Continuing our series of waxing about Photoshop, presented below are our favorite Photoshop features. Erik and I have concentrated on features that tend to be newer (like Smart Objects, introduced in CS2) and more subtle (like keystrokes). Sure, we could talk all day about our love for layers, but anyone who uses Photoshop tends to be aware of the wonders of layers (If not, let me recommend NYU’s SCPS Photoshop:Fundamentals course, taught by yours truly 
). Also, in addition to being fanboys to these features, we’ll mention where we feel they could be better, because hey, there’s always room for improvement.
- Layer Styles
- Smart Objects
- Selecting Multiple Layers
- Alt+Right Click to select a layer
- F Key to toggle screen modes
- Alt+Shift+Mouse wheel to zoom
- History Brush
- Keyboard Shortcuts for Opacity
1. Layer Styles
Layer Styles is one of those things, like Filters, or Spider-like superpowers, that with great power comes great responsibility. You could use layer styles to make all your page elements have big dark drop shadows and bevels and glows, but the power of layer styles is more subtle, both aesthetically and technically. I’ll often use a layer style to apply a color to a square. Yes, I could use the paint bucket tool (or alt+delete), but by applying a color overlay, I can a) change the color easily, and b) apply the exact same thing to another layer with just a ‘copy layer style’ / ‘paste layer style’. Layer styles are also non-destructive, so nothing is permanent, they can always be changed. I’ve almost never used the gradient tool since being able to apply a gradient with a style, because now I can always go back and change it, instead of having to recreate one from scratch.
How could it be better?
As noted in the comments of our previous post, The ability to rearrange the order of layer styles would be right smart.
2. Smart Objects
We love smart objects for a couple reasons. One, in the Pre Smart Object days, I’d bring in a large image, and immediately make a copy to shrink, knowing that if I later needed it bigger, even a little, I’d have to make a new copy off the original, because upscaling the small one would make it all blurry. Smart Objects allow you to treat an image as vector, so you can resize to your heart’s content. Additionally, I find in the rare occasion I need to put text on an angle, When it’s still a text layer, the baseline tends to get kind of funky. Turning it into a smart object first keeps it nice and straight. Lastly, something I really should do more of – Smart Objects allow you to make a change to something once, and effect every instance of it. So if you have an icon that isn’t finalized but appears 15 times on a page, by having them all reference the same smart object you only need to change one to change them all. One smart object to rule them all (sorry).
How could it be better?
1) More transform controls, not just rotate and scale. 2) Ability to link a layer mask. I like that they aren’t linked by default, but the option would be nice.
3. Selecting Multiple Layers
For you kids who don’t remember the dark ages, let me learn ya something. Back in the day (Read, before CS2.. i think) In order to move more than one layer at a time, you had to link em or group em. Now, with a quick click of shift or command, you can select multiple layers to your heart’s content. For those who remember not being able to do this, man, you know how good it feels to be able to now.
4. Alt+Right Click to select a layer
This goes hand ‘n hand with numero three. But I still remember the day someone showed me this trick. It was mind-expanding, in the Timothy Leary sense. For those who don’t know, let me enlighten: With your cursor active, you can hold alt and right click on anything on your canvas. That object’s layer becomes selected in the layers palette. Additionally, you can hold Alt+Shift to select multiple layers. AMAZING! I know. Some people will say, why not click ‘Auto-select’ in the cursor options, but to them I say Nay, good sir! Sorry, I just find Auto-select as annoying as the Adobe Updater (o snap!).
How could it be better?
It doesn’t get any better than this, hombre.
5. F to toggle screen modes
I so often finding myself needing to go outside the canvas area for whatever reason that working in in Standard Screen Mode just doesn’t do it. Conversely, my mode of choice, Full Screen Mode with Menu Bar, doesn’t work too well for managing multiple documents. ENTER THE F KEY! Just like other keystrokes, being able to toggle super quick between screen modes makes the way I work that much faster. And about Full Screen with Menu Bar mode – it’s great if you use the space key to get the handle to move around your page all quick like, especially when zoomed way in.
How could it be better?
In CS3 they added ‘Maximized Screen Mode’ which I just don’t seem to have a use for. Not a big deal, maybe someone in the comments can ’splain me.
6. Alt+Shift+Mouse wheel to zoom
For those too lazy to use cmd+plus/minus (Erik), you can use Alt+ your mouse’s scroll wheel to zoom in and out. Unfortunately, doing so this way will zoom to weird percentages like 105.36% – not noticing this will play tricks on your brain. Enter the mighty Shift key, which will keep this shortcut in line by making it only zoom in at nice, whole number intervals; hooray!
7. History Brush
Erik: History Brush is one of those tools I never quite understood until someone sat me down and said ‘Behold!’. It’s most useful when cutting images out using the eraser tool. For those not in the know, here’s a quick run down on how this beauty works:
1.) Open a photo and erase a big portion of it with your eraser. Do this a couple of times so you build up a few steps in your History palette.
2.) Go grab that History Brush and start painting like you wanted to undo some of that erasing.
3.) Behold.
Now, the history brush doesn’t always have to refer to when you opened the photo. Those empty boxes next to the steps in your History palette allow you to set an arbitrary point your history for your History Brush to refer to just by clicking on them.
How could it be better?
As awesome as this tool is for photochopping people’s heads on to various animals, let’s say you decide to crop your document at some point. Your history brush might complain that the current document size doesn’t match the point in the history it’s trying to refer back to if you haven’t been keeping your History Brush point properly updated in your History palette. Lifting this restriction would make History Brush near perfect.
8. Keyboard Shortcuts for Opacity
Erik and I use these religiously. Use the numpad to switch between opacity levels in intervals of 10 (unless you hit em real fast, then you can control more precisely).
How could it be better?
You need to have the cursor active to use this feature, otherwise you’ll effect the opacity of the tool you’re in. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just personally find myself rarely changing the opacity of a tool instead of the layer itself. Also, you can only use this shortcut on one layer at a time. This can be gotten around by throwing all the layers into a group but if your layers are in different groups then you’re in for some tedium.
Summary
So yes, there are plenty of things to complain about in Photoshop, but despite all our grievances, we loves it so, and it’s worth telling our corporate overlords such… atleast before we get back to bitchin’.
- A & E
