In the previous workspace tutorial, we learned what the toolbar was. Now, we’ll go in detail for some of the tools. I won’t explain the options in the Options bar for each tools, but be sure you discover them as well, you can find them very useful. In this tutorial, you’ll learn on the:
- Selection marquee tools;
- Move tool
- Lasso tool
- Magic Wand tool
- Crop tool
- Gradient and paint tool
- Brush and pencil tool
- Type tool
- Eyedropper tool
SELECTION MARQUEE TOOLS
These tools allow you to select areas in your image to alter, copy, move, fill with color and apply filters. As you can see, the first one is to select any rectangular size and shape. The second one is to select any elliptical size and shape. The last two are use to select a single pixel row or column.
Tips: if you want to make a perfect square or circle, hold the shift key while clicking and dragging.
You can do a selection by adding or subtracting your current selection. You can add/subtract selections from your current selection as much as you want. You can also switch from adding to subtracting without any problem.
- To add a selection to our selection, you do your first selection normally, then hold the Shift key while doing the second selection, you’ll see a little + near your cursor
. Here an example on how your rectangular selection will look like after you add another rectangular selection. Of course, both selection doesn’t have to touch each other, you do whatever you want.
- To subtract a selection of your selection, you do your first selection normally, then hold the Alt key while doing the second selection, you’ll see a little - near your cursor
. Here an example on how your rectangular selection will look like after you subtract another rectangular selection from it. Of course, if you subtract a selection without touching the current selection, nothing will happen.
MOVE TOOL
This tool can move an entire layer at a time. When you select this tool, click on a layer in the layer panel, and drag the image. The current layer will move all at once. You can even move it outside of the current image view. Even if you don’t see them parts of an image that move outside the borders still exist, they are just hidden. They will disappear if you crop or you flatten the image.
If you make a selection (like with the last explained tool) and use this tool, only the part selected will move. Warning: If you move it on some other part of the image in the same layer, the part hidden will ‘disappear’. So if you want to move some part of an image, I suggest you to make your selection, then copy it (Edit -> Copy) and paste it (Edit -> Paste). The selection will be paste on a new layer which can be move or edit like you want and you won’t be losing any part of your original picture.
LASSO TOOLS
The lasso is also a selection tools like marquee tools, but the lasso tools give you more freedom for the shape of your selection. So the first, the Lasso Tool will allow you to draw a selection by dragging the cursor freehand like a pencil. The selection will close itself. The second, the Polygon Lasso Tool, creates a selection composed of straight lines that can be as short as one pixel. The selection grows with each additional click. It’s the one I use the most. Be sure you zoom a lot when using it! The last one, the Magnetic Polygon Lasso Tool will select the border of your image itself as you drag it over the image. It’s useful when you use an image will high contrast. Otherwise I won’t recommend it. It looks nice, but the the selection won’t be as precise if you would have done it yourself.
Tips: Like the marquee tools, you can add/subtract selection from your selection as well. Just hold Shift (To add) or Alt (To subtract) key while doing your second selection.
Tips: When extracting part of an image, the result will be choppy and rough around the edges unless you adjust the feather value in the Options bar. This will fade the edges you created and can smooth the region into its new background.
MAGIC WAND TOOL
Another selection tool. Yes, selection are very important when using Photoshop. When using the Magic Wand Tool and you click somewhere, it will select all the pixel with same color. You can control how similar pixels must be to be included in the selection by altering the tolerance value in the Options bar. The Contiguous options in the Options bar can be useful as well. The Quick Selection Tool is new in CS3. First you have to choose a brush size from the Options bar. The when you click on your image, it will select the same color that are in the brush.
Tips: Like the marquee tools, you can add/subtract selection from your selection as well. Just hold Shift (To add) or Alt (To subtract) key while doing your second selection.
CROP TOOL
This tool is use to crop your entire image. To use it, you click on the tool, then drag a rectangle. You’ll have a selection and what’s outside of the rectangle are gray (they’ll disappear after the crop). To apply the crop, just hit ENTER, select another tool to not crop. After doing your crop selection, you can scale or rotate your selection without any problem. After the crop, your selection will still be a nice rectangle. Rotating while cropping can be really useful when you have a picture and the line are not perfectly straight.
If you look in the Options bar, you’ll see that you can specify dimension. That way you’re picture will be resize as well. It’s really useful when you know exactly the size of the result you want.
GRADIENT AND PAINT TOOL
The Gradient tool is use to make gradient color. It often goes from the foreground color to the background color or transparent. Check the Options bar when using it. If you don’t make any selection, the gradient will take effect in the whole layer. It’s always better to make the gradient in a new layer. Have your Layer palette open (F7 or WINDOW -> LAYERS). Click on the little document icon (left or the trash icon) and a new layer will appear on top of the current selected layer. The Pain Tool is use the same way than the gradient, but it fill your selection with the forground color or a pattern (See Options bar). For the pattern, you can create some yourself. After doing your pattern, select it, then click on Edit -> Define Pattern then choose a name for it. You’ll now see it listed in your pattern list.
BRUSH AND PENCIL TOOL
They are use to draw or fill a selection with color. See the Options bar for more features. The brushes is very interesting since it can be other shape then just circle.
TYPE TOOL
Use to write text. See the Options for more options like changing the size, the font family, color, etc. Each text is save on a layer.
EYEDROPPER TOOL
The Eyedropper Tool is use to get the code of a color. The color will be copy in your foreground color (remember the 2 squares at the bottom of the toolbar). If you open your color palette (F6 or WINDOW -> COLOR), you’ll also see the ingredients for the color (RBG, CMYK, etc).
There are other tools in the Tool bar, have fun testing them too! 
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