It's important that you gain a strong command of your tools as a graphic designer. Here are a few Photoshop basics to get things rolling.

Did you know that 94% of users will leave a website that has poor graphic design?

As a designer that is the last thing you want. Your goal is to attract and appeal to your consumers. In order to create a great design that people will love, you need to know the Photoshop basics.

If you're just getting started or looking to improve your skills, keep reading. This Photoshop guide includes a few tools that you need to learn before continuing.

1. Correcting Exposure

Have you ever seen a photo that looks washed out? It's not a pretty look. You can't always control or adjust the lighting when you're taking a photo.

So you'll need to know how to use Photoshop so you can make the picture pop instead of being faded. By adjusting the exposure you can change the whole look.

• Exposure
• Shadows/Highlights
• Brightness/Contrast

On the menu bar, you'll see the list of tools above and you should familiarize yourself with them. You'll be able to adjust the settings until you find the combination that looks best for the image.

2. Color Adjustments

Color balance is key. You want your design to send a message, but if the colors are too bright or too dull, or unappealing to the eye, people will ignore it. There's a color balancing tool in Photoshop that will allow you to make your design look more natural.

You'll have the option to change the entire image's color, for example, if there's a blue hue, you can adjust it so it looks more natural with yellow hues. If you only want to change one color without adjusting the entire image, you can.

Let's say the trees in the background aren't as green as you want. You can make them brighter without changing the color of the sky or the flowers.

3. Removing Unwanted Spots

Another important part of Photoshop basics is being able to remove unwanted blemishes and unwanted marks. You can use the spot healing brush tool and the patch tool in order to remove these spots on your design.

4. Understand Layering

When creating a design, it's likely that you'll want to make your design pop off the page. The layering technique will allow you to bring your design to the next level.

You'll be able to layer the design or photo and move all the pieces at once. This tool will allow you to take your design to the next level. You can view this Photoshop layers tutorial here to learn how.

Photoshop Basics To Know

Learning how to use Photoshop basics can take some time. Research different tips and watch tutorials.

Don't be too hard on yourself either; editing is one of the challengings that comes with being a designer. However, once you see your photos and designs complete, you'll be thankful you took the time to learn.

For more helpful Photoshop tips and tricks, keep browsing our site. There are many articles that will prove to be useful as you progress in your design career.