What You’ll Doptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780789736918/...By modifying File Handling preferences, such as append- ... these new layers, the working size of the file increases

Customizing the Way You Work

Introduction

No description of Adobe Photoshop would be complete with-out that well known, but little utilized area called Preferences.Photoshop preferences serve several purposes. They helpcustomize the program to your particular designing style, andthey help you utilize available computer resources toincrease the overall performance of the program.

By modifying File Handling preferences, such as append-ing a file extension on the file, or being asked when saving alayered TIFF file, you can streamline file saving process. Inaddition, you can change the way your cursors look. Forexample, do you want your paintbrush to look like a paint-brush when you paint, do you prefer a precession crosshairor the actual brush size shape, or the shape with a crosshair?

As you use Photoshop, you'll come to realize the impor-tance of working with units and rulers. Precision is the nameof the game when you are working with images. What aboutthe color of your guides, grids, and slices? No big deal, yousay. Well, if you've every tried viewing a blue guide against ablue-sky image, you know exactly why color is important. Byworking through preferences such as Image Cache, ScratchDisks, and RAM Memory, speed increases of up to 20 percentcan be achieved.

In addition, customizing the program, helps make youmore comfortable, and studies show that the more comfort-able you are as a designer the better your designs. Plus,being comfortable allows you to work faster, and that meansyou'll accomplish more in the same amount of time. Whatdoes setting up preferences do for you? They makePhotoshop run faster (up to 20 percent), you work more effi-ciently, and your designs are better. That's a pretty good com-bination. Photoshop doesn't give you preferences to confuseyou, but to give you choices, and those choices give you con-trol.

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3What You’ll Do

Optimize Photoshop

Set General Preferences

Modify File Handling Preferences

Work with Interface Preferences

Work with Cursors Preferences

Control Transparency & GamutPreferences

Work with Units & Rulers

Work with Guides, Grid, Slices & Count

Select Plug-Ins

Select Scratch Disks

Allocate Memory & Image Cache

Work with Type

Manage Libraries with the Preset Manager

Customize the Workspace

Define Shortcut Keys

Create a Customized User Interface

Use Drawing Tablets

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Optimizing Photoshop

Photoshop is a powerful program, and assuch, requires a tremendous amount of com-puting power. When working on large docu-ments, a poorly optimized Photoshop willtranslate into long wait times. That's the badnews if you have a deadline to meet. Thegood news is that Photoshop can be config-ured to run more efficiently. To optimizePhotoshop, click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop(Mac) menu, point to Preferences, and thenclick Performance. The Performance prefer-ences dialog box contain options that willhelp increase the performance of Photoshop.

History StatesHistory States control the number of undosavailable. In fact, you can have up to 1000undos (ever wonder who would make somany mistakes that they would need 1000undos?). Unfortunately, increasing the number

of History States will ultimately increase theamount of RAM Photoshop uses to managethe History palette. Assigning more RAMmemory to manage History means lessmemory for Photoshop to perform normaloperations, and will reduce the performanceof the program. If you are experiencingslow performance problems, lowering thenumber of History States frees up moreRAM, and permits Photoshop to operatemore efficiently.

Scratch DiskWhen your computer doesn’t have enoughRAM to perform an operation, Photoshopuses free space on any available drive,known as a Scratch Disk. Photoshoprequires 5 times the working size of the filein contiguous hard drive space. For exam-ple, if the working size of your file is 100MB,

History States

Chapter 3 Customizing the Way You Work 53

you will need 500MB of contiguous hard drivespace, or you will receive an error message:Out of Scratch Disk Space (I hate it when thathappens). Using additional hard drives givesPhotoshop the ability to divide the processingload and increase performance. Photoshopdetects and displays all available internaldisks in the Preferences dialog box. Scratchdisks must be physically attached to yourcomputer (avoid networks and removablemedia, such as zip drives, or rewriteable CDsor DVDs). For maximum speed, avoid USB,and use 4 or 6-pin Firewire drives. Benchmarktests show Firewire drives provide up to a 20percent speed improvement when used asScratch Disks. Think of saving one hour out ofevery five, or one full day out of every five.That's not too bad. For best results, select ascratch disk on a different drive than the oneused for virtual memory or any large filesyou’re editing.

Memory & Image CachePhotoshop functions in RAM memory (actuallyall applications work within RAM). To run effi-ciently, Photoshop requires five times theworking size of the open document in avail-able memory (some tests indicate 6 to 8times). Strictly speaking, the more RAM mem-ory you can assign to Photoshop, the moreefficient the program operates, especiallywhen opening large document.

RAM memory usage is determined by theworking size of the document, not its opensize. As you work on a document, you willeventually add additional layers to separateand control elements of the image. As you addthese new layers, the working size of the fileincreases.

RAM memory allocation

Available Scratch Disks

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Photoshop's General preferences help you configure some of the morecommon features of the program. Image quality settings, as well as thenew History log are setup in General preferences. Other options, suchas showing tool tips, beeping when an operation is finished, and usingSmart Quotes, can all be turned on or off in the options area. TheHistory Log lets you save all the History States performed on a particu-lar document. For example, when you open an image, all the adjust-ments and actions performed are saved in a text file. This gives youaccess to valuable information, and lets you reproduce the steps per-formed on one image, to correct the contents of another. You can alsochange the size of the small font text on the Options bar, palettes, andtool tips.

Setting GeneralPreferences

Work with General Options

Click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop(Mac) menu, and then point toPreferences.

Click General.

Click the Color Picker list arrow,and then select Adobe or anotheroperating system (Windows orMacintosh).

Click the Image Interpolation listarrow, and then select NearestNeighbor (Faster), Bilinear, or oneof the Bicubic options.

Click the UI Font Size list arrow,and then select a size for the userinterface fonts.

The change takes effect the nexttime you start Photoshop.

Select the various options youwant to use:

◆ Automatically Launch Bridge.Automatically launches theBridge in the background everytime Photoshop is launched.

◆ Auto-Update Open Documents.Creates a link between theopen image and the image fileon disk.

◆ Beep When Done. Soundswhen an operation is complete.

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◆ Dynamic Color Sliders. Previewscolor effects within the sliderbars.

◆ Export Clipboard. Transfers acopied image to the operatingsystems clipboard.

◆ Use Shift Key For Tool Switch.Allows you to use the keyboardshortcut when two tools sharethe same slot in the toolbox.

◆ Resize Image During Paste/Place. Allows you to resize animage during a Paste or Place.

◆ Zoom Resizes Windows. Forcesthe image window to resizewhen zoom is selected.

◆ Zoom With Scroll Wheel.Determines whether zooming orscrolling is the default operationof the scroll wheel.

Select the History Log options youwant to use.

Click OK.8

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Sooner or later, you'll have to save the file (document) you've createdin Photoshop. The final output of any document is contained within aspecific file format such as tif, eps, jpg, or even bmp. In fact, Photoshoplets you save files using over 18 different formats. The File Handlingpreferences provide several options that modify what information issaved with a file. Image previews are typically very small; add very littleto the file size of the saved document. Once saved you will want toopen, print, and possibly even modify the document using other image-editing applications. The File compatibility options help you save a filethat will be transportable to other applications.

Modifying FileHandlingPreferences

Work with File Handling Options


Click File Handling.

Select the File Saving Options youwant to use:

◆ Image Previews. Select AlwaysSave, Never Save, or Ask WhenSaving.

◆ Icon. Saves previews of theimages (Mac).

◆ Full Size. Saves full-sizepreviews for use as FPO (ForPlacement Only) objects inDesktop layout programs(Mac).

◆ Mac Thumbnail. Savespreviews viewable when usingthe Mac File Open command(Mac).

◆ Win Thumbnail. Savespreviews viewable when usingthe Win File Open command(Mac).

◆ Append File Extension. Letsyou choose whether to appendthe file extension (Mac).

◆ Use Lower Case. Choose tohave upper or lower caseextensions.

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Select the File Compatibility optionsyou want to use:

◆ Prefer Adobe Camera Raw forJPEG Files (New!). Open JPEGfiles in Camera Raw.

◆ Prefer Adobe Camera Raw forSupported Raw Files (New!).Open Raw supported files inCamera Raw.

◆ Ignore EXIF Profile Tag. Ignorescolor space metadata attachedto digital camera images.

◆ Ask Before Saving Layered TIFFFiles. Lets you create multi-layered documents, and thensave them using the TIFF format.

This is a distinct advantagewhen you need to use multi-layered files and you don't wantto save them using Photoshop'sproprietary format .psd.

◆ Enable Large Document Format.Lets you create and save largefiles (up to 6 GB).

◆ Maximize PSD FileCompatibility. Lets you save.psd files that can be opened inearlier versions of the program.

Select the Enable Version Cuecheck box to save files compatiblewith Adobe Version Cue.

Enter the number of files (up to 30)to keep in the Recent File List box.

Click OK.7

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See AlsoSee “Understanding File Formats” onpage 381 for information on some of thevarious file formats available inPhotoshop.

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Working with the Interface preferences gives you control over whetherPhotoshop displays or hides user interface features. You can displaysome user interface elements in color. For example, you can show theToolbar icon in color or grayscale (New!), show channels in color, orshow selected menu items in user-defined colors. Interface prefer-ences also allows you to shows labels when your cursor is placed overan option, automatically collapse icon palettes when you click away(New!), and remember palette locations for use next time.

Working withInterface Preferences

Work with Interface Options


Click Interface.

Select the Interface options youwant to use:

◆ Use Grayscale Toolbar Icon.Shows the toolbar icon ingrayscale or color (New!).

◆ Show Channels In Color.Allows you to view channels inthe Channels palette in color.

For example, the red channeldisplays using shades of red,the green channel usingshades of green, and the bluechannel using shades of blue.When this option is notselected, color channelsdisplay, using shades of gray(does not affect printing).

◆ Show Menu Colors. Displaysselected menu items in user-defined colors.

◆ Show Tool Tips. Shows labelswhen your cursor is placedover an option.

◆ Auto-Collapse Icon Palettes(New!). Automatically collapseicon palettes when you clickaway.

◆ Remember Palette Locations.Saves the palette locations.

Click OK.4

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We communicate with Photoshop using various devices, such as adrawing table, mouse, touch screen, track pad, and a keyboard.Photoshop communicates with us using visual cues, the most promi-nent one is the shape of the cursor. For example, when a cursor lookslike an I-beam, this typically means it's time to enter text, or when thecursor looks like a magnifying glass, clicking on the image expands theview size. Working with the Cursors preferences gives you control overhow Photoshop communicates with you.

Working with CursorsPreferences

Work with Cursors Options


Click Cursors.

Select the Painting Cursorsoptions you want to use:

◆ Standard. Painting cursorsappear as their toolbox buttons.

◆ Precise. Painting cursorsappear as cross-hairs.

◆ Normal Brush Tip. Paintingcursors appear with the shapeof the active brush tip.

◆ Full Size Brush Tip. Shows thefull size of the brush tip,including feathered edges.

◆ Show Crosshair In Brush Tip.Displays a crosshair in thecenter of the brush tip.

Select the Other Cursors optionsyou want to use:

◆ Standard. Painting cursorsappear as their toolbox buttons.

◆ Precise. Painting cursorsappear as cross-hairs.

Click OK.5

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For Your Information

Toggling Between Precise and Standard Tools

Pressing the Cap Lock key while using a painting cursor, toggles thetool between the precise and brush size options, and pressing the CapLock key when using any other cursor, toggles between standard andprecise.

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The Transparency & Gamut preferences control how Photoshop dis-plays transparent areas of a document (commonly called the table-cloth), as well as the color and opacity of areas of an image that falloutside of the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), color mode. It'simportant to understand that transparency in Photoshop does notalways translate into transparency, after you save the file. For example,the JPEG format is used primarily for images saved for the Internet, anddoes not support transparency. When you save the file, Photoshop willfill the transparent areas of the image with a matte color (defaultwhite). In addition, the Gamut Warning mask is used because a monitordisplaying color information using RGB, and has more saturation valuesthan a 4-color press (CMYK). Using new inks and spot colors can some-times overcome an out-of-gamut color. For transparency it's importantto remember that unless you're printing the document directly inPhotoshop, it's the format that determines if the transparent areas willbe saved, and the Gamut Warning is there to warn you of any areasthat may not be saved.

ControllingTransparency& Gamut Preferences

Control Transparency & Gamut Options


Click Transparency & Gamut.

Select the Transparency Settingsoptions you want to use:

◆ Grid Size. Allows you to selecta transparency grid size.

◆ Grid Colors. Allows you tochoose the color scheme forthe transparency grid.

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Select the Gamut Warning optionsyou want to use:

◆ Color. Choose a color to maskareas of an image that moveout of the CMYK color space.

◆ Opacity. Enter a value from 0 to100 percent.

Opacity determines how muchof the Color Overlay masks theoriginal image pixels.

For example, if you choose thecolor gray, and an opacity of100 percent, areas of an imagethat fall outside of the CMYKcolor space will be maskedwith gray.

Click OK.

IMPORTANT To activate thegamut warning option, open adocument in Photoshop, click theView menu, and then click GamutWarning. Out of Gamut areas ofthe image will display with thecolor and opacity chosen in theTransparency & Gamutpreferences.

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While changing the measurable units and rulers do not affect outputquality, they do help to measure information in a document consistentwith the specific output device. Ruler units give you precise informationon the width and height of the active document. The column size meas-urements provide information that Photoshop needs to create docu-ments in the column and width of newspapers, magazines, brochures,etc. The Preset Resolutions lets you select specific resolution valuesfor creating new documents. Insert the values you'll use most often inthe creation of a new Photoshop document.

Working with Units & Rulers

Work with Units & RulersOptions


Click Units & Rulers.

Select the Units options you wantto use:

◆ Rulers. Sets a defaultmeasuring system for the Ruler bar.

For example, pixels would bemost common for imagesdisplayed on a monitor, andpica or inches most commonfor output to press or printer.

◆ Type. Sets to measure type witha default value of points ormillimeters.

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Did You Know?You can switch between ruler meas-urements without going to prefer-ences. To change the defaultmeasurement system of the Ruler bar,simply move into the Ruler bar, andthen right-click your mouse. A list ofavailable measurement options will beinstantly available.

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Select the Column Size settingsyou want to use:

◆ Width. Choose a measurementsystem and numerical value forcolumn width.

◆ Gutter. Choose a measurementsystem and numerical value forgutter (the space between thecolumns).

When you choose ameasurement system (points,inches, or cm), Photoshopchanges the value tocorrespond to the type ofmeasurement system.

Select the New Document PresetResolutions settings you want touse:

◆ Print Resolution. Select a printresolution and measurementvalue for default printing.

◆ Screen Resolution. Select aprint resolution andmeasurement value for defaultscreen display.

Click the Postscript or Traditionaloption measuring systems forPhotoshop's type tool (Postscriptis the most widely used).

Click OK.7

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The Guides, Grid, Slices & Count preferences help keep a multi-layereddocument in proper order. For example, lining up buttons on a Webinterface, or making sure specific design elements are exactly in placewithin the document window. The Guides option lets you select thecolor and style of the guides placed within a Photoshop document.Guides are placed within the image by dragging them from the horizon-tal or vertical Ruler bars in the active document. The Grid options letyou decide on a color, style, and layout for Photoshop's grid system.The Slices option defines the visible color of a slice, and whetherPhotoshop displays a number value for each slice. The Count optionspecifies color used to display the count number when you countobjects in an image using the Count tool (Extended) (New!).

Working with Guides,Grid, Slices & Count

Work with Guides, Grid, Slices& Count Options


Click Guides, Grid, Slices & Count.

Select the Guides options youwant to use:

◆ Color. Select a default color fordisplaying guides.

◆ Style. Select a default (Lines orDashed) for displayingguidelines.

Select the Smart Guides optionsyou want to use:

◆ Color. Select a color for usewith Smart Guides.

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Did You Know?You can change a horizontal guideinto a vertical guide, and vise versa.Move into the Ruler bar and drag guideinto the document window. Beforereleasing the mouse, hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key. The guide automatically switchesdirections.

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Select the Grid options you wantto use:

◆ Color. Select a default color fordisplaying grids.

◆ Style. Select a default style(Lines, Dashed Lines, or Dots)for displaying the grid.

◆ Gridline Every. Enter a value forhow often the grid lines appearwithin the active document.

◆ Subdivisions. Enter a value forhow many subdivisions (lines)appear between each maingridline.

Select the Slices options you wantto use:

◆ Line Color. Select a default linecolor for displaying documentslices.

◆ Show Slice Numbers. Selectthe check box to display anumber for each slice in theupper-left corner of the slice.

IMPORTANT When you selecta line color, choose a color that isdifferent than the guide and gridline colors. That way you caneasily identify grids and guides foruser-created lines.

Select a color for use with theCount tool (New!).

Click OK.8

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Did You Know?You can change colors choices forGuide, Grid, Slices & Count. Not satis-fied with the color choices offered bythe color and style menus. Click on theColor boxes located on the right side ofthe Preferences dialog box, and selectany color from the Color Picker.

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The Plug-Ins preferences give you the ability to organize your plug-insby saving them in one or more folders. These additional folders are typ-ically used to hold additional third-party plug-ins. When selected, plug-ins contained within the folder will be available from Photoshop'sFilters menu. Organizing your plug-ins into folders helps keep your proj-ect focused and reduces the clutter of plug-ins when you select theFilter menu.

Selecting Plug-Ins

Work with Plug-Ins Options


Click Plug-Ins.

Select the Additional Plug-InsFolder check box to storeadditional plug-in.

IMPORTANT The first time youselect this option, Photoshop asksyou where to store the plug-ins.The next time you want to storeplug-ins or add additional plug-ins,click Choose.

If necessary, click Choose toidentify the folder where you wantto store plug-ins, and then clickOK.

Enter in your Legacy PhotoshopSerial Number.

Some third-party plug-ins requireaccess to Photoshop's old styleSerial Number. If you've beenupgrading Photoshop, and youhave the old style serial number(starts with PS) enter that numberin the Legacy input box.

Click OK.6

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Selecting ScratchDisks

Work with Scratch DisksOptions


Click Performance.

Select the check box next to thescratch disk you want to use orclear the check box to remove it.

IMPORTANT Photoshop holdsscratch disk space as long as theapplication is open. To deletescratch disk space you must closePhotoshop.

Click OK.4

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The Performance preferences are available to help you get the bestperformance out of your computer, by letting you choose one or morehard drive for scratch operations. When your computer doesn’t haveenough RAM to perform an operation, Photoshop uses free space onany available drive, known as a Scratch Disk. Photoshop runs fasterwhen you divide the Scratch Disk workload. Scratch operations areperformed on your hard drive, and take place when Photoshop is usingone of its many filters and adjustments. Photoshop detects and displaysall available internal disks in the Performance preferences dialog box,where you can select the disks you want. By assigning additional harddrives to the task, you speed up Photoshop's overall performance.Scratch Disk changes take effect the next time you start Photoshop.

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The Memory & Image Cache preferences give you control over howmuch RAM memory is assigned to Photoshop, and how much memoryis allocated to screen draws (Image Cache). Photoshop, being a high-performance application, requires a fairly large amount of RAM mem-ory. Adjusting these options can help increase Photoshop's overallspeed performance. Photoshop uses many things that effect RAMmemory: History States, Undo, Clipboard, and Cache. When you modifythe cache settings, you are increasing or decreasing the amount ofRAM Photoshop uses for various tasks. Experimentation is the keyhere. Try different settings and record Photoshop's performance. Byfine-tuning Photoshop's engine, you increase it's overall speed, andyou'll get more design miles to the gallon.

Allocating Memory &Image Cache

Allocate Memory & ImageCache Options


Click Performance.

Select the History & Cache optionsyou want to use:

◆ Cache Levels. Select a numberfrom 1 to 8.

◆ History States. Enter theamount of History States stepsyou want to keep as undos; youcan enter up to 1,000.

IMPORTANT History Statesimpact Photoshop's performanceby holding the History States usinga combination of RAM andScratch Disk space. The moreHistory States used, the more RAMmemory is required. Using anextensive number of History Statescan impact Photoshop'sperformance.

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Setting the Cache LevelsCache Levels are screen redraws. It's how many versions of the cur-rent active document Photoshop saves. When you're working onlarge documents, Cache Levels helps speed up the redraw function,and makes image manipulation proceed faster. However, they areheld primarily in RAM memory, so the more Cache Levels you select,the less RAM memory is available for other Photoshop functions.

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See AlsoSee “Installing Photoshop CS3,” onpage 2 for information on RAM andother system needs.

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Enter the percentage of RAM usedin the Let Photoshop Use box.

Photoshop needs RAM memory towork efficiently (5 times the size ofthe open document).

IMPORTANT Any settingchanges made for allocatingmemory and image caching willtake place the next time you startPhotoshop. Please see themessage at the bottom of thescreen.

To override software rendering of3D layers, select Enable 3DAcceleration check box(Extended) (New!).

Click OK.

IMPORTANT Never select 100percent Memory Usage. Selecting100 percent gives Photoshop yourentire available RAM, leavingnothing for the operating systemor any other open programs. If youare experiencing more than yourusual share of Photoshop crashes,experiment with reducing memoryusage.

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Although Photoshop is not by definition a type setting application, suchas Adobe InDesign, it does have some very powerful type features. Forexample, Adobe Photoshop allows you to output PostScript text to aprinter with a PostScript option. This way you will not need to placePhotoshop images into type intensive applications, such as InDesign orIllustrator, just to create a few lines of text. In addition, Photoshop'snew type menu lets you see fonts as they will print or display. Fordesigners that use a lot of fonts, this WYSIWYG (What You See Is WhatYou Get) font menu is a timesaver. You can use Type preferences tohelp you select the type and font options you want to use in Photoshop.

Working with Type

Work with Type Options


Click Type.

Select the Type options you wantto use:

◆ Use Smart Quotes. Select touse left and right quotations.

◆ Show Asian Text Options.Select to display Japanese,Chinese, and Korean typeoptions in the Character andParagraph palettes.

◆ Enable Missing GlyphProtection (New!). Select toautomatically select incorrect,unreadable charactersbetween roman and non-roman(Japanese or Cyrillic) text.

◆ Show Font Names In English.Select to display non-Romanfonts using their Roman names.

◆ Font Preview Size. Select todisplay fonts on the menu insmall, medium, or large size.

Click OK.

IMPORTANT Photoshop usesPostScript measuring systems tosize fonts. Therefore a 72 pointfont will print 1 inch tall. Using thislets you know how big the fontswill appear when output to print.

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The Preset Manager gives you one place to manage brushes,swatches, gradients, styles, patterns, contours, custom shapes, andpreset tools. The Preset Manager can be used to change the currentset of preset items and create new libraries of customized sets. Once alibrary is loaded in the Preset Manager, you can access the library'sitems in all locations the preset is available. Changes made in thePreset Manager are global, and are applied every time you openPhotoshop. When you save a new preset, the name appears in the dia-log box for the specific option you selected.

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Managing Librarieswith the PresetManager

Create a New Preset

Click the Edit menu, and then clickPreset Manager.

Click the Preset Type list arrow,and then select the options.

Click the Options list arrow, andthen select from the availablepresets to add them to the currentitem list.

To remove any items in a newpreset, click a thumbnail, and thenclick Delete.

To reorganize their order, click anddrag the thumbnails to newpositions within the view window.

To change a preset name, click athumbnail, click Rename, changethe name, and then click OK.

Click a thumbnail, and then clickSave Set.

Enter a new set name, and thenselect a location to store the set.

Click Save, and then click Done.9

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Did You Know?You can save specific items in theview window as a preset. PressCtrl+click (Win) or A+click (Mac) ononly those items you want in the newset, and then click Save Set.

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Photoshop consists of a document surrounded by an Options bar, tool-box, and up to 19 floating palettes. Depending on how you work, yourworkspace may reflect any combination of the above. For example,when you work with text, you would need the Character and Paragraphpalettes, but you might not need the Styles or Histogram palette. Towork efficiently, each job requires a certain organization of the work-space. Rather than making you redesign your workspace every timeyou begin a new project, Photoshop gives you ways to create and saveyour own customized workspaces.

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Customizing theWorkspace

Create a Customized Workspace

Arrange the palettes into a specificworking order.

Click the Window button on theOptions bar (New!) or point toWorkspace on the Window menu,and then click Save Workspace.

Type a name for the workspace.

Select check boxes to save PaletteLocations, Keyboard Shortcuts, orMenus.

Click Save.

Delete a Customized Workspace

Click the Window button on theOptions bar (New!) or point toWorkspace on the Window menu,and then click Delete Workspace.

Click the Workspace list arrow, andthen click the workspace you wantto delete, or click All.

Click Delete, and then click Yes toconfirm the deletion.

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Did You Know?You can display the Photoshop defaultWorkspace. Click the Window menu,point to Workspace, and then clickDefault Workspace.

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Resetting Palettes

You can reset all Photoshop palettes back to their original configura-tion. Click the Window menu, point to Workspace, and then click ResetPalette Location. Photoshop resets all palettes, regardless of currentsettings.


A wise man once wrote "time is money," and Photoshop is a programthat can consume a lot of time. That's why the Photoshop applicationuses shortcut keys. Shortcut keys, as their name implies, let you per-form tasks in a shorter period of time. For example, if you want to opena new document in Photoshop, you click the File menu, and then clickNew, or you can abandon the mouse and press Ctrl+N (Win) or A+N(Mac) to use shortcut keys. Using shortcut keys reduces the use of themouse and speeds up operations. In fact, a recent study in theAmerican Medical Journal, suggested that the use of shortcut keyssignificantly cuts down on repetitive stress, and reduces instances ofcarpal tunnel syndrome. Photoshop raises the bar by not only givingyou hundreds of possible shortcut keys, but also actually allowing youto define you own shortcuts.

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Defining Shortcut Keys

Create a Keyboard Shortcut

Click the Edit menu, and then clickKeyboard Shortcuts.

Click an arrow (left column) toexpand the menu that contains thecommand you want to create ashortcut.

Select an item from the commandslist.

Use the keyboard to create thenew shortcut. For example, pressCtrl+N (Win) or A+N (Mac).

Click Accept.

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Did You Know?You can save time using shortcutkeys. According to several time andmotion studies, using shortcut keyscan actually save a computer user 1hour out of every 8 in a work day.

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Working with ShortcutsIn addition to adding shortcuts, you can delete, add additional short-cuts, and even print out a summary of shortcuts defined inPhotoshop. Shortcuts can be used for the Application and Palettemenus, as well as for your tools in the toolbox. Click the Edit menu,click Keyboard Shortcuts, and then use the appropriate buttons,such as Delete Shortcut, Add Shortcut, or Summarize, to perform thetasks you want.

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See AlsoSee “Keyboard Shortcuts” on page xixfor information on getting a listing ofcommon shortcut key assignments.

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Photoshop's pull-down menus actually contain hundreds of options(yes, I did said hundreds). If you find navigating through menus a has-sle, then Adobe has the answer to your problem with a customizableuser interface. In Photoshop, you have the ability to choose what menuitems appear on the pull-down menus and even colorize certain menuitems for easier visibility. For example, if your curious about all the newfeatures in Photoshop, you can create a drop-down menu system withall the new features highlighted. Or, perhaps, you wish to create amenu system that highlights all the specific tools you're planning to usein a photo-restoration project. In fact, Photoshop includes several pre-defined user interface sets just to get you started in the right direction.

Creating a CustomizedUser Interface

Use a Predefined User Interface

Click the Window menu, and thenpoint to Workspace.

Click one of the predefined sets,such as: Automation, Web Design,or What's New in CS3.

A dialog box displays askingwhether you want to apply thenew changes.

Click Yes to apply the changes.

The Photoshop menus will nowdisplay with highlighted optionsbased on your selection.

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Did You Know?You can restore menus to original set-tings. To restore all of the Photoshopmenu settings to the original values,click the Window menu, and then clickReset Menus.

You can turn a text box into a slider.You can use any text box which dis-plays a numerical value, such as fontsize, like a slider. Point to the text box,press and hold down the Ctrl key(which changes the cursor to a handwith arrows), and then move themouse left to decrease or right toincrease the displayed number.

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Create a Customized UserInterface

Click the Window menu, point toWorkspace, and then clickKeyboard Shortcuts & Menus.

Click the Menus tab.

To create a new set, based on thecurrent active set, click the CreateNew Set button, enter a name, andthen click Save.

Click the Set list arrow, and thenselect a listing of modified UserInterfaces.

Click the Menu For list arrow andthen click Application Menus orPalette Menus with the items youwant to modify.

Click an arrow (left column) toexpand the menu that contains thecommand you want to modify.

Click the Visibility icon associatedwith a command to show or hidethe command.

Click the Color list arrow, andselect a color for the selectedcommand.

Click the Save All Changes buttonto save the new customized UserInterface.

Click OK.10

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Did You Know?You can delete a user interface set.Click the Windows menu, point toWorkspace, click Keyboard Shortcuts& Menus, click the Menus tab, clickthe Set list arrow, click the set youwant, and then click the Delete button.

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Using Drawing Tablets

When you design on a computer, you're leav-ing the natural world of oil, watercolor, andcanvas, for the electronic world of computermonitors and pixels (don't worry, it's a rela-tively painless transition). Without a doubtthere are many differences between tradi-tional and digital design; however, it's notnecessary to abandon all aspects of the natu-ral media world. For example, the computermouse has always been a problem withdesigners who miss the feel and control of abrush in their hands. Fortunately, technologycame to the rescue several years ago, withthe invention of the drawing tablet. Drawingtablets incorporate a drawing surface, and abrush-like drawing tool. A designer picks upthe brush and moves it across the drawingtablet surface. In turn, the drawing tabletinterprets those movements as brush strokes.Not only does Photoshop fully support draw-

ing tablet technology, it also interprets theparticular drawing style of the designer. Forexample, pushing harder with the brushagainst the drawing tablet, instructsPhotoshop to create a wider stroke, or evento apply more color. Drawing tablets havehelped to translate the control of workingwith real art brushes against canvas, into theworld of the digital designer. Of all the manu-facturers, Wacom stands out as the leader indrawing tablet technology. Wacom returns thefeel of designing with a brush to the digitaldesigner's world, and the software requiredto power the tablet works seamlessly withPhotoshop and the Windows or Macintoshoperating systems. To check out what tabletmight be right for your needs, point yourbrowser to www.wacom.com and check outthe available options.

Drawing pen

Wacom tablet

www.wacom.com