Beginners' Guide to Adobe Photoshop – Page 4 of 4
Blending Options & Special Effects

 

 

10 – Adding Effects

Now that you know the basics, it's time to start adding some easy special effects.

To demonstrate Adobe Photoshop's special effects, here's an unembellished button for a website.

Each part of this image is on a separate layer.

 

 

11 – Key Adobe Photoshop Blending Options In the Layers list, right-click on a layer, and select Blending Options (Adobe Photoshop 6.0 & Adobe Photoshop 7.0) or Effects (Adobe Photoshop 5.0.) This is a picture of the left-hand portion of the Blending Options window that will appear. (The window is much smaller in Photoshop 5.0.) Drop Shadow Selecting this option will make your layer cast a shadow on layers below it. Bevel and Emboss Makes the layer like a block of gold bullion - raised in the centre, with edges that slope down. (This is a good effect for creating buttons.) Texture Makes the surface of the layer look like it's made of wood, stone etc. Use the "Overlay" setting. Stroke Stroke is just another word for "outline". A Stroke is useful to make an object stand out from its background. (In Adobe Photoshop 5.0, this option doesn't exist. Use Outer Glow as an alternative.)

 

 

12 – The end result

Other than using some of the Blending Options, nothing else has been done to this button.

It's really that easy. 

 

 

A final few Adobe Photoshop features

Zoom: Press (Ctrl and +) to zoom in. Press (Ctrl and -) to zoom out. This is very useful if you're a bit of a pixel pirate :)

Transformation: To Transform (resize/rotate/distort) an object, press Ctrl+T. To Transform a selection, click Select > Transform Selection. Use the Shift key while transforming to stop the image distorting.

 

"Special Message"

I hope this tutorial has helped you get the idea of Adobe Photoshop. You can now face the "wall of random icons and palettes" with confidence. :)

Happy Photoshopping!