Photoshop"s Basic Operations - Working With Images

Adobe Photoshop may seem confusing when you first begin using it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with it, remember this: It is just a normal program like any other. You open it, edit files, save files and close it. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that, but the best way to do it is to take it one small piece at a time.

Tips On Working With Images

You work with individual image files in Photoshop. Each of these files will be saved as a specific file format such as .jpeg or .gif. If you wish to change the file format (from .gif to .jpeg for example) in which an image is saved you will need to change it by using the Save As function to create a new file. While saving the image you will have a drop down box at the bottom that will allow you to select how the file will be saved.

It is important to note that you never want to open or edit an image directly from a removable device such as your camera or a flash drive. You must always move the file you wish to edit to your local hard drive before opening or editing it with Photoshop. This will save you from the possibility of losing your work due to a problem reading from or writing to a removable device.

Saving Your Images and Files

To save your images in Photoshop you will have to use the Save or Save As command. It is important to note that once you save and close a file, that those changes are permanent and can not be undone. 

My best recommendation to avoid permanently changing a file for the worse is to work on a copy of your file. To do this, simply save a backup copy to your hard drive and work on it instead of your original file. This way, if you make an error, you still have the original image to return to.