Skip to Main Content

Adobe Photoshop CC: Fundamental Edits

Fundamental Edits

This page will take you through some of the most simple, but most essential edits you'll use while using Photoshop. These edits will include cropping, resizing images, merging images, and changing colors to or from black and white. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should help you get started in your Photoshop adventure.

Cropping Images

  1. Select the Crop Tool from the Tools panel on the left hand side of the interface
  2. Select the portion of the image you want to keep by dragging the tool around its borders
  3. Right click on that portion and select Crop, or press Enter

NOTE: There are other tools you can use to crop, wuch as the Quick Selection Tool. Left click on the Crop tool icon to bring up other crop tools that offer different cropping options.

Resizing Images

Resizing Images

  1. Go to the upper menu bar and select Image -> Image Size
  2. Enter in the desired pixel dimensions
  3. Click OK and the image is resized

NOTE: When you adjust the width of an image, the height is automatically adjusted proportionally and vice versa. You can "unchain" height and width from each other, but that will change the proportion of the image dimensions and can lead to a funhouse-mirror effect.

Merging Images

Depending on the desired effect, merging two images can be rather simple, or somewhat difficult. These steps are broken down first, into how to place images together, then, how to merge them.

Add Images Together

  1. To add one image on top of the other, open both photos in different windows
  2. Choose the Move Tool and drag one photo into the tab of the other
  3. You can now place the image or resize it where you would like it

Merge Images

  1. Crop subject from one image
  2. Resize cropped image accordingly -- it may take a few tries!
  3. Drag cropped image into other image pane and place on background photo, position as desired

The end result can look like the following image:

 

Black & White

There are two ways to change the color of an image to or from black and white.

  • Click the Black & White icon in the Adjustments panel; or,
  • Choose Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Black & White
    • In the New Layer dialog box, type a name for the adjustment layer and then click OK