Adobe Photoshop help

Updated: 07/31/2022 by Computer Hope
Adobe Photoshop logo

Photoshop overview

Adobe Photoshop is available in different versions, with the latest being Adobe Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud). It is the premier graphics and photo editing program used professionals in every field of digital imaging.

Photoshop CC supports all major image file formats, including GIF, JPEG, Targa, TIFF, HEIF, BMP, and its native PSD (Photoshop document) format. It can also create animated GIFs, either from image sequences or short video files.

Images can be imported, edited, and converted to other formats. Images may be edited in layers, groups, and as Smart Layers, a proprietary Adobe feature. The software provides a full range of image adjustment and color correction, suitable for film, television, digital video, and print publishing.

Other features

  • Creative Cloud Libraries - Users can access their images virtually anywhere, as images worked on are saved in the Creative Cloud.
  • Improved Exporting - Allows users to export images in several ways with a single click, including single layer and full image. Also, it has better compression for cloud storage ease.
  • Artboard Design - Create images in multiple sizes and layouts for different screen sizes, like computers, smartphones, and tablets. Great when creating images and layouts for responsive design.
  • 3D Model Resolution Management - Easily reduce 3D model resolution, to allow for better viewing on smartphones and tablets.

Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements 14

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a release of Photoshop containing many of the powerful tools available in Adobe Photoshop CC. However, select advanced features are not included, which is why Photoshop Elements is offered at a lower price.

Photoshop Elements features

  • Import/export GIF, JPEG, and PNG files
  • Crop and rotate images
  • Red eye removal
  • Image combining
  • Panorama creation
  • Image noise reduction
  • Image haze control
  • Tag photos and Map out where photos were taken
  • E-mail photos or post to social media
  • Photo book creation

Some features found in Photoshop CC, but not in Photoshop Elements, include the following.

  • More advanced capabilities for black and white conversion
  • Automatically straighten images
  • Duotone, tritone and quadtone creation
  • Precision highlights and shadows control
  • Create and print 3D photos
  • Create HDR photos
  • Edit an image once and update it in all locations
  • Share images in web galleries
  • Integrates with Adobe Slate and Adobe Voice, as well as other third-party applications

Plugins

Plugins allow a user to quickly and easily add visual effects to their images using Adobe Photoshop.

Eye Candy - Eye Candy is an excellent plugin for users wanting to add visual effects (filters) to their images, such as animal fur, chrome, fire, lightning, reptile skin, smoke, and more. Eye Candy is a product of Alien Skin Software.

Free Stock Search - A free plugin that automatically searches databases of free and premium stock images. With this extension installed, find and import photos into your projects without leaving Photoshop.

Mobile versions of Photoshop

Adobe also offers several smartphone apps in the Photoshop software family. The following apps are available for free on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

  • Adobe Photoshop Mix - Features tools for compositing images using layered graphics and effects.
  • Adobe Photoshop Express - A simple editing workstation featuring cropping, filters, text, and collage templates.
  • Adobe Photoshop Fix - Features tools for touching up photos to remove unwanted objects or features.
  • Adobe Photoshop Camera - An app featuring photo filters for color correction and automatic, content-aware adjustments.
Note

Previous mobile versions of Photoshop are unavailable. Adobe Photoshop Touch was discontinued in 2015. Adobe Photoshop Sketch, a drawing app replaced by Adobe Fresco, was discontinued in 2021.