Photoshop Tools and Features User Log

The purpose of this log is for you to record what tools and features you used in the creation of your digital graphics. You should try to use as many as possible and you
must record how, why and when you used them. You do not need to record repeated actions but each single new action should be recorded. An example of this would
be setting up a new Photoshop file/image which would cover the ranges; Image Settings (all) and part of Menus (some of). You only need to do this once. Remember
that where the e.g. appears in a range, as many of the items should be covered as possible but not all of them; your tutor will guide you here. Where possible you
should also provide a screen dump to illustrate the action (see sample image below).

Tools and features

Menus:

Open;

save;

How, why and when used.

I used this whenever I created a new
document/ graphic. The example I have
used is when I was starting to create my
screen icon.

I used save once I had done work on my

graphics and when I had finished them as
well as it being the end of the lesson. I did
this by using the tab called file in the top
right hand corner and clicking save as or
save. You can also save by pressing CTRL+S
and that will also save your work.

Screen dump

import;

I imported the images that I needed to use

for my graphics, I did this by clicking on
the file tab and then clicking on import,
next I chooses the file where the image
that I wanted to use was saves and then
clicked on that image this then meant that
the image would then appear on my
canvas.

export;

I exported my graphics to then use for the

designs of my website I exported them as
PNG as this meant that they would be of a
high quality as well as a reduced file size.

edit;

I used the edit tab every time I wanted to

paste an image into my work. As well as fill
to change the colour of my background
Also to undo something that I have done
often to get rid of a mistake that I have
made.
The edit tab also offers a quicker way to
access stroke.

view;

Image settings:
4

I use the view tab to access other elements

so that I was able to zoom in and pay more
attention to detail.

size;

width;
height;

background;

I had to change the image size of the

jersey that I used for my web banner as it
didnt fill out the web banner as much as I
wanted it to so therefor I had to make the
size bigger.

To increase the size, I then had to make

the width bigger.
Of course so that the whole image is in
proportion I then had to increase the
height, this is also so that the image would
not look distort.
I have had to edit the background of my
image that I used for my web banner, I
used the magic wand tool to get rid of the
background, so that I was just the solid
image left.

transparency;

file name

I had to set the background to transparent,

so that I would be able to use my logo on
a number of different backgrounds seen as
it is a logo I would need to use it in
anything to do with the company and the
products that are being sold.

I have changed the file name for each

graphic that I have created, this is so that I
know what each graphic is since I had to
create 5 different ones and I didnt create
them one at a time either so it was
important that I knew which graphic it
was that I was working on along with
which graphics I had started.
To name your file, a window will appear
when you start a new document this can
be done by opening a new Photoshop
window or up in the left hand corner you
can click on the file tab and then new, the
file name is automatically set as name:
Untittled-1 you just simply click in the box
and type the new file name.

Drawing tools:

tool options;

Through the whole of the project and

creation of the graphics I have used a
verity of different tools.
The tool bar is located to the left of the
screen and has shortcuts to all of the main
tools that you may wish to use to also
create your own product.
If you do not know what the tools are
called or cant see a tool that you want to
use then you can left click on a tool and it
will give you other options of that
particular tool as well as tell you the name
of the tool that you are using,

brush;

I often use the brush to fix the mistakes

that I have made as sometimes it is easier
that actually finding out what it is that I
have done wrong.
I used the brush to fill in the white lettering
on my caps merchandise logo.
I also used the brush along with the pen to
create the 3D looking puck as you can see
from the screenshot to the right.

pencil;

duplicate;

I used the pencil tool to create the darker

outlines for the 3D hockey puck as the
lines when using the pencil are a lot
harsher that the lines of the paint brush.
I duplicated layers when I started to make
the 3D puck. By duplicating the main layer
and locking it this way I was still able to
edit and draw on the main image without
having the fear of when I did make an
adjustment I would be unable to adjust it
back

clone;

fill;

Although I did not use my clone image on

my graphics to do with my projects I did
use it In a previous project where we had
to clone the jumpers and fill the
background of the beach with the
jumpers.

I used fill for the background on my web

banner and also to fill the rectangles that
make up my screen icon which is a
shopping basket.
I also used fill when it came to the
background for the web banner as I filled
it in so that it was all red.

text;

stroke;

10

I used the text tool on my logo and web

banner as well as my navigation as you
can see in the screen dump Colum that the
main mass amount of text was on my web
banner. Where I also change the style and
colour.

I used this for almost all of the writing that

is used within the graphics that I made,
you can change this by clicking on the
layers and changing it there. The
screenshot to the right is the proof that I
have used it

zoom;

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I used zoom so that I was able to see what

it is that I wanted to delete easier and get
closer to the lines and make it look cleaner.
I did this when I was deleting the white
background to the jersey so that I was able
to get as close as possible and get a clear
cut.

Paletts, e.g. colour,

gradients, layers,
object, brushes,
history, actions,
size, resolution;

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Paletts are groups of tools used to edit and

manipulate an image.
There are a total of two dozen paletts
within Photoshop.
The Window menu and selecting the
palette you wish to reveal. Palettes with a
checkmark beside their names indicate
that they are open in your Photoshop
workspace and selecting those check
marked palettes will hide them.

Layers, e.g.
copying, saving,
arranging;
flattening; colour
selection,

I duplicated layers to save me having to

create a new rectangle when
drawing/designing my screen icon.
You can duplicate layers by right clicking
on the layer that it is that you want to
duplicate and this will create a copy that is
identical, it will appear over the top of the
original layer that you duplicated.
I had to rearrange the layers so that some
parts of text can be seen as well as so that
the layers where in the right order so that
the image looked how I wanted it to.
An example of where I had to do this was
on the navigation bar as I had duplicated
layers and some aspects of the text could
not be seen the rectangle layer was over
the top of the text layers.
To rearrange the layers you just simply
drag and drop the layers to where it is that
you want them and also what order you
want them in.

Colour selection,
e.g. foreground,
background,
colour swatch,
eyedropper
Editing tools:

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Selection, e.g.
marquee, lasso,
magic wand,
magnetic lasso,
deselect;

I used marquee rectangle so that when I

cut out the rectangles on my screen icon
they would all be the same size e.g. width
and height. You can do this by selecting
the layer that you want to cut the
rectangle out of from then selecting the
rectangle with dashed lines around the
outside and drawing on the size of
rectangle that you want, once you have
the size that you want you are then able to
move it around when you press the
backspace key then it will delete the
rectangle out of that layer as long as you
click with in the rectangle you have drawn
you will be able to move it and then
whenever you press the backspace it will
delete that section.
I used the lasso tool to delete the main
areas around the hockey jersey I also used
the magic wand tool as well
With the lasso tool you just draw around
the area that you want to delete. And then
press the backspace key to delete that
area.
The magic wand tool is more to select a
whole area that you want to delete this
can be an issue if that it is you want to
delete does not have any clear or defining
lines, as Photoshop may be unable to
distinguish what it is you want to delete
and what you dont. The example to the
right shows me using the magic wand tool
to delete un wanted areas from the image.
I used the deselect tool often when I had
selected something that I didnt want to

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when using the magic wand tool and also

along with the rectangle marquee tool.
Transform, e.g.
scale, rotate, skew,
flip; cut; copy;
paste; crop; trim;
erase; undo; fill

I used the fill tool as part of my screen icon

to get the whole rectangle to be grey. The
example to the right is when I used the fill
tool to colour the rectangles how I wanted
to.
I also used the paste tool to get the image
of the jersey on to my web banner I did
this by copying the image from my
proposal and then pasted it on to the
canvas that I created my web banner on
to. The example the right is of me pasting
the image of the jersey on to the web
banner.
I used the undo tool a lot through making
all of my graphics however I feel as if I
used it the most when I was creating the
screen icon which is a shopping basket this
was because when I cropped out the
sections that I didnt need they sometimes
ended up being not in line.

Advanced tools:

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Effects, e.g. layer

effects, filters,
channels; image
adjustments,

Image
adjustments, e.g.
brightness and
contrast, hue and
saturation, colour
balance, gradients,
transparency,
invert; masks;

16

I used effects on the layers mainly when I

was creating my web banner, I used it to
create the glow around the image of the
jersey. I did this by clicking on the layer
that I wanted to put an effect on and
changed the style until I got to one that I
liked and gave the look that I wanted,
based off what I had drawn on my
storyboards.

I have changed the gradient on some of

the rectangles that I have inserted on the
navigation bar this was to give the
navigation bar more dimension when it
came to the look of it all being put
together. I did this by using the gradient
tool and dragging the mouse up to where
I want the gradient to go up to.