The Basic Photoshop CS6 Commands
Getting familiar with the Photoshop CS6 application window is a great way to get your bearings before diving into Photoshop tools and commands. Here are a few basic pointers:
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Launch Photoshop by clicking the Start menu or an icon on the taskbar (Windows) or clicking the Photoshop icon on the Dock (Mac).
You can also double-click a Photoshop shortcut or alias on your desktop.
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Open an image by choosing File→Open. If you have several images open at a time, cycle through them by pressing Ctrl+Tab (Windows) or Control+Tab (Mac).
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Sometimes you need to see more detail in a photo. Zoom in by pressing Ctrl (Command on the Mac) + the plus sign key. When you’re done editing, zoom out by pressing Ctrl + the minus sign key (Command + the minus sign key on the Mac).
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Scroll an image by pressing the spacebar and then dragging.
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Set your preferences by choosing Edit→Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop→Preferences (Mac).
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Arrange and combine panels, customize the Options bar, and modify menu and keyboard shortcuts to how you work best. Then save your workspace to use again by choosing Window→Workspace→New Workspace.
Accessing the Photoshop CS6 Tools Palette through Shortcuts
Photoshop CS6 sports a hefty number of tools. Not to fear. This handy guide shows you the Photoshop tool icon and the name of each tool, even if it is tucked away, hidden in a flyout menu:
Making and Adjusting Selections in Photoshop CS6
Mastering selections is a key skill to becoming a Photoshop CS6 master. Here are a few basic Photoshop keyboard shortcuts to get you started on digital photography projects of all sorts:
| Task | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Draw straight lines. | Alt-click with Lasso tool | Option-click with Lasso tool |
| Add to the selection outline. | Shift-drag | Shift-drag |
| Deselect from the selection area. | Alt-drag | Option-drag |
| Deselect all but the intersected area. | Hold down Shift+Alt and drag | Hold down Shift+Option and drag |
| Deselect the entire image. | Ctrl+D | Command+D |
| Reselect the last selection. | Ctrl+Shift+D | Command+Shift+D |
| Hide extras. | Ctrl+H | Command+H |
| Fill the selection with foreground color. | Alt+Backspace | Option+Delete |
| Fill the selection with background color. | Ctrl+Backspace | Command+Delete |
| Reapply the last filter. | Ctrl+F | Command+F |
| Adjust levels. | Ctrl+L | Command+L |
| Use Free Transform. | Ctrl+T | Command+T |