A compilation of tools and tips for Photoshop, offering practical advice and techniques to streamline workflows and improve design efficiency.
Sometimes Photoshop's default settings can make beginners think their software or hardware is broken. Images that fly around uncontrollably when panning, scroll bars appearing on full-size images, and zoom tools that seem to have a mind of their own are all caused by simple preference settings that can...
The basic drop shadow effect often looks flat and artificial compared to how shadows actually behave in real environments. Professional designers know that convincing shadows require understanding light direction, surface interaction, and atmospheric perspective. This technique demonstrates how to create custom shadows that respond naturally to your composition's...
A cluttered toolbar can slow down your workflow when you can't find the tools you need. Meanwhile, dozens of useful tools remain hidden in groups or completely out of sight. Learning to customize your toolbar lets you organize tools according to your actual workflow, remove tools you never...
Creating professional-looking background blur can transform ordinary photos into stunning portraits with proper depth of field. The key lies in combining the right selection techniques with blur filters to achieve natural-looking results that rival expensive camera lenses. This approach focuses on precision and speed, ensuring your subject remains sharp while...
Photoshop's new AI Sharpen filter promises one-click sharpening powered by advanced algorithms. This tool uses technology from Topaz Labs to enhance image details without manual adjustments, but it comes with a significant cost in credits. Understanding when to use this automated approach versus traditional methods like the High...
Flipping images is a fundamental technique that can dramatically change the composition and impact of your photos. Whether you need to correct the orientation of a subject, create mirror effects, or simply improve the visual flow of your design, knowing how to quickly flip images both horizontally and vertically gives...
Ever finish editing an image in Photoshop and struggle to remember exactly what you did? When you want to recreate those edits on another photo, the steps become a blur of adjustments, deletions, and changes. Photoshop's History Log feature has been hiding in plain sight for years, but...
Two of the most popular adjustments from Camera Raw—Clarity and Dehaze—are now available as adjustment layers in Photoshop beta. These tools work on different image frequencies to enhance contrast and cut through atmospheric haze, giving you precise control over midtone contrast and low-frequency areas. Understanding how these adjustments...
Photoshop hasn’t changed as much as it looks. New features come and go, but the same core techniques keep showing up in real work. If you skip them, everything feels harder than it should. This post focuses on those basics, not as isolated tricks, but as skills you’ll...
Background removal becomes effortless when you know how to use the right tools. AI-powered selection can instantly isolate subjects from their backgrounds, but the real skill lies in refining those selections to create professional results. This guide covers the complete workflow from initial selection to edge refinement, plus creative techniques...
Dust spots and sensor particles are inevitable challenges in digital photography, appearing as dark specks that distract from otherwise clean images. Camera sensors collect dust over time, creating consistent spots that show up across multiple photos, particularly in bright sky areas or uniform backgrounds. Both Lightroom and Photoshop offer specialized...
When choosing professional photo editing software, the decision often comes down to comparing features, performance, and value. This detailed comparison examines the core capabilities of both applications across noise reduction, smart selections, object removal, masking, and AI-powered tools. The analysis covers real-world scenarios that professionals encounter daily, from complex background...
Adobe's new integration brings Photoshop functionality directly into ChatGPT, promising to streamline photo editing through conversational commands. This hands-on evaluation reveals how well the AI-powered interface actually performs compared to traditional Photoshop workflows. Understanding the real capabilities and limitations of this integration helps determine when it's...
Navigating the world of AI-powered editing tools can be confusing when you're unsure which features consume credits and which are free to use. Many powerful AI functions don't require any credits at all, while others can quickly exhaust your monthly allowance depending on which models and...
Low-resolution images often limit your creative projects, especially when you need sharp prints or high-quality displays. Photoshop's Generative Upscale feature transforms small, pixelated photos into crisp, detailed images using AI-powered enhancement. This tool offers three distinct AI models, each designed for specific image types—from landscapes and portraits...
Creating seamless composites traditionally requires hours of manual color correction and lighting adjustments. The new Harmonize tool changes this by automatically analyzing your background and matching your subject's lighting, shadows, and color tones with a single click. This AI-powered feature eliminates the need for complex adjustment layers and...
Adobe Photoshop is now integrated directly into ChatGPT, allowing you to edit photos using simple text descriptions. This new feature lets you enhance images, apply creative effects, and make targeted adjustments without needing a Photoshop subscription. You can describe what you want to change and fine-tune adjustments using familiar Photoshop...
Working with multiple layers in Photoshop traditionally required complex workarounds to apply Camera Raw adjustments. The old process involved merging layers, converting to smart objects, and losing the flexibility that makes adjustment layers so powerful. Three new adjustment layers bring Camera Raw's most useful tools directly into your...
Adobe Camera Raw's AI masking tools automatically detect subjects, backgrounds, skies, and landscapes, letting you make precise adjustments to specific areas of your photos. These intelligent masks eliminate the need for manual selection work, while allowing you to combine and refine them for complete creative control. The technique...
Photoshop's AI-powered object removal tools can eliminate unwanted distractions from your photos with minimal effort. The Remove Tool and Generative Fill feature automated detection for common distractions like people and wires, plus manual painting options for custom removals. These tools work on separate layers, preserving your original image...
Color grading can transform your images, but manually adjusting curves and levels for every photo takes time. Photoshop actions offer a faster approach by applying professional color treatments with a single click. This workflow uses pre-built actions, tints, and LUTs to achieve various moods and styles instantly, letting you layer...
Color grading transforms ordinary photos into compelling images with professional mood and atmosphere. These non-destructive techniques let you adjust tones, enhance specific colors, and create cinematic looks while preserving your original image data. Master these four essential color grading methods to develop a consistent editing workflow that elevates your photography....
Creating seamless photo composites requires properly saving cut-out elements with transparent backgrounds. Whether you're extracting people, objects, or other elements for later use, the file format you choose determines how easily you can place these elements into new scenes. Two main approaches work best: saving as PSD files...
Professional color grading often creates a dilemma: boosting vibrant colors while keeping skin tones natural. Traditional saturation adjustments can make portraits look overprocessed, turning skin an unflattering orange or magenta. This technique uses Camera Raw's masking tools to selectively enhance background colors while protecting skin tones, creating vibrant...
