35 Basic Tutorials to Get You Started with Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a very powerful and versatile image editing/graphics creation application that is the industry standard in its category. Though Photoshop’s interface is intuitive enough for an absolute beginner to learn basic image editing tasks such as cropping and resizing, to be able to fully master and utilize all of its tools takes a considerable amount of time.
If you’re interested in honing your Photoshop skills to create spectacular compositions, this is for you. In this article, you’ll find 35 basic Photoshop tutorials for getting started with Photoshop.
General tutorials
1. Getting Started with Photoshop
If you’ve never had any experience with Photoshop, this tutorial from SitePoint will get you up to speed with Photoshop’s basic features.
2. Adobe Photoshop Interface Tutorial
This tutorial outlines Photoshop CS2′s interface. Even if you use an earlier or later version of Photoshop, this tutorial is still helpful in familiarizing yourself with how Photoshop – in general – is laid out.
3. You Suck at Photoshop (series)
This wildly popular and humorous screencast on Photoshop techniques by (probably) fictional character Donnie Hoyle is an excellent Photoshop series to follow if you like laughing and learning at the same time!
4. Photoshop’s Toolbox
This tutorial goes over the anatomy of Photoshop’s Toolbox.
Photoshop tools and features
5. Retouch and Healing Tools
Photoshop has a host of tools and options for retouching and correcting images. This tutorial goes over the tools at your disposal and what situations each tool excels in.
6. Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide
Photoshop’s Pen tool gives you the ability to draw objects in a vector-like fashion. This thorough tutorial even comes with a practice sheet that will help you master the concepts of working with the Pen tool.
7. Photoshop’s Painting Tools
Photoshop’s Painting tools allow you to draw and fill in objects with colors and color gradients. This tutorial showcases Photoshop’s painting capabilities.
8. Photoshop Color Replacement Tool
Sometimes you want to replace certain colors in an image. With the Color Replacement tool – you can specify which colors you’d like to change and Photoshop will automatically replace them for you. This tutorial goes through the color replacement process and discusses all the things you need to know about the Color Replacement tool.
9. Understanding Layer Masks
One of the fundamental skills to learn in Photoshop is the art of masking (isolating certain parts of a composition). This comprehensive tutorial goes over the Layer Masking features of Photoshop.
10. Photoshop’s Image Masking Tools
There are different methods of masking objects in your Photoshop composition. This tutorial goes over the basic masking tools available to you.
11. Layer Styles in Photoshop
Layer Styles are the effects and options you apply to a particular layer. This tutorial discusses the concept of Layer Styles and how to utilize them in your Photoshop documents.
12. Understanding Bevel and Emboss
Bevel and Emboss is a particular Layer Style. There are many options you can tweak and change (such as the shading and the angle of light); this tutorial goes over what each option does.
13. Understanding Drop Shadows
Drop Shadow is another Photoshop Layer Style that applies a silhouette to the objects in a layer. In this tutorial, you’ll learn about the different options and settings of the Drop Shadow Layer Style.
14. Introduction to Blending Modes
In this video tutorial, you’ll learn about the different Blending Modes available at your disposal.
15. Photoshop’s Filters
Photoshop filters are simply effects applied to your image (much like the concept of using photographic lens filters). For example, the Blur filter unsharpens the focus of your images. This tutorial goes over the Filters interface in Photoshop.
16. Useful Applications for the Clone Stamp Tool
This tutorial goes over some excellent uses of the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop.
17. Getting to Grips with the Vanishing Point Filter
Master the Vanishing Point filter (a Photoshop filter that adjusts the image’s perspective) with this excellent Photoshop tutorial.
18. The Hidden Power of Photoshop Brush Tool
The Brush tool is a versatile drawing feature of Photoshop the mimics different art brushes and styles like water coloring, oil painting, or charcoal painting. This tutorial covers some of the best features of the Brush Tool in Photoshop.
19. "Background Eraser Tool" is the new Magic Wand
This tutorial goes over the usage of the Background Eraser tool in Photoshop.
Common tasks and techniques
20. A Comprehensive Introduction to Photoshop Selection Techniques
In order to become a Photoshop master, you’ll need to understand how to select different sections and objects in your composition. This guide goes over some techniques you can use to selectively isolate certain objects or groups of objects.
21. Sharpening the Details
You’ll often need to sharpen photos for image correction. In this video tutorial, you’ll learn about various sharpening techniques.
22. Saving Images for the Web
One of the most powerful features of Photoshop is its ability to save compositions in a variety of web formats. This tutorial explains the different options and settings of saving images for the web.
23. Create Your Own Custom Shapes in Photoshop
Custom Shapes are reusable objects in Photoshop. It gets stored in a library and you can access them later on from another Photoshop document. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create, import, and save your own custom shapes.
24. Photoshop Smart Objects, smart but not always that smart
Smart Objects are instantiated objects – that is, you can create multiple instances of a source object and make a change to an instance of that object while still keeping the original object intact. This tutorial goes over how to use Smart Objects.
Enhancing your workflow and efficiency
25. Using Pen Tablets in Photoshop
You can use a Pen tablet (an input device that lets you draw images directly into an image editor) over a mouse to create more accurate drawings by hand. This tutorial shows you the basic concepts behind utilizing a Pen Tablet to supplement your workflow.
26. Automating Photoshop with Actions
An Action is a sequence of Photoshop tasks that you can repeat and reuse. For example, if you find yourself constantly resizing images to 550 pixels in width and then saving them in PNG file format, you can record a Photoshop Action that will apply these settings automatically. This excellent tutorial covers the basics of creating and using Photoshop Actions.
27. Using Palettes in Photoshop
Palettes are sets of tools and options that help you organize Photoshop’s interface. In this tutorial, you’ll get a great primer on how to take advantage of using Palettes.
28. Installing and Managing Brushes & Other Presets
You can install pre-made brushes (instead of creating your own) in Photoshop as well as save important settings for future use. This tutorial will show you how to work with brushes and other Photoshop presets.
29. Layer Comps in Photoshop CS
A Layer Comp is a version of your composition that you can switch back and forth to. Learn a little about an actual use of Layer Comps.
30. Photoshop Secret Shortcuts
Shortcuts enable greatly increases your efficiency. In this excellent tutorial, you’ll learn about some of the lesser-known but tremendously useful Photoshop shortcuts.
31. Manage your shortcuts in Photoshop
If you don’t like the preset keyboard shortcuts the Photoshop comes with out of the box, this tutorial will show you how to change and manage your Photoshop shortcuts.
Learning by doing
32. Manipulate an Image with Scripting
Scripting allows you to automate and extend Photoshop’s features by authoring your own code. Learn about Photoshop Scripting with this tutorial that uses image manipulation as a working example.
33. Use Photoshop’s Filters to Make Simple Illustrations
Learn to use Photoshop Filters to transform a photo into an illustration.
34. Custom made Seamless Texture Tutorial
Learn to create seamless textures in Photoshop.
35. Simple organic shapes in Photoshop
This tutorial goes over a technique for creating simple organic shapes using several Photoshop tools and techniques such as the Shape Tool and Gradient Masks.
Got more?
Do you have a tutorial you think will help beginners get started with Photoshop? Please share it with us in the comments.
57 Comments
Abulafio
January 6th, 2009
Wow, great collection!
hediye
January 6th, 2009
Ooo, great list ;) Thanks for the sharing
Phil Miller
January 6th, 2009
This is a great resource in one location. I have learned a lot in the past year in Photoshop, but there is always more and having a strong grasp of the basics is so important.
Thanks!
Jacob Gube
January 6th, 2009
@Phil Miller: I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve been using Photoshop for close to 8 years, but when I finished this article – I picked up a ton of great tips even though I geared this piece towards beginners. For example, I really haven’t played with Layer Comps (because I already had a system for layer comps before the feature was introduced) or the Vanishing Point filter before; this was a very educational story to write.
nick
January 6th, 2009
Found this through Digg, really great article.
Mark
January 7th, 2009
It makes me alive and more interest about the application. Thanks
Jeff
January 7th, 2009
These tutorials are great, but where is the love for Photoshop Elements users?? Are there any similar tutorials for Elements? I have not seen much .
Scott
January 7th, 2009
Just wanted to say thanks! I just discovered this blog and it’s got a ton of useful information. Especially love the WordPress video tutorials entry. Helped me out tremendously.
thenetguruz
January 8th, 2009
Nice tutorial, one can also mention about various third party plugins and brushes available which make many task as easy as a click.
Jacob Gube
January 8th, 2009
@Jeff: I’ll have to think about an article about Photoshop Elements. Here’s my two cents: I think Elements isn’t robust enough for advanced editing, and since this post is catered more towards designers that are just starting out (or veterans needing a refresher) I really didn’t mention Elements. And this is especially true with Elements CS4 which makes it evident that Adobe is targeting the casual users for the Photoshop Elements.
@Scott: Glad you find the stuff over here useful.
@thenetguruz: That’s a good point, but I feel that using plugins and brushes may tempt people to skip the fundamentals. I see the same thing happening with JavaScript frameworks/libraries: because they make writing JS easy, people skip learning fundamental JS. But if you take the time to learn the basics, you’ll run into less trouble because you understand how things work.
Annie Bimala
January 9th, 2009
awesome
Ice Zero
January 10th, 2009
Wow, great collection! Thanks. Very-very-very good!
flashy007
January 13th, 2009
I simply love photoshop and the tutorials are a great start.
Beliefrules
January 14th, 2009
WOW … I was ‘surfing’ a new YouTube ‘type’ called Stumbleupon and look what I ACCIDENTALLY ‘stumbled upon’!!
I’ve been lookin and lookin and lookin … hours of searches to find anything re Photoshop for the absolute BEGINNER!! I can’t than you enough and now .. only PRAY this wonderful tut remains herein for a ‘while’!
I’m about to go in for my 3rd spinal fusion and thus, will not be able to make use of using my very FIRST ‘baby steps’ in PSP for about 9-12 months … EEK!!
PLEASE KEEP THIS AS A “RETRIEVABLE LINK” for us ‘newbies’ and ‘wanna bes’ …
God Bless and THANK YOU!!!
ILikeCharlie
January 14th, 2009
gotta love the newbie tutorials thank u ; )
arlene corwin
January 19th, 2009
It’s in my favorites now. Just hope I have the talent and the perseverance to learn it. It’s so terribly appealing. See you in a year or so with some kind of result.
Timothy
January 21st, 2009
Great list. Thanks
Geoserv
January 28th, 2009
These will definitely come in handy, thanks for compiling.
Amy
January 30th, 2009
THE BEST LIST YET!!!!! DEFINITELY A FAV!!
Scarf*oo
March 5th, 2009
Cool post. Will send it over to my friends always bugging me about how to do this and how to do that in ps :)
Mike
May 5th, 2009
Wow, thanks for the really helpful tips. These were awesome!
retoucher77
June 4th, 2009
nice lit, thank you!
gilbert
June 10th, 2009
Wow, these are nice collection!awesome!
GODBLESS!thanks the tutorial tips!
joel israel
June 24th, 2009
I love it…..Its great for beginners like ME..Cheers!
Phaoloo
July 6th, 2009
They are basic stuff for beginner to get acquainted with Photoshop. Cool, I love them.
Sudhir
July 27th, 2009
Wow !!
I just started learning Photoshop, and this is what, I was looking for…
Very helpful indeed.
Thanks
ramesh
November 10th, 2009
wow………Its great for beginners
thanks
papouche
December 18th, 2009
Thank u soooooo VERY much for teaching ppl like me on how to be better at PS much KUDOS
Ellie
January 2nd, 2010
Thanks – this is an awesome guide and it has helped me a lot! I started using photoshop a few weeks ago and I was getting very confused so this was what I was looking for – all the other guides are for people who already know how to use photoshop but this one is for begginers just like me!! :) Thanks!
Solana
January 5th, 2010
The background eraser is pretty cool, I must say!
Hediye
January 30th, 2010
really good stuff Thank you
nev
March 15th, 2010
WOW VERY NICE :)
makara
March 22nd, 2010
hi all
Would you commend me how to design well in photoshop Cs3
vetweb
March 26th, 2010
Great!!
This is the real complete guide for beginner!!
Thanks
muyi
May 26th, 2010
this is great. just what i was looking for
Rajat
September 26th, 2010
Thanks a lot for taking the trouble to compile all this in one page. Really appreciate it.
Eric Cave Lathbridge
October 7th, 2010
I need it in a book form if it’s can be done please email me i really want it
riya
October 30th, 2010
Grate !!! thanks
Stiv
November 3rd, 2010
Thank you for sharing this treasure box! I really want to learn using the Photoshop. Thank you!
marlon
December 7th, 2010
i want to learned more.. thank you for this website.
Brad Maver
December 27th, 2010
Wow, Awesome Round up. Good practice for getting familiar with the different tools.
Florina Diacon
December 30th, 2010
I have a small baby and i am interested in all the personalized stuff i can do for her in photoshop. One friend recommended me this site and i am very thrilled of it till now. Thank you!
Jeff_Metallica
January 1st, 2011
Very useful damn good
sandeep
January 11th, 2011
masking is awesome
Professional Forever
June 3rd, 2011
Thank you very much for this basic tutorials. please continue the next tutorials to learn much more step by step.
Frankly, I am happy and still need to improve my skills.
Go ahead !
Good Luck
jude
July 1st, 2011
i like this please
Suresh
July 5th, 2011
Hi,
Thanks a lot….
I just started learning Photoshop, and this is what, I was looking for…
Very helpful indeed.
so ,please update next stape….
gezpaylas
July 8th, 2011
l learn photoshop thank u for sharings.
Richard Wesley
July 12th, 2011
Dear Poster, I couldn’t have failed to appreciate your work here after getting enriched by the information here and for painstakingly getting this collection from variety of sites. Thanks a lot.
Md. Nasim Howlader
August 16th, 2011
This tutorial is Very helpful & This collection is very important.
Thank you…..
angelohinggo
October 16th, 2011
ilove this pages
Irene Sanchez
October 16th, 2011
Thanks for this tutorial! So helpful for a beginner like me. :D
Mahmoud
October 21st, 2011
thanks
Lungi
October 29th, 2011
Thank you ! Thank you ! thank you for the tutorials. I have been battling trying to get material. Most of it its expensive and not easy to follow.
kusi ben
November 6th, 2011
i wanna knkow more so kindly send me more information about how to design picture..thank u..
jitendra
November 14th, 2011
Thanks a lot for taking the trouble to compile all this in one page. Really appreciate it.
Gaurav
June 13th, 2012
I would have never tried using Photoshop if this post wouldnt have been there. Watching ,’You suck at Photoshop’ after going through all the basic terminologies really helped. This post is a bookmark in my browser. Thanks a million!
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