The first question I get from people every single time we discuss graphics design is how long will it take me to learn Photoshop perfectly? The answer is you could learn Photoshop in one day but perfectly is well, I can’t help you with that.
I can give you my secret Photoshop tips to boost your skills, and you could be on your way to perfect from there. These tips that I’m about to share with you took me roughly four years to figure them out, and since I started using them, my graphics design has been in shape.
Photoshop Tips for Graphics Designers
First, let’s understand what this thing is all about. Graphics design is the transfer of thoughts from the mind to the eyes through the combinations of colours, images, lines, texture and texts. It is bringing to understandable reality our wildest thoughts.
From this definition, it’s clear that graphics design is first finished in mind, and that is where many people get it wrong. If you get it wrong in the first place, evidently you will mess the whole thing up. Many people don’t believe you need a sound mind to be a good graphics person, so they spend most of their time developing the skill instead of the mind.
Maybe I should remind you, Graphics design is an Art, and just like every other art it is the reflection of the pen bearer. Every painting made by an artist has a part of his soul represented in that work of art, so does every masterpiece of a graphics designer the only difference is the paintbrush and the Photoshop.
Art is an expression; graphics design is too and should be treated as such, not just some selfish skill. The more we begin to engage our hearts and a little less of our head into graphics, the more perfect we become at it.
Understanding Basic Photoshop tools
Photoshop is a vast editorial tool; it could almost do anything you can imagine to or with an image but trying to know it all will get you frustrated.
I always advise anyone who desires to learn graphics design using Photoshop to focus on a particular division of Photoshop tips and stay out of the rest. Every division has a group of basic tools mostly used at each level.
An infographics designer has little or no need for filters while an image editor might never need the shape tool. It is very important to be specific about what you use Photoshop for and stay focused on it.
By channelling all your intensions on an aspect of Photoshop will indefinitely boost your skill on that area. When you identify where you want to function from then identify the most frequently used tool on that division and master these tool.
You don’t have to know all the tools yet just pick five tools out these frequently used tools and start working on them till you become an expert in just these five tools.
The amazing thing about Photoshop is you can do the work of some certain sophisticated tools with the combination of 2 or 3 basic tools. So, the more you get used to these basic tools, the more edge you have on the sophisticated tools.
These basic tools are on the left bar side of the Photoshop environment. Don’t be scared to play around those tools. Find out what they do and how they can improve your designs. There are about 20 tools on the left bar side of the Photoshop environment, but I’ll recommend five most frequently used of all the tools. Getting used to these tools will boost your skills.
- Move tool: use this tool to move objects around the Photoshop environment. Always remember to fall back to this tool after making use of other tools. The move tool is located at the top of the toolbox left bar side of the Photoshop environment.
- Polygonal Lasso tool: use this tool to cut irregularly around rasterized objects. I will advise you always zoom into the area you want to cut while using this tool it makes it work better.
- Eraser Tool: use to clean unwanted parts of any object on the work area. It is also the easiest way to rasterize objects in the Photoshop environment.
- Text Tool: Click on this tool and place the cursor where you want your text to fall into place. Almost explore the diverse text edit options this tool prompts at the top bar of the Photoshop environment.
- Rectangular Tool or Shape tool: use this tool to create shapes but regular and some irregular shapes on the working space within the Photoshop environment
Mastering these five basic Photoshop most frequently used tools will boost your skill beyond your wildest imagination. You can do a lot with just these five basic tools.
Developing Graphic Sensitivity
One last thing every Graphic designer needs to know is how to combine factors. Graphic sensitivity knows how to combine colours, arrange fonts and align an object to produce the best outcome. My secret to developing graphic sensitivity is to study other works that I think is beautiful. I do this all the time, and it helps.
When you come across a design that draws your attention, take your time and study it find out why it caught your attention and try to replicate those effect. This is my secret Photoshop tips to boost your skills.
Don’t forget to practise as often as possible. That’s the only way you can get used to your tool and don’t be afraid to try out new tools every once in a while.