Getting Started With Photoshop! Introduce yourself to photoshop and make a great friendship

[kaumac 0]

Hey there! This is my first topic, and as I?m a webdesigner, I thought this was the best place to get started.

I don?t know if this is the right place to post tutorials like this, but if its not, please someone move it.

Well if you are starting with webdesign, photoshop is a good choice then, it not only is a powerfull webdesign tool, but also can develop simple websites in html.

I?ll start with a simple guide and a tutorial, and then I?ll see if I post more in this topic or if I?ll open another.

 

 

 

 

Alright then, now that we?ve taken a look on it, let?s see what they does mean...

 

The Stage:

Obviously, is the main part of the program, its where the "magic" will happen.

 

The Tools Interface:

Well, this is a shortcut to most of the tools of the photoshop.

 

Text Interface:

This is where you?ll setup your text, like style, size, spacement, and so on...

 

The layer interface:

At least for me, this is the main work area, this is where you will work with the layers, styles, vector masks, and so on...

 

 

Let?s try doing something very easy!

Have you ever seen that cool reflex effect? (yes, like the one on the top banner of the forum) So, let?s try to do it!

 

First of all... Let?s open the photoshop and open a new document with the size of 100x50. Like this:

 

Right, now it?ll get a bit complicated... But let have some fun with the background...

Now... Create a new layer, just like on the image, the layer must be on the bottom of the layer list.

Then, with this layer selected, select the gradient tool, then click on the gradient selection, end edit your gradient style.

- If you double click the little boxes (selected with red) you?ll be able to select the color from that part of the gradient

- If you click on the middle of the gradient line with a little box selected, you?ll copy it.

- If you click and slide a little box you?ll be able to configure your gradient layer.

 

With all done click on OK and align your layer. Just like this:

 

Then the final part, the text with reflex...

Lets type (in white), WEB like this:

 

Now, with the layer WEB selected, hold Alt and press down on your keyboard, this will duplicate the layer WEB, creating the layer WEB copy. Now with WEB copy selected, go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical.

This will vertically flip the text of the layer WEB copy. Now place this text in the above the word WEB, this will be our reflex. Look:

 

Now... Add a vector mask, like on the image:

 

Now select the gradient tool, select the black to white style (the third from the boxes) and start having fun! (Click and slide from the bottom to the middle of the stage for the reflex effect, like on the image) Like this:

And Ta Da! You?re done with your effect.

Very soon I?ll teach how to do greater effects and some more features of photoshop, and don?t forget to show your results here to get some advice. (Comments welcome XD)