Beginner's Guide to Adobe Photoshop: Interface Overview

Introduction

• Instructor: Gareth
• Tool: Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 for Mac
• Objective: Familiarize with Photoshop's interface
• Version Note: Differences might exist with earlier versions or Windows

Setting Up Your Workspace

• Essentials Workspace:
  1. Go to Window > Workspace > Essentials
  2. Reset Essentials: Window > Workspace > Reset Essentials
• Application Frame:
  • Enable/Disable: Window > Application Frame
  • Recommended to keep enabled for the course

Interface Overview

General Interface

• Adobe CC, CS6: Dark interface
  • Earlier versions: Light interface
  • Toggle interface color: Photoshop > Preferences > Interface

Opening Documents

• Sample document: Interface Introduction in the project folder
• Download project folder via the link in the description

Interface Elements

Tools Panel (Left)

• Activation: Click tool or use keyboard shortcut
• Active Tool Indicator: Highlight square behind tool icon
• Tool Sets: Click and hold tool icon for more tools (e.g., Pen Tool, Shape Tool)
• Foreground and Background Colors:
  • Top square: Foreground color
  • Bottom square: Background color
  • Swap colors button
  • Default colors button
• Single/Double Column Toggle: Top left arrows

Control Panel (Top)

• Displays properties and options for the selected tool
• Dynamic Updates: Changes with the tool selected

Panels (Right)

• Visible Panels: Layers, Libraries, Color
• Icon Panels: History, Properties
  • Click to expand or collapse
• Tabbed Panels: Multiple panels within one tab (e.g., Layers includes Channels and Paths)
• Customization of panels will be covered in the next video

Document Tabs

• Located just under the control panel.
• Multiple Documents: Can have multiple tabs (documents) open
  • Click tabs to navigate documents
  • Example: File > New to open new documents

Status Bar (Bottom)

• Magnification Box: Shows document zoom percentage
• Visual Aid Box: Shows document properties (e.g., dimensions)
  • Customizable display options

Next Steps

• Next video: Customizing the work panels for a tailored workspace
  • Goal: Achieve a comfortable and efficient workspace

Conclusion

• End of this video on interface overview
• Stay tuned for the next video in the series