5 Photoshop Tips for Graphic Designers
Graphic designers have the opportunity to work in creative environments. The field is diverse since most industries hire graphic designers for advertising purposes. If you’re considering a career as a graphic designer, then you’ll need to embrace Photoshop as the program will help you create professional projects. Five helpful Photoshop tips include:
• Using keyboard shortcuts to maneuver layers
• Enacting tool presets to maintain your favorite brushes
• Learning how to create patterns
• Developing the proper scaling method to maintain proportions
• Incorporating new image removal techniques
Maneuvering Layers
While working in Photoshop, you’ll need to add various layers to a design. You may even need to add dozens of layers to one project to complete an idea. To save yourself clicks, add extra layers with a dialog box featuring the key code Cmd + Shift + N. If you need to add a new section without using a dialog box, then use the key code Cmd + Shift + Alt + N. In design, you may need to merge layers. To do so, use the code Cmd + E. To group layers, select Cmd + click.
Maintaining Your Preferred Brushes
Once you’ve prepared your tools in a particular way, consider keeping them to save yourself time. For instance, if you’ve developed a Scatter Brush from your preferred WeGraphics Watercolor Brush Kit, access the Tool Preset Palette. Then, select the new Tool Preset Icon, which is positioned at the bottom of the palette. This will allow you to save your settings instead of reestablishing them every time you need the Splatter Paint option. After you’ve gathered a group of presets, save them for later use. You can organize your presets by project type or tool. Photoshop also has several preset tool collections for your convenience.
Forming Art with Patterns
Graphic designers often overlook the importance of developing patterns in Photoshop. You can create stunning designs with patterns and layers. With the right technique, you can make a background pattern that stretches to fit windows that are different sizes. The technique for creating seamless patterns is easy to use. To form a seamless pattern in Photoshop, use the Filter feature followed by Other. Then, select Offset. With the Offset feature, you’ll be able to eliminate seam lines by accessing the program’s Clone Stamp or the Healing Brush. Once you’ve formed a pattern, define it for later use with the Edit and Define Pattern feature.
Scaling and Proportioning Techniques
As a graphic designer, you’ll need to learn how to scale and proportion projects. To complete the task properly, press and hold the shift key to keep an image at the right scale. When you use this method, it will add a professional style to your projects. You can also use the top tool bar to scale a design. Once you’ve accessed it, scale by selecting a percentage value. For a shortcut, select the chain between the fields to keep the percentage values secured. This step will hold your design in the proper proportions.
Removing Images
A new option for deleting an element from an image is Photoshop’s Content Aware Fill. This technique is easier to use than other methods. To use the feature, outline the undesired element. Keep in mind that your selection can be imperfect as long as you outline the entire item. The next step is to click Edit followed by Fill. Also, make sure that you’ve chosen the Content Aware feature. The program’s effectiveness will depend on the design that you’re editing, but it is faster than other methods.
Concluding Thoughts
By developing your Photoshop skills, you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful graphic designer. In the graphic design industry, Photoshop is one of the most advanced tools. You can use it to enhance your creativity and improve your productivity.
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