Lesson 1.1  Getting to know the work area

Selecting and using a tool from the toolbox

Applying a change to a selected area

Lesson 1.2  Getting to know the work area

Using the tool options bar and other palettes

Adding text to a postcard

Sampling a colour

Lesson 1.3  Getting to know the work area

Undoing actions in Photoshop

Choosing and using a brush

Lesson 3  Basic Photo Corrections (45min - 1 hour)

Understand image resolution and size

Straighten and crop an image

Adjust the tonal range of an image

Remove a color cast from an image using Auto Color correction

Adjust the saturation and brightness of isolated areas of an image using the Sponge and Dodge tools

Apply the Unsharp Mask filter to finish the photo-retouching process

Save an image file for use in a page-layout program.

Lesson 4a  Retouching

Repairing areas with the Clone Stamp tool

Using the Spot Healing Brush tool

Lesson 4b  Retouching

Using the Healing Brush to remove flaws

About snapshots and History palette states

Using the Patch tool

Using the History Brush tool to selectively reedit

Lesson 4c  Retouching

Retouching on a separate layer

Using the Healing Brush on a duplicate layer

Patching and softening using the separate layer

Lesson 5  Working with Selections (less than 1 hour)

Make specific areas of an image active using various tools
• Reposition a selection marquee
• Move and duplicate the contents of a selection
• Use keyboard-mouse combinations
• Deselect a selection
• Constrain the movement of a selected area
• Adjust the position of a selected area using the arrow keys
• Add to and subtract from a selection
• Rotate a selection
• Use multiple selection tools to make a complex selection
• Erase pixels within a selection

Mr Melon Head  Working with Selections

(an extension exercise without notes)

Positioning and resizing elements

Lesson 6  Layer Basics (about an hour)

Organize artwork on layers
• Create, view, hide, and select layers
• Rearrange layers to change the stacking order of artwork
• Apply blending modes to layers
• Link layers to work on them simultaneously
• Apply a gradient to a layer
• Add text and layer effects to a layer
• Save a copy of the file with the layers flattened

Lesson 7  Masks and Channels (about an hour)

• Refine a selection using a quick mask
• Save a selection as a channel mask
• View a mask using the Channels palette
• Load a saved mask and apply effects
• Paint in a mask to modify a selection
• Make an intricate selection using the Extract command
• Create and use a gradient mask

Lesson 9  Typographic Design (about an hour)

• Use guides to position text in a composition
• Make a clipping mask from type
• Merge type with other layers
• Use layer styles with text
• Preview typefaces interactively to choose them for a composition
• Control type and positioning using advanced type palette features
• Warp a layer around a 3D object

Lesson 10  Vector Drawing Techniques

• Differentiate between bitmap and vector graphics
• Draw straight and curved paths using the Pen tool
• Convert a path to a selection, and convert a selection to a path
• Save paths
• Draw and edit layer shapes
• Draw custom layer shapes
• Import and edit a Smart Object from Adobe Illustrator

Lesson 11  Advanced Layer Techniques

• Create clipping groups so that an image on one layer can be a mask for artwork on other layers
• Create layer sets to organize and manage layers
• Add adjustment layers to an image, and use them to apply color and tonal adjustments without permanently changing pixel data
• Create knockout layers to use one layer selectively to reveal others
• Import layers from other Photoshop files
• Work with type layers; Duplicate and clip layers
• Add layer styles to a layer, and apply the effects to multiple layers
• Rasterize layers; Convert clipping paths to masks
• Liquify a layer, giving it a melted appearance
• Flatten and save a layered file, greatly reducing its file size