Guide To All Photoshop CS4 Tools (Part 2)

Hello Scarletbits readers,

In Part One of this guide, I went over general tips and reminders of Move tool, Marquee selection tools, Lasso Selection Tools, Quick Selection and the Magic Wand Tools, Crop Tool, Slice and Slice Select Tools, Eyedropper Tool, Color Sampler Tool, Count Tool, Healing Tools, Patch tool, Red Eye Tool, Brush Tool, Color Replacement Tool, The Clone Stamp and Pattern Stamp Tool , The History Brush and Art History Brush Tools, The Eraser, Background Eraser, and Magic Eraser Tools , The Gradient and Paint Bucket tools and The Blur, Sharpen, and Smudge Tools in this article I would like to go over the other tools of Photoshop CS4.

Photoshop CS4 Tools (Part 2)

The Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tool

The Dodge and Burn tools are used to lighten or darken an image with a brush method of application. They are especially useful when manipulating duplicate channels to help make selections. The main strength of the Dodge and Burn tools is that in the Options Bar you can set the tools to target mostly highlights, shadows, or mid-tones. This means you don’t have to be as careful when you are using the tools and can usually work more quickly. You can use a larger brush without having to worry as much about affecting areas of a non-targeted lightness that the brush overlaps.

It’s generally a good practice to set the Exposure in the Options Bar to a low number and keep painting an area over and over to build up the effect. This prevents overdoing the change. Paint with the Dodge tool to lighten areas in an image. Paint with the Burn tool to darken areas in an image. In the Options Bar, choose whether to affect mostly highlights, shadows, or mid-tones.

You can drag the Sponge tool over areas in an image to saturate or de-saturate their colors, depending on which option you set in the Options Bar. You may want to set the Flow to a low number and paint over the area multiple times to build up the effect so that you don’t overdo it.

Tip 1: Actually I am a fan of the Sponge tool, but I more often use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to saturate or de-saturate colors (take color out and make pixels look black and white). To make the effect apply to just part of an image (say, if you want a person in color and the background in black and white), use a mask on an adjustment layer to hide part of the effect. Adjustment layers add flexibility because you can make changes to them any time.

Tip 2: When you need to make a very precise, hard-edged selection, the Pen tool is a great tool to use. You can make a path with a Pen tool, then load it as a selection.

The Pen, Free form Pen, Add Anchor Point, Delete Anchor Point, and Convert Point tools

Paths can be edited very precisely at any time making them a very flexible tool. They are stored in the Paths panel with the saved Photoshop file until you delete them.

The paths themselves are vector images, meaning resolution-independent — you can enlarge them as much as you want with no loss of quality.

A path may be used to isolate a photograph of a hard-edged object from its background. In that case, the photo would be dependent on resolution for its quality, but the path itself would not. Okay, not all that useful. But if you using the vector property of paths to make solid shapes in an image — a logo that contains only solid-color shapes, for example. Then the whole image would be resolution-independent, and you would not have to worry about losing quality when enlarging it. Another handy thing about paths is that you can easily copy and paste them between Photoshop and Illustrator.

The Pen tool

When you have the time, it’s worthwhile to learn how to use the Pen tool, paths, and shapes.

Make a path with the Pen tool by clicking to make corner anchor points and dragging to make curve anchor points (points determine the shape of the path) to outline the object you want to isolate or the shape you want to create. Important: Before you start, click the Paths button in the Pen tool Options panel. When you get all the way around your object by clicking or dragging with the Pen tool, click on the starting point to close the path (a circle pops up next to the Pen tool when you hover it over the starting point). Press Ctrl+Z to undo. Don’t get bogged down making your path perfect when you first create it. That’s what the path editing tools are for.

NOTE:

The Pen tool can have somewhat of a learning curve for those who haven’t used similar tools.

You can use the Freeform Pen tool to drag to make a path that does not need to be precise.

But why would you want to?

Okay, you can check the Magnetic option in the Options Bar to make the Freeform Pen tool snap to the edge of an object while you drag along the edge. (You have to close the shape.) That might give you a pretty good head start on a path, which you could refine later, if Photoshop is able to decipher the location of the edge and if it doesn’t put so many points on the path that it will be too time-consuming to edit. You can probably tell I haven’t yet found a good use for this tool.

You could use the Add Anchor Point tool to click on a path segment to add an anchor point, but if you have the Pen tool active and you have Auto Add/Delete checked in the Options Bar, the Pen tool becomes the Add Anchor Point tool when you hover it over a path segment. You could use the Delete Anchor Point tool to click on an anchor point to delete it, but if you have the Pen tool active and you have Auto Add/Delete checked in the Options Bar, the Pen tool becomes the Delete Anchor Point tool when you hover it over an anchor point. Use the Convert Point tool to click on a curve anchor point to change it to a corner anchor point or drag out from a corner anchor point to change it to a curve point.

TIP: Use the Direct Selection tool to move anchor points or to change path curves by dragging curve anchor point handles (click on the point to see the handles). You can see the Direct Selection and the Path Selection tool set below the Type tool on the Tools panel.

The Type tools

Click in an image with the Horizontal Type tool and start typing to make a horizontal line of text. If you drag a box with the tool and then start typing, the text will be in paragraph form and confined to the box area. Press Enter on the number pad or click the Commit button (check mark) in the Options Bar when you are finished with the text. You can click in the text with the Type tool if you want to edit it later. Click in an image with the Vertical Type tool and start typing to make a vertical line of text. Press Enter on the number pad or click the Commit button (check mark) in the Options Bar when you are finished with the text.

TIP: Fonts, point sizes, color, and other type options can be accessed in the Options Bar and the Character panel. Drag with a Type tool to highlight the type to which you
want to apply options.

When you type with the Horizontal and Vertical Type Mask tools, they make a text-shaped selection. Press Enter on the number pad or click the Commit button (check mark) in the Options Bar when you are finished with the text. You can then save the selection and use it later on a layer or a layer mask, fill or stroke the selection, or anything else you can do to other selections. For best results, make a new layer and select it before you start typing with these tools.

The Path Selection and Direct Selection Tools

These tools can be used to edit paths made with the Pen Tool or Shape Tools. Select a path and all its points with the Path Selection tool. Shift-click to select multiple path components on the same path. You can then choose Edit ➪ Free Transform to move the path, nudge it with the arrow keys, or change its size. Use the Direct Selection tool to select and move anchor points or to change path curves by dragging curve anchor point handles (click on the point to see the handles). Shift-click if you want to select multiple anchor points at the same time.

The Shape Tools and Line Tool

Use the Shape tools (Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, and Polygon) to create vector, resolution independent Shape layers or paths. Click the Shape Layer or Paths button in the Options Bar before you drag in the image with a Shape tool. Press the Shift key while you drag to maintain the shape’s proportions.

Use the Line tool to create vector, resolution-independent lines as Shape layers or paths. Click the Shape Layer or Paths button in the Options Bar before you drag in the image with the Line tool.Use the Custom Shape tool to create vector, resolution-independent Shape layers or paths. Choose a custom shape from the Shape menu in the Options Bar. Click the Shape Layer or Paths button in the Options Bar before you drag in the image with the Custom Shape tool.

Use the Custom Shape tool to create vector, resolution-independent Shape layers or paths. Choose a custom shape from the Shape menu in the Options Bar. Click the Shape Layer or Paths button in the Options Bar before you drag in the image with the Custom Shape tool.

TIP: Create a custom shape by clicking on a path in the Paths panel, then choosing Edit ➪ Define Custom Shape

The 3D Object tools and 3D Camera tools

Basically these tools are using for Change the position, orientation, or size of 3-D objects with the 3D Object tools. You can change the observation point or the camera’s orientation, position, or distance to the 3-D object with the 3D Camera tools.

The 3D tools become active when a 3D layer is selected. Use the 3D object tools to change the position or scale of a 3D model; use the 3D camera tools to change the view of the scene. If your system supports OpenGL, you can also use the 3D Axis to manipulate the 3D model.

Move, rotate, or scale a model with 3D object tools

You can use the 3D object tools to rotate, reposition, or scale a model. While you manipulate the 3D model, the camera view remains fixed. For tips about each 3D tool, choose Panel Options from the Info panel menu , and select Show Tool Hints. Click a tool, then move the cursor into the image window to view tool details in the Info Panel.

In the Tools panel, click a 3D object tool, and hold down the mouse button to select from the following types:

- Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the Rotate, Drag, Slide, or Scale tool to a single direction of movement.

- Rotate Drag up or down to rotate the model around its x-axis, or side to side to rotate it around its y axis. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to roll the model.

- Roll Drag side to side to rotate the model around its z axis.

- Drag Drag side to side to move the model horizontally, or up or down to move it vertically. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to move in the x/z direction.

- Slide Drag side to side to move the model horizontally, or up or down to move it closer or farther away. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to move in the x/y direction.

- Scale Drag up or down to scale the model larger or smaller. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to scale in the z direction.

Move the 3D camera

Use the 3D camera tools to move the camera view while leaving the position of the 3D object fixed.
For tips about each 3D tool, choose Panel Options from the Info panel menu , and select Show Tool Hints. Click a tool, then move the cursor into the image window to view tool details in the Info Panel.

In the Tools panel, click a 3D camera tool, and hold down the mouse button to select from the following types:

- Hold down Shift as you drag to constrain the Orbit, Pan, or Walk tools to a single direction of movement.

- Orbit Drag to orbit the camera in the x or y direction. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to roll the camera.

- Roll Drag to roll the camera.

- Pan Drag to pan the camera in the x or y direction. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to pan in the x or z direction.

- Walk Drag to walk the camera (z translation and y rotation). Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you drag to walk in the z/x direction (z translation and x rotation).

- Zoom Drag to change the field of view of the 3D camera. Maximum field of view is 180.

- Perspective Camera (Zoom only) Displays parallel lines converging to vanishing points.

- Orthographic Camera (Zoom only) Maintains parallel lines without convergence. Displays the model in accurate scale view without any perspective distortion.

In the options bar, numeric values show the x, y, and z position of the 3D camera. You can also edit these values manually to adjust the camera view.

For more Advanced Options you also can see an official Adobe Training Video from here

The Hand, Rotation, and Zoom Tools

The Rotation tool can rotate the canvas, along with the image, so that the whole canvas looks rotated inside the Photoshop work area. This feature only works if you have certain video cards in your computer. Rotate the image canvas part of the work area with the Rotation tool so that the image and canvas look rotated on-screen.

This is like rotating a piece of paper so that it is in a more comfortable position when you are drawing on it. Drag in the image with the Rotation tool to rotate the canvas. Click the Reset View button in the Options Bar to straighten it back out. Click in the image with the Zoom tool to zoom in or Alt-click with the Zoom tool to zoom out. Double-click the Zoom tool to get a 100 percent view.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Zoom tool:
- Zoom In. Ctrl+spacebar+click
- Zoom Out. Alt+spacebar+click

Foreground and Background Color tools

color Click the Default Foreground and Background Colors button to make the foreground color black and the background color white (the defaults). Click the Switch Foreground and Background Colors button to switch the foreground color and background colors.

The foreground color is the color that is used by the Brush tool to paint. To change the foreground color, click a swatch in the Swatches panel, click the Foreground Color box, and choose a color in the Color Picker, or click on a color in the image with the Eyedropper tool. You can also click the Switch Foreground and Background Colors button.

The Default Foreground and Background Colors button D
The Switch Foreground and Background Colors button X

The Eraser and Magic Eraser tools paint the background in color instead of transparent when background layers or layers have transparency locked. When you increase the canvas size of an image, the additional area is filled with the background color. To change the background color, click the Background Color box and choose a color in the Color Picker, or with the Color Picker open, click on a color in the image. You can also click the Switch Foreground and Background Colors button.

The Mode Buttons

When Quick Mask Mode is active, you can use the Brush tool to paint selections onto images. In the default settings in this mode, the selected area appears clear and the unselected area appears in a transparent red (you can reverse this by double-clicking the Quick Mask Mode button and setting new options). When you’re finished painting the selection, click the Quick Mask Mode button to leave Quick Mask Mode, and the selection will be active. The keyboard shortcut to toggle Quick Mask Mode on and off is Q.

The Screen Mode menu includes the following options:
- Standard Screen Mode. The Photoshop workspace takes up most of the screen area.
- Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar. The Photoshop workspace takes up all the screen area.
- Full Screen Mode. The image is shown on a black background and fills the screen.
Other work area components are hidden. The keyboard shortcut F cycles through the screen modes.

Sources: Photoshop CS4 For Dummies, Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Bible, Photoshop CS4 Dirty Tricks, The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Layers Book.