Photoshop is no walk in the park– and that’s coming from a designer’s standpoint. Here are a couple of Photoshop hacks to help make the process less daunting along the way.

Photoshop is definitely a challenge, but once you get the hang of things, it becomes easier and easier to adjust. When I first started learning Photoshop, I was overwhelmed with the number of keys, options and buttons available. But, once I began to understand the purpose of each of these elements, the process became much less foggy. Here are a couple of Photoshop hacks to help you as you learn. 

Adjusting Layer Opacity

If you have selected a layer, you can switch the opacity setting from lower to higher without using the slider. If you click on the move tool and type in 3 on your keyboard, it will make the photo’s opacity 30%. So if you pick 4 = 40%, 5 = 50%, and so on. But if you click 0, it resets the opacity to 100.  Also, if you want a percentage like 73%, you have to make sure to click 7 and 3 as quickly as possible. 

Undo 

Struggling to undo various mistakes is probably the most frustrating aspect of creating a project. There are two options: First, you can just click Command/ Control + Option/Alt + Z, or the second option is clicking Command/Control + K, which opens the preferences panel. You then adjust the history states for however many numbers you prefer.

Layers Scale

When you need to adjust an image’s size, whether it is small or larger, you can use the transformation tool by clicking Command/Control + T. This hack has saved me so much time over the years! 

Move Layers

When moving layers back and forth, I’ve found a quick and simple method for doing so efficiently. If you click Command/Control + the left bracket, you move the layer down. If you click Command/Control + the right bracket, you move the layer up.

I could write an entire manual on Photoshop hacks, but I hope this list helps to get you going. If you’ve determined that design isn’t your thing, we can lend a helping hand. We specialize in logo design, print design, website design and we even make our clients tons of on-brand graphics to help with their marketing efforts. If you’re in need of some creative direction, fill out the form below or contact us today to kick off a new marketing strategy!