To be create better images and be efficient with your precise time it is absolutely necessary to become well versed with Photoshop's tools. Learning the Tools palette sometimes called the Toolbox takes time and energy but the is well worth the effort.

Adobe Photoshop Tools and Tips

Marquee Tool - makes selections, rectangular or circular

Move Tool - moves the object on the layer

Polygonal Lasso Tool - creates polygonal selections

Magic Wand - makes a selection based on the selected color

Crop Tool - crops Photoshop file

Slice Tool - creates slices

Healing Brush - used to fix or delete unwanted objects

Brush Tool - brush

Clone Stamp - used to duplicate/clone objects

History Brush - draw with history snapshots

Eraser - erase Photoshop objects

Gradient - createa gradient

Blur Tool - create blurry image

Dodge Tool - add dodge effect

Path Selection - select the whole path drawn by pen tool

Text tool - type text

Pen tool - draw vector path

Custom Shape tool - create shapes

Notes tool - create notes

Eyedropper tool - select color

Hand tool - move objects

Zoom tool - zoom in and zoom out on the image
 

Adobe Photoshop Tool Tips

The (Window> History) History Palette is like the Undo command on steroids. It allows the designer to experiment know that one can retrace any of your steps if the next steps you take are wrong. The number of steps is user-defined with the only limitation being the amount of HD space on the system.

Text on a Path

Use the Vector tools, such as the Pen tool, to create working paths (Window>Paths). Use the Test tool, position the baseline indicator over the path and click, start typing. The flow of the text will be in the direction the points were created. But using the Direct Selection tool or the Path Selection tool the Designer can move the typed text along the path created or even flip the text.

Blur Tool

This tool is invaluable for smoothing out detail or softening the edges of your graphics. Graphic designers can make adjustments to the brush sizes and strength. The Designer can make specific selections on parts of an  image and “blur focus” these areas if this effect is desired.

Replacing Colors

New to Photoshop CS is the Color Replacement tool. It allows the Designer another tool to quickly change the color of any part of the graphic – without making a selection and using the color-correction tools. This tool does automatically detect “boundaries” with optional setting for tweaking.

Layer Comps

New to Photoshop CS the Layer Comp is a snapshot of the current state of the Layer palette. Its very useful for saving various combinations of layers within the Photoshop CS designs – the ability to save and to recall these states is very useful when showing multiple concepts with the same document quickly and
efficiently.

Sponge Tool

The Sponge Tool is very useful in applying local adjustments of saturation of colors in any graphic image. The tool allows the increase or decrees of the saturation of color through the Options bar. Note that in grayscale mode the tool increases or decrease contrast. Use this tool to intensify color – as in the green eyes of a subject or to remove the color in the cheeks of a model.

The Liquify Tool

The Liguify Tool (Filter>Liguify) is a “quirky” fun tool that allows the Designer to push and pull any parts of an image around. Used subtly it can give a photograph a watery surface in appearance, use it to create abstract images or use it to create a glossy metallic reflections effect.

The Magic Wand Tool

The Magic Wand Tool has setting (they are not apparent) that does affect the manner it samples pixels in a graphic image. One of these parameters is hidden. If the Designer selects the Eyedropper tool – one Point Sample option by default is selected; however, you can make a change to 3x3 or 5x5 areas. Selecting which Point Sample is selected will affect the manner in which the Magic Wand will work.

The Dodge and Burn Tools

These are often forgotten tools but they can be very useful. The dodge Tool reproduces an effect of underexposing portions of the image applied too; while, the Burn Tool reproduces overexposure. Basically they either lighten or darken areas of an image applied too, while still retaining important detail.

Tool Shortcuts

These Tool Shortcuts (plus others – the standards Ctrl+A, Crtl+C, Crtl+D …) will help you become more efficient and help improve your workflow big time not only in Photoshop but Illustrator CS and any applications where you can customize shortcuts. I use these below in my daily work.

More to come…

Photoshop CS Tools | Shortcut Keys