Hot Tips for Photoshop | DIE Week 1 - Post 1

Recently, I read some articles in the Photoshop User Magazine (October 2023 Edition) offered by KelbyOne, that I found really interesting. This magazine offers great tutorials and information on Photoshop and Lightroom.

This edition has 100 hot tips, 50 for Photoshop and 50 for Lightroom. and I'm going to tell you about 6 that I've found useful.

ADOBE FONTS IN OTHER APPS - by Corey Barker

You can use Adobe Fonts in other applications outside the Creative Cloud apps. Normally, you activate the font you want through the Adobe Fonts website and you're good to go. For other apps, go to the Creative Cloud app (desktop) and, in the Apps tab on the far left, click on Manage Fonts in the left sidebar. There you can see the Adobe Fonts that are currently active. You will also see a button next to each font for Install Family, if you click it to install the font, it can be used in non-Adobe applications.

A FUN GAG - by Corey Barker

If you want to play a silly prank on a co-worker, this tip is for you. With an image open on Photoshop, go to the View menu, select Flip Horizontal, sit back, and wait to see your victim's reaction trying to figure out what happened. The actual image won't be seen flipped in the layers panel, this feature allows artists to get an inverted view without actually making the change to the canvas.

LAYER GROUP FOLDERS ARE PRETTY MUCH REGULAR LAYERS - by Corey Barker

You can manage the layers in your Layers panel by making layer groups, which are folders in which you put all the layers you want but still keep them as individual layers. Select a few layers in the Layers panel and then go to the Layers panel's flyout menu at the top right and choose New Group from Layers. Since the group folder is like a layer, you can apply layer masks and styles, and change the blend mode, opacity, etc. just like a regular layer.

Via Google

CONVERT IMAGES FAST WITH IMAGE PROCESSOR - by Corey Barker

If you have a folder full of PSD files that you want to have as JPEGS, for example, save yourself some time using Image Processor, this little script lets you assign a folder of images to process in a batch. All you need to do is go to File>Scripts>Image Processor, the follow the steps on the dialog. Locate the source folder, and then choose a destination folder or just save the files to the same source folder. Next step is to choose a format such as JPEG and set the parameters. Step 4 is not necessary unless you want to run a custom action on the images, like running a color grading on the images. After everything is set, click Run and enjoy your spare time.

HIGH CONTRAST IN SECONDS - by Corey Barker

You can use this trick as a finishing step for a composite that has multiple parts, as it allows you to blend everything together. First, make a duplicate of the working image (Image>Duplicate) and then flatten it to a single layer (Layer>Flatten Image). Then go to Image>Adjustments>HDR Toning. Go to the bottom of the dialog and set Saturation to -100. Then adjust the Tone and Detail, and Edge Glow settings until you get the high contrast desired, and click OK. After that, switch to the Move Tool (V), holding the Shift key, drag-and-drop the image back into the original, and place it at the top of the layer stack. Then change the blend mode to Soft Light or Overlay, and use the Hue/Saturation (Layer>New Adjustment Layer> Hue/Saturation) to apply a color grade. Finally, adjust the layer Opacity to lower intensity as needed.

STACKING FILTERS IN THE FILTER GALLERY - by Dave Clayton

In the Filter>Filter Gallery option, you can apply multiple filters by stacking them. Select your first filter, click the + icon at the bottom right to add another filter layer, and select the filter you would like to use on that layer. This way, you can create unique effects. Each filter has its own set of controls, so you have to experiment and edit your filters. You can change the stacking order, by clicking and dragging the filter layers. Note: that will change the effect.