas of photo editing with Photoshop: how to select any area, how to automate photo correction in Photoshop, how to speed up work in Photoshop using shortcuts, how to correct photo quickly and protect it using copyright sign, how to enhance portraits and add sunburn, how to make photo puzzle, quick photo collage, write text an any flat surface and fill it with photo.

Quick photo correction

How to remove color tint
Apply Image->Adjustment->Match colors, set Source to None
Play with Luminance, Color intensity and Fade sliders until there will be no color tint.

How to reduce image noise
You can get out image noise or JPG artifacts applying
Filter->Noise->Reduce noise
Using advanced settings you can reduce noise in particular channel to save more details.

How to correct brightness and contrast
Apply Image->Adjustment->Levels
Move external sliders inside up to begin of curves. Move middle slider to the right (darker) or to the left (lighter) to adjust brightness.

How to sharpen photo
Apply Filter->Sharpen->Unsharp mask
Amount and Radius numbers increases sharpen and Threshold prevents from unwanted noise.

Useful Photoshop shortcuts

Double click an empty area to pop up Open file dialog.
Tab – hides and reveals all windows and palettes.
Shift+Tab – hides all windows besides Tools palette.
Ctrl+0 – make image Fit on Screen.
F – Full Screen mode
Ctrl+B – Color Balance
Ctrl+L – Levels
Ctrl+M – Curves
Ctrl+U – Hue/saturation
Ctrl+D – Deselect
Ctrl+I – inverse selection or mask
Alt+Del – fill in selection with Foreground color
Ctrl+Del – fill in selection with Background color
Ctrl+J – make new layer with selection
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N – create new layer
Ctrl+Shift+E – merge visible layers

How to erase unwanted image details using Healing brush or Clone stamp tool

You can easy get rid of any unwanted photo details in Photoshop. While for small details there is Spot Healing Brush, to remove larger objects use Healing Brush (J key) or Clone stamp tool. To start working with both this tools click source area holding Alt key. Then just paint over any unnecessary object. In comparison with Clone stamp Healing brush tool is smarter. It analyzes texture and light in correction process. Try to experiment with both tools and their sizes to get better results for your particular photo. Select area which you will correct before using these tools to make work safer and easier and click source area more often.

How to select any object with Magic wand, Quick mask, Extract tools

Magic wand tool allows you to select monotonous object on a contrast background in one click. Building with the sky as the background is ideal for this tool. After clicking with Magic Wand tool (W key) you should invert selected area (Shift+Ctrl+L). Try to experiment with Tolerance settings for better results. And apply some Feather to smooth the edges.

Use Magnetic Lasso tool (L key) to select parti-colored objects with clear edges. If the edges outlines are not clear enter Quick mask mode by pressing Q. Unselected areas will display in red and you can correct them with a brush. To add area to selection paint it with white and paint with black to subtracts area from selection. After finishing, quit Quick mask mode by pressing Q again.

Extract command is useful for selecting complicated outlines such as a long hair. Apply Filter->Extract, in the popped up window paint object edges with Edge highlighter tool (B key) and fill in closed selected area with Fill tool (G key). Don’t forget to use Zoom tool (Z) for more precise results. Try to check Smart Highlighting and experiment with Brush size as well.

How to make Photo Puzzle with Texturizer Filter

With Photoshop you can easy transform any photo into nice looking puzzle. Open your photo in Photoshop, apply Filter->Texture->Texturizer, click Load texture and select a puzzle texture which you can find in Photoshop directory (Adobe Photoshop->Presets->Textures). Now you can play with settings: by increasing Scaling you can make each piece of puzzle bigger and by rising Relief you add more emboss to your puzzle.
To make your puzzle look more natural cut out piece of the puzzle and put it aside. Select one piece, press Ctrl+X to cut it out, make new Layer and press Ctrl+V to paste it. In the Layers palette click Fx button and apply Drop Shadow effect.  Apply Drop Shadow with the same settings for the first layer as well; first double clicking it to convert from Background to normal layer.

How to enhance portraits with Spot Healing Brush

Perfect face color on the portrait you can get with one mouse click in Photoshop. For removing skin blemishes, birthmark or wrinkles use handy Spot Healing Brush tool. This smart tool automatically finds suitable pixels near problem area and fills it with them. Choose Spot Healing Brush in the tools palette and set desired size in the options. To remove unwanted details just click them with Spot healing Brush.

How to add sunburn with Layer mask

If you would like to spice up a pale face a little bit you should add sunburn to a photo. Create a new Layer and set blending mode to Multiply. Now add a layer mask by clicking circle in a square button in the Layers palette. Select the mask by clicking it and fill it with Black (Ctrl+Backspace).Choose Brush in the tools palette (B key) and set suitable size and hardness. Set Foreground color to white and paint over face area. Reduce Opacity of this layer in the Layers palette to make result look more natural. Do not paint over eyes and teeth!  Next, add some Saturation by applying new Adjustment layer (bask and white icon in the layers palette).

How to make quick collage with Layer mask

For quick photomontage you need an object photo and background photo where you intend to put your object. First of all, select your object than create Layer mask by clicking circle in square sign in the layers palette. Now you will see only an object. To adjust it precisely with background you should slightly change its size and turn it a little bit. Press Ctrl+T and using Free Transform drag on the corners (holding Shift key to constrain proportions). To rotate image click right mouse button and choose Rotate. You can also experiment with Skew, Distort and Perspective options.

How to fill text with image using Clipping mask

Clipping mask will help you to fill text with any texture or photo. Firstly open background photo, type a text and paste it in desired place. In the layers palette convert background layer to normal by double clicking it and clicking OK in the dialog box. In the layers palette drag text layer under image layer. Choose image layer by clicking it and apply Clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G). Now you will have a text filled with an image.

How to batch process photos using actions

If you need to apply the same commands to bunch of photos don’t make it one by one, use Photoshop batch tool instead. Now you read how to create thumbnails preview of your photos for a website. Open Actions palette by pressing F9. Open test image to apply all necessary commands and click in the Actions palette Create New Action button. Write in descriptive name, Thumbnail, for example and click Record to start recording commands.

Now apply to test image all commands you would like to be applied to other photos: Auto Color (Shift+Ctrl+B), contrast correction (Alt+Shift+Ctrl+L) or resize (Alt+Ctrl+I).Then stop record by clicking square button in the Actions palette.

Now run the batch to process other photos. Click File->Automate->Batch. Choose your action name in Action field. As Source choose Folder and click Choose to select a folder with your unprocessed photos. For Destination set Folder for processed photos.In the File naming options choose from drop down menu preferred way to rename your processed photos. Run the Batch by clicking OK, Photoshop will process all photos in the source folder now.

How to create text on a path with Pen tool

With the Pen tool you can create a path for text and change its form easily. Select Pen Tool (P key) from the Tools palette and click Paths button in the Options palette. Position the Pen tool where you want the curve to begin, and hold down the mouse button. The first anchor point appears, Drag to set the slope of the curve segment you’re creating, and then release the mouse button. Hold down the Shift key to constrain the tool to multiples of 45°. To create a C-shaped curve, drag in a direction opposite to the previous direction line. Then release the mouse button. To create an S-shaped curve, drag in the same direction as the previous direction line. Then release the mouse button. To close the path, position the Pen tool over the first (hollow) anchor point. A small circle appears next to the Pen tool pointer when it is positioned correctly. Click or drag to close the path. You can use Pen tool to select any object as well.

Now select Type tool. Place a cursor to the point where you would like your text to appear. As soon as slash appear click and enter the text. You can correct starting point, and path later with a Path selection tool (A key) and Direct selection tool.

How to make special copyright Brush

If you use the same detail (copyright sign) for a lot of your photos, create special brush for it. Then you could insert it like a stamp in any image. Create new document with white or transparent background, then paint or create that element which you would like to be a template. I made a Graphic design for life copyright sign. Color and size of this object are not important as you can define them later in brush options to make text more readable on the photo where you will paste it. Apply Edit->Define Brush Preset command and enter name of the new brush. Click OK and you will have new special copyright Brush in the palette.

How to write text on any flat surface using Vanishing point

The Vanishing Point feature preserves correct perspective by edit of photos that contain perspective planes (for instance, the sides of a building or the door). Open up Vanishing Point by clicking Filter ->Vanishing point (Ctrl+Alt+V). Select The Create Plain Tool (press V , should be selected by default).

Then draw your Vanishing point grid. It’s like a drawing a square. Start by clicking on one of the corners of what you want to outline and drag and click on all four corners of your object to create a grid and click OK. Now you can add text by typing on your object using Text tool. Rasterize the layer (Layer->Rasterize->Type). To make text more natural add some Texture (Filter->Texture ->Texturizer) and choose a Canvas. Hold Ctrl and click on the text layer to select it. Copy the layer.

Open up Vanishing point again and your grid should be still there. Press Ctrl+V to paste your selection. Select Marquee tool (m) to drag your text over the grid (it will transform in process). Select Transform tool to reshape text to fit. Set Layer mode to Overlay and reduce Opacity slightly for better results. You can make the same thing with any object not just text if you want.