Photoshop Tips #11


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*1. AVOID THE MENU AND TOOLBAR

In our previous tip, we suggested right-clicking in Windows or 
Option-clicking on the Macintosh to access the contextual menus 
instead of moving the cursor to the menu or toolbar. In 
addition to the contextual menus, you can use the multitude of 
Photoshop keyboard shortcuts to avoid the menu and toolbar. You 
can find an extensive list of shortcut keys in the Photoshop 
help file.


*2. KEEPING THE TEXT FIELD SELECTED

Adobe ImageReady has a slightly different interface than Adobe 
Photoshop. You can alter most elements of an object (such as 
type) directly from the appropriate palette. Simply enter a new 
value and press Enter or Return to apply the value.

You may have noticed that pressing Enter or Return to apply the 
new setting deselects the palette and returns focus to the 
image. This is fine if you are simply making a change. However, 
if you are experimenting with different values, reselecting the 
palette and input text field becomes tedious. Luckily, instead 
of pressing Enter or Return, you can use Shift-Enter or 
Shift-Return to apply the new changes and keep the current 
input text field active.


*3. GETTING TO HIDDEN TOOLS

Photoshop and ImageReady have so many tools that Adobe decided 
to stack similar tools in the toolbar. Normally, to choose a 
hidden tool, you click and hold a tool in the toolbox for a 
second or two until a list of stacked tools appears. Then you 
choose the tool you want.

As we've mentioned before, those seconds you wait quickly add 
up to a lot of wasted time. The next time you want to use a 
hidden tool, press Alt in Windows or Option on the Macintosh 
and click the tool in the toolbox. Each click will cycle to the 
next hidden tool. Pressing Shift while you Alt-click or 
Option-click will cycle to the previous hidden tool.


*4. EXPLORING BRUSH TIPS

While you edit an image, don't remain locked into the brush 
that happens to be currently selected. There are many instances 
where the tools offered in the default Photoshop Brushes 
palette aren't the right tools for the job.

Explore the alternate brush sets that ship with Photoshop. You 
can find brushes with varied shapes and edges in the Photoshop 
application directory. To load a brush into the Brushes 
palette, choose Load Brushes from the Brushes palette menu. In 
the resulting dialog box, navigate to the Photoshop application 
directory and open the Goodies\Brushes directory. Then select a 
brushes file to load into Photoshop.


*5. ROLL YOUR OWN

In our previous tip, we discussed using the right tool for the 
right job. In addition, we mentioned that the default Photoshop 
Brushes palette might not always have the right tool. 
Fortunately, Photoshop ships with several alternative brush 
tips you can easily load into the Brushes palette.

However, if none of the standard or alternative Photoshop brush 
tips seem to match up to your job, you may have to create a 
custom brush. Luckily, creating a new brush to your 
specifications is very simple. To do so, choose New Brush from 
the Brushes palette. In the resulting dialog box, set the 
diameter, hardness of the brush edge, spacing, angle, and 
roundness. Then click OK and choose your new brush from 
the palette.


*6. SAVING A PNG FILE FROM PHOTOSHOP

Keeping up with the latest Photoshop and Web trends and 
standards is challenging. One of the emerging standards is the 
PNG graphic file format. PNG was developed as an alternative to 
the copyrighted GIF file format.

As GIFs, PNG files support several different color bit-depths. 
Moreover, the PNG compression scheme is just as aggressive as 
GIF compression. Therefore, you can save high-color images at 
small file sizes. In addition, you can choose to set the PNG 
file to load progressively in a Web browser.

To save an image in the PNG file format, choose File, Save For 
Web. Next, choose PNG-8 or PNG-24 from the File Format list 
box. Then, click OK, and name and save the file.


*7. RECORD DESIGN INFORMATION IN A LAYER

How often have you opened a Photoshop document only to find the 
fonts used in the file aren't installed in your system? Although 
it's a simple matter to install a font, you first have to know 
what font was used. However, if Photoshop substitutes a font 
available on your system for the missing font, discovering the 
original typeface can be challenging.

One way to avoid such mishaps is to habitually record specific 
information about your Photoshop document on an empty layer. 
Simply use the Type tool to record such things as typefaces, 
font sizes, and colors. Doing so gives the next artist who 
works on your file a roadmap to the image's creation 
and modification.


*8. SAVING FILE DATA AS A SEPARATE TEXT DOCUMENT

In our previous tip, we suggested you record appropriate 
information about your Photoshop document in an empty layer. If 
you're not comfortable writing nonprintable information in a 
printable layer of a Photoshop document, you can always record 
pertinent information in the File Info box.

File Info lists general file information such as the captions, 
keywords, credits, and copyrights. Although none of these 
categories is perfectly suited to record file-creation 
specifics, you can write as much image information as you can 
in the Special Instructions area of the Caption section.

To use File Info, while your image is open, choose File, File 
Info. In the resulting dialog box, enter the image or 
supplementary information. To save the file information with 
your image, be sure to save your file as an Adobe 
Photoshop file.


*9. SAVING FILE INFO AS AN EXTERNAL FILE

We've been discussing ways to record file information with your 
Photoshop document. As you may recall, the first method was 
simply to record file information, such as fonts and colors, in 
an empty image layer. The second method suggests writing the 
appropriate file information in the File Info dialog box and 
saving the file as an Adobe Photoshop file. The third method we 
suggest is to write the information in the File Info dialog box 
and save the file information as a separate file (.ffo) that 
you keep with the image.

To export the file information from Photoshop as a text file, 
choose File, File Info. In the resulting dialog box, click 
Save. Name the file the same name as the Photoshop file and 
click Save.


*10. LOADING FILE INFO FROM AN EXTERNAL FILE

In the past few tips, we've been discussing recording file 
information as a separate file with your Photoshop document. As 
we mentioned, you write appropriate information, such as fonts 
and colors used to create the image, in the File Info dialog 
box. Then you click Save in the File Information dialog box, 
and Photoshop creates a separate File Info document (.ffo) to 
accompany your image.

To use the File Info file when you open a Photoshop image, 
choose File, File Info and select Load in the resulting dialog 
box. Then, navigate to the .ffo file accompanying the open 
image, select the file, and click Open. Photoshop imports all 
the information recorded in the .ffo file into the File Info 
dialog box.
