When Thomas Knoll and John Knoll created Photoshop software way back in 1988, that was later developed and published by Adobe Inc. for macOS and Windows, little did they know that this raster graphics editor will revolutionize the world of digital art. Today, it is probably the last word in photo manipulation, thanks to its amazing tools.
Using the Adobe Photoshop tools may pose a challenge if you are not conversant with them. For beginners, there are 10 important tools, such as the Photoshop gradient tool, brush tool, and others, that will help you in photo manipulation.
Important Photoshop tools for beginners
#1 Move tool
This tool is basically used to move images. However, it can also be used for layers and selections. This simple tool helps in dragging any image or layer to wherever you need to. You can activate this tool either by using the mouse or by tapping the letter ‘V’ on the keyboard.
#2 Quick Selection tool
This tool helps you to select any part of the photograph. You can use this tool like a Brush tool and with its help paint over the portion of the image that you need to select. For activating activate this tool simply press the letter ‘W’ on the keyboard.
#3 Crop tool
If you want to eliminate the unwanted portions of an image, Crop tool comes in handy. You can also resize the shape of the crop box by double-clicking on the image to crop it. You can activate this tool by pressing the letter ‘C’ on the keyboard.
#4 Spot Healing Brush tool
If you want to heal a spot on the image, you can use this retouching tool. It differs from the Healing brush tool. While you can automatically sample the pixels with the Spot Healing Brush tool, you need to do so manually with the Healing Brush tool. You can activate this tool by pressing the letter ‘j’ on the keyboard and sample the pixels with the Healing Brush tool by pressing ALT key on the keyboard.
#5 Brush tool
This painting tool helps in drawing lines and shapes in chosen colors over an image. This tool is provided with many options, such as Soft Round Brush, Chalk Brushes, Hard Round Brush, and many more. To activate this tool, you need to press the letter ‘B’ on the keyboard.
#6 Clone Stamp tool
You can use this tool to copy one area of an image onto another area. You can also use it to reduce blemishes, wrinkles and any skin flaws. To activate this tool, you can either click on the icon of the Clone Stamp tool or press the letter ‘S’ on the keyboard.
#7 Gradient tool
You can use this tool to create the gradient effect, that is, a gradual blend of various colors. It offers an options bar, where you can choose the type of gradient you require, such as Linear, Angle, Radial, Diamond or Reflected. Of these, Linear gradient is what is usually needed. You can activate this tool by pressing the letter ‘G’ on the keyboard.
#8 Blur and Sharpen tools
As the name suggests, you can either soften the area of an image by using the Blur tool or sharpen it by using the Sharp tool. Since there is no shortcut key for the Blur tool, you can only activate it by clicking on the Blur tool icon.
#9 Dodge and Burn tools
These two important tools allow you to refine the shades of an image. While Dodging lights up the area of an image, Burn darkens it. With the help of range and exposure options, you can Dodge and Burn different tones in an image. You can activate these tools by pressing the letter ‘O’ on the keyboard.
#10 Pen tool
This is a selection tool and you can use it to select an area of the image. You can also use it to create path and shapes. To activate this tool, press the letter ‘P’ on the keyboard.
Conclusion
Photoshop is a complicated software and learning it takes time. However, if you are able to master these 10 basic tools in Photoshop, you will manage to manipulate any photo with ease. Of course, these basic tools are stepping stones to master advanced Photoshop tools.
