Quick tip 16 – Add extra canvas space

This is part 16 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to add more canvas space around an image.

You need to firstly have an image open in Photoshop. Then from the menu bar select Image > Canvas Size and you should see the following dialog window should open up.




To increase the canvas size, you simply adjust the width and height settings to whatever size you like. You can also set the anchor point of the canvas which will specify the direction where you want to increase the canvas size. So, for example if you want to increase the canvas in the left direction then you would select the right anchor point.

For more quick tips, checkout the post on the Photoshop quick tip series.

Quick tip 15 – Find centre of an image

This is part 15 of the Photoshop quick tip series. In this tip you will learn how to quickly find the centre of an image.

You need to firstly open up an image in Photoshop. Then choose Select > All from the menu bar or Ctrl + A. Your image should be selected like below.



Now, you need to enter into ‘Free Transform Mode’ by pressing Ctrl + T on the keyboard. You should now see a crosshair at the centre of the image like below:




Drag guides out to the centre of the crosshair and you should notice that it will snap into position. To remove the free transform mode, hit the Esc key on the keyboard. And to remove the selection around the image, hit Ctrl + D.



You should now be able to quickly find the centre of an image.

Colour correction in Photoshop

In this tutorial you will learn how to perform colour correction in Photoshop using the Hue/Saturation adjustments settings and the Quick mask tool. I will be correcting the man’s t-shirt colour in this tutorial.

Colour correction in Photoshop

Step 1

Open an image in Photoshop and the reset the colour palette by pressing the ‘D’ key on the keyboard.




Step 2

Select the Brush tool with an appropriate size and then enter the quick mask mode by selecting the Q key. Then paint over the areas of the image where you don’t want to change the colour. Since, I only want to change the t-shirt colour this would be most of the image like below.




Step 3

Exit out of the Quick mask mode by selecting the Q key, and you should see the area around the t-shirt selected.




Step 4

Select Image > Adjustment > Hue/Saturation and then drag the sliders to your liking. I have added the following settings: Hue = 50, Saturation = 69 and Lightness = -18. Make sure you select the saturation checkbox.



You should now be able to perform colour correction in Photoshop.

Digital makeover series

In this Photoshop series I will be providing tutorials on how to perform a complete digital makeover. This makeover will include the whole body and will be digitally enhancing various parts of the body. The techniques involved in this series will be fairly straight forward even if you have no knowledge of Adobe Photoshop. Please remember to subscribe for the latest digital series.

Airbrushing skin technique - Airbrush skin to make it look smooth and healthy with no wrinkles.
Remove red eyes from image – Learn how to use remove the red eyes from an image using the red eye tool.
Change eye colour
– Transform the colour of your eyes in three simple steps.
Add lip gloss – Give your lips some extra shine with this tutorial.
Multicoloured iris – Instead of having on eye colour, why not have multicoloured iris.
Create an incredible Hulk look – Why not look like the incredible hulk with some nice green skin.

Partial Desaturate in Photoshop

In this tutorial you will learn how to perform partial desaturating to an image. This means some parts of the image will remain black and white and other part will be in colour. You will need to use the quick mask tool for this tutorial, but you can also use the pen tool if you wish.


Partial Desaturate

Step 1

Open an image in Photoshop and duplicate the background layer (Ctrl + J). Then reset the colour palette by pressing the ‘D’ key.




Step 2

Select the Quick mask tool and hit the ‘Q’ key on the keyboard to enter quick mask mode. Now paint over the areas of the image where you don’t want the black and white effect to appear. Note that this is the opposite way around. If you make a mistake you can use the eraser tool.




Step 3

Exit Quick mask mode by selecting the ‘Q’ key again. Then choose Select > Inverse and your image should look like below:




Step 4

Now select Image > Adjustment > Desaturate and deselect the selection (Ctrl + D) and your image should look like below.


Analogue TV effect

In this Photoshop tutorial you will learn how to create an analogue TV effect on an image. This effect will give blurry horizontal lines on your image. I have used a free stock image of a living room for this tutorial. A huge list of free stock image can be found here.


Analogue TV effect

Step 1

Open your image in Photoshop and duplicate the background layer by pressing Ctrl + J on the keyboard.




Step 2

Select Filter> Sketch> Halftone and add the following settings. I have set the size to 1, the contrast to 12, and the pattern type to line.




Step 3

Add a motion blur to your image by selecting Filter > Blur > Motion Blur then apply the following settings. You may change the distance depending on the size of your image.




Step 4

To return colour to your image, you need to change the blending option of the layer. Now change the blending option to ‘Soft Light’.



You should now have a Analogue TV effect.

Quick tip 14 – Crosshair problem

This is part 14 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to fix a common problem with the crosshair.

If you have any Photoshop tool currently selected and the ‘Caps Lock’ turned on. You will receive the following crosshair as shown below. This crosshair feature is extremely annoying and many users have complained that they can’t get rid of the crosshair, even from the preference menu on the tool bar.



This problem is fixed by simply turning off ‘Caps Lock’ on the keyboard. If you ever need to use the caps lock remember to turn it off afterwards, or you will not be able to use any of the tools.

Free cloud textures

I previous wrote a post on free wood texture. Today I will provide a collection of four cloud textures which are available to download for free. These textures can be used for adding clouds to your Photoshop files. To download the images, simply right click and select ‘Save As’,








Quick tip 13 – Select Hex colour in Photoshop

This is part 13 from the Photoshop quick tip series and in this quick tip you will learn how to quickly select the hex colour codes in Photoshop.

Normally if you want to find out the hex colour code in Photoshop you would have to select the eye dropper tool, then open up the colour picker panel and copy the code as show below.



However, there is a much quicker method of finding the hex colour code. Firstly, you need to have the eye dropper tool selected. Then you click to choose the colour you want, and then right click and select ‘copy colour as html’. This will copy the select the colour into a hexadecimal value.



Remember to subscribe to keep up to date with the latest quick tips.

Quick tip 12 - Cycle through the blend modes

This is part 12 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to quickly cycle through the blend modes on the layers panel.

The blend modes on the Layers panel can normally be changed by clicking on the drop down menu and selecting an individual blend mode. Below is an example of where the blend modes are located.



There is a quick method of cycling through the different blend modes using keyboard shortcuts. By holding down the Shift key, you then either select the + (plus) or the (minus) key to change to a different blend mode.

Note that if your blending mode is highlighted as shown below. You will not be able to use the shortcut keys. To remove the highlighted blend mode, you simply click any where on the Photoshop background.



Remember to subscribe to the latest Photoshop quick tips.

Photoshop in a Day

The tagline for Photoshop in a Day is: “Clear, easy, and fast” which is exactly what this eBook delivery.



Photoshop in a Day is an eBook specifically created to make learning Photoshop as easy as possible. This eBook is basically a complete beginner’s guide on how to use Photoshop within minutes. All the tutorials in this book are clearly laid out with step by step instructions similar to the tutorials you find in this blog. By having a clear layout means you will save time and avoid being confused by any instructions. The tutorials in this book are set out in way that moves along with the learning process which will slowly build up your knowledge of Photoshop.

This eBook is suitable for all levels of Photoshop users from complete beginners to experienced users. In no time you will become a master Photoshop user, and will be able to retouch any image. So, why not pickup a copy of Photoshop in a Day ?

Reset to default Photoshop settings

This is part 11 of the Photoshop quick tip series. In this series you will learn how to reset the settings of Photoshop back to the default.

There are lots of different settings and features available in Photoshop. If a preference(s) causes any problems then you can simply reset back to the default. This will make all the problems disappear as they will be back to there original settings.

To reset the settings, you need to have Photoshop already opened up. Then you select Ctrl + Shift + Alt on the keyboard. You will then receive a dialog box which contains a message asking you to delete the Photoshop settings. If you click OK the original settings will be restore.

If you want more quick tips, checkout the Photoshop quick tip series page.

Select multiple text layers in Photoshop

This is part 10 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to select multiple text layers. Remember to subscribe to keep up to date with the latest tips.

When working in Photoshop, you occasionally need to use multiple text layers in your projects. Sometimes you will need to move all the text layers to a different position on the canvas. This can be time consuming because you need to hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and select each individual layer.






However, there is a quicker solution which is to right click on any text layer on the layers panel, and choose the ‘Select Similar Layer’ from the drop down menu. This will select all the text layers available as shown below.





This can be incredibly useful if you have over ten text layers in your project as you can quickly select all the layers. Why not take a look at some of the other tip and tricks in the Photoshop quick tip series.

Quick tip 9 – Increase recent files in Photoshop

This is part 9 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to increase the number of recent files from the file menu.

The recent files can be located in File > Open Recent. The default number of recent files you can have is 10 files. You can actually change the number of the recent files to have up to 30 files.

Firstly, you need to open up the Photoshop preferences by pressing Ctrl + K on the keyboard. Then select ‘File handing’ from the drop down menu as shown below.



At the bottom the preferences window, you will see an option call ‘Recent file list contains’. You can change this number from 0 - 30 depending on the number of the recent files you want to show. Once you have selected you option you can click ok, then return to the file menu (File > Open Recent) to see if the number of item have increased.

Create an incredible Hulk look

In this Photoshop tutorial you will learn how to create an incredible Hulk look using the brush tool and the blending options. This effect is quick and dirty and should only take you about five minutes to complete.


Create an incredible Hulk look

Step 1

Open an image in Photoshop. Use an image that has some skins exposed.




Step 2

Create a new layer by selecting Ctrl + Shift + N.




Step 3

Select the brush tool with an appropriate brush size and colour. I have used #0a8456 colour, but you can use whatever colour you like. Now paint over the areas of the skins like below. You don’t have to be too tidy with the brush tool as the mistakes can be taken care later on.




Step 4

Change the blending option to Hard Light. The select the eraser tool and fix any mistakes from the previous step. You should now have a hulk appearance like below.

Quick tip 8 – Cycle through multiple documents in Photoshop

This is part 8 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to cycle through various documents in Photoshop.

If you ever had multiple documents open in Photoshop, you may find it tricky to go through each of the documents with the mouse to locate the one you want. However, there is a keyboard shortcut which you may find useful. By pressing Ctrl + Tab you can cycle through each of the documents in Photoshop which are currently open. This means you don’t need to use the mouse to click on each of the documents. If you only have one document open then you will not be able to use this shortcut.

This quick tip is a great little time saver. Remember to subscribe to keep up to date with the latest quick tips.

Quick tip 8 – Zooming with mouse

This is part 8 of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to zoom into an image using the mouse. There are three main ways you can zoom into an image. You can use the Zoom tool in the toolbox; use the navigator panel or use keyboard shortcuts. There is also a fourth method which is to use the mouse to zoom into an image.

To zoom with the mouse, you need to have an image open. Then you hold down the ALT or Option key depending on the computer you have, and scroll the mouse wheel to zoom it.

If you want to quickly reset the zoom to its original position, checkout quick tip 6. Remember to subscribe to keep updated with the latest quick tips, or why not take a look at the tutorial section of this blog.

7 free custom shape sets

You may sometime want to quickly create a shape object in Photoshop, but lack the necessary skills needed to create a wonderful shape. Luckily, in the Photoshop community there are hundreds of websites which have custom made shapes. So, what exactly are custom shapes? Well, basically there are shapes that have been designed, created and saved without you needing to lift a finger.

Below I will provide a collection of 7 free Photoshop custom shape sets. I’ve tried to select the custom shapes with diverse categories.

People silhouette





ILoveWeapons




Sea Creatures




Assorted Logo





Surfing Theme




Splat Shapes





Kiddy stuff

120 Free hand drawn vectors

I previously wrote a post on hand drawn icons. This time I have found a collection of 120 + hand drawn vector graphics created by think design. Some of the hand drawn items include arrows, RSS logos, social bookmarking icons, and tonnes of other goodies.



The author of these vectors is a big fan of ‘hand drawn stuff’, so decided to put together a selection of the hand drawn graphics. The graphics are setup so that they can be easily modified.

I have noticed the hand drawn graphics are becoming very popular. A lot of people seem to be placing these hand drawn vectors in there blogs.

Why not download these graphics and have some fun.

Quick tip 7 – Object positioning

This is part 7 of the Photoshop quick tip series and in this tip you will learn how to perform absolute object positioning. This is where an object is placed in an exact position on the canvas. The position can be align top edge, align vertical centre, align bottom edges, align left edge, align right edge and finally align horizontal centre.

There are occasions when you want to place your PS objects exactly on the left, middle or right side of the canvas. You can of course, manually place the objects on the canvas, but this can cause the positioning to be inaccurate, and can also take a long time to find the exact position.

To quickly perform absolute object positioning, you firstly need to open up your PS document then select (Ctrl + A) on the keyboard which will selects everything in the canvas.



Now you need to choose the Move tool (V) and then locate the top of the menu bar where you will see the options for aligning the object.



After you have selected the Move tool, you simply click on the align button you wish. I have chosen the ‘align to top edge’ button.



Be sure to Subscribe to keep up to date with the latest Photoshop quick tips.

Quick tip 6 - Reset zoom in Photoshop

This is part six of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to reset the zoom. Resetting the zoom is when you return a zoomed image to it original size.

We have all used the Zoom tool (Z) in the toolbox, or with shortcut keys to zoom into an image. The shortcut key for zooming in is (Ctrl +) and for zooming out is (Ctrl + -).

When you zoom into an image, you sometimes want to return to the original size. Of course, you can zoom back out using the convention methods such as navigator panel or the history panel. But a quick and easy method of zooming out is to use the three keys on the keyboard which are (Ctrl + Alt + 0). This shortcut key will return your zoomed image back to its original size.

Remember to subscribe to keep up to date with Photoshop quick tips.

Quick tip 5 – Change unit measurements in Photoshop

This is part five of the Photoshop quick tip series. In this tip you will learn how to quickly change the unit of measurements in Photoshop. The default measurement for Photoshop is in Pixels, but the other measurements include: inches, centimetres, millimetres, points, picas and percent.

There are two ways you can quickly change the measurements. Firstly, you need to have an image open in Photoshop, checkout quick tip 3 to find out how to open a file quickly in PS.

You now need to open up the ‘Rulers view’ by using the shortcut key Ctrl + R. The rulers view is displayed at the top of the image display screen as shown below.




Now move your mouse over the rules view and you should get the following drop down menu seen below.



You should now be able to quicklu change through the different measurements in Photoshop.

Quick tip 4 – Jigsaw puzzle texture

This is part four of the Photoshop quick tip series where you will learn how to add a Jigsaw puzzle texture to an image. A jigsaw puzzle texture is basically small interlocking piece which joins together to form an image. For this tutorial you will need to use the texture filter.

1. Open an image in Photoshop.




2. In the menu bar select Filter > Texture > Texturizer from the drop down menu.


3. Select the Load texture button as below, and load up the puzzle texture. The default location for the puzzle texture is Adobe Photoshop > Presets > Texture.




4. You can play around with scaling and the relief. The scaling option will increase/decrease the size of the puzzle shape, and the relief option will increase/decrease the depth of the puzzle edging. There is also the option of change the position of the light.