Tool Options:
As you can see there are a wide variety of tools to be used. Each tool also comes with
it’s own set of tool options. These options allow the user to fine tune aspects of the
tools usage and are different for each tool in question.
In Fig. 1.2, we see the tool options for the text tool. The first item in the tool options
palette is the tool presets button that allows you to access preset combinations of
options, which you may have saved in the past. This feature allows for you to save
common combinations of options so that you do not have to reset them every time
you use the tool.
In the text tool options, the next button allows you to change the orientation of the
text. Following that we have the options to change the font and the font style. Next,
we have the drop down list to change the font size, while the types of anti-aliasing
you want to set follow this. Anti-Aliasing is a technique where by extra pixels are
added at the edges of shapes in order to give them a smoother, less pixelated look.
The alignment buttons and the colour swatch for choosing the colour of your text in
turn follow this. The second last button on the tool options palette allows you to create
warped text while the final button allows you to open up a dialogue box for further
character and paragraph options. As we have said, these are just the text tool
options – as we use different tools, we will see their different options in use.
Menus:
We can also see the menu bar in Fig. 1.2, showing the different menus that the user
can choose from. Each of these contains a drop down list of even more options:
The file menu enables the user to perform operations such as open, close or
save. Indeed, there are even a number of different save options to enable the
user to save the image in the most appropriate context.
The edit menu offers a range of options for editing the image. One of the most
popular features that we will use from this menu is the transform option,
which allows us to scale, rotate or skew and image element.
The image menu gives options for working with the image such as resizing
the amount of pixels in the image, or increasing the size of the work area or
canvas.
In PhotoShop, images are contained on layers. The advantage of this is that we
can compose a more complex graphic from independent graphic elements
based on separate layers. Each layer can be edited separately without
compromising the overall integrity of the image file. To this end we have a
layers menu for performing operations to do with the management of the
different layers within an image.
The next menu along the menu bar is the select menu, which allows you to
perform operations on selections.
Next to the select menu is the filter menu. This menu provides the user with
many different filters that they can apply to their image to create different
effects.
The view menu allows you to such things as set a colour set for the document,
turn on rulers, zoom in and out etc.
Second to last we have the window menu, which allows you to turn on and off
the different palettes that we will use in the course of our work with
Photoshop.
The last menu on the menu bar is the help menu. This is quite a
comprehensive feature, due to the complex nature of the Photoshop package.
As it will be impossible to demonstrate every single aspect of Photoshop’s functionality, this feature will be a
positive aid to you in your work with
Photoshop after today.
Palettes:
In the work area there are a number of palettes
visible to the user. These palettes contain
useful functions for manipulating images. A
complete list of palettes and the option to turn
them on or off is visible under the window
menu.
Each palette can be made visible by clicking
the tab with its name on it. The most important
palettes are:
The History palette, which allows you
to view the history of actions that you
have performed on an image and to
undo those actions while also providing
you with the opportunity to save these
actions for repeated use.
The Layers palette, which allows you
to efficiently manage the different
layers in your image. From here, you
can lock a layer so that it can’t be
edited, add image effects, create and
delete layers, set the opacity of a layer
and many other things that help you to
create images cleanly and efficiently
The colour, styles and brushes palettes are also two very important palettes,
giving you continued variety when creating and manipulating images.
Individual palettes will be discussed as we meet them in the course of this class.
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