Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Contents
Content Aware Scale...................................... 1 Artboard Trick #3 Auto-nesting............... 24
Crop Tool + Content Aware.........................2 Artboard Trick #4 Duplicating.................. 25
Content Aware Fill...........................................3 Character Styles............................................ 27
Creating CC Libraries..................................... 4 Select Subject................................................. 29
Adding to a Library......................................... 6 Smart Objects................................................30
Connecting to Adobe Illustrator.................7 Updating a Smart Object............................ 32
Adding Logos to your CC Library ........... 10 Adobe Stock................................................... 34
Adding Colors to your CC Library ..........11 Exporting - Artboard PDF........................... 36
Adding Fonts to your CC Library .............12 Exporting - JPEGs......................................... 37
Artboards..........................................................13 Exporting - Packaging................................. 37
Updating a Library Graphic.........................15 Exporting - CC Library Collaborate........ 38
Brand Colors....................................................17 Exporting - Share Link................................. 38
Adding Artboards..........................................20 Exporting - CSS & SVG................................ 38
Artboard Trick #1 Quick Collapse............21 Exporting - Adobe Generate..................... 39
Artboard Trick #2 Filters............................. 22 Adobe Market + Mock-ups........................ 39
VIDEO BACKUP
To complement this session here is a video version so that you can review & practice what is covered here:
www.bringyourownlaptop.com/max2018
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When you are working on large projects there can be various sizes & aspect ratios for
artwork. In the next few exercises we will cover tricks to enable you to get the most from a
standard ratio photograph.
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3. Holding the ‘Shift’ key down, drag the right side of the bounding box to the right edge NOTES
of the document.
Note: In this newer version of Photoshop you need to hold Shift to make unlinked height &
width transformations (the opposite to older versions of Photoshop).
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NOTES
5. Choose OK
6. Choose Select > Deselect
Note: The woman should now be removed from the image.
CREATING CC LIBRARIES
CC Libraries are an easy way to share images, colours & font styles with other Photoshop
files, as well as other Adobe Creative Cloud software such as InDesign or Illustrator. It’s a
great way keep consistency across a large project in a large organisation.
1. Ensure you can see your CC Libraries panel. If you can’t, go to Window > Libraries.
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2. Create a new library by choosing the first drop down menu (normally called My NOTES
Library) and clicking the Create New Library option at the bottom.
Note: My example below has many other libraries. Your version is likely to have only a few.
4. Click Create.
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Note: You should now see a small thumbnail called ‘Hawaii’ in your Library.
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7. Make sure you can see the CC Library we created in Photoshop ‘MAX 2018’. E.g.
Window > Libraries. Then choose ‘MAX 2018’ from the top dropdown menu.
8. From the library, click, hold and drag the Hawaii image onto the artboard.
9. Click once on the artboard to place the image.
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10. Using the Selection Tool from the toolbar, resize the image so it covers the entire
white box.
Note: If you hold Shift while you’re dragging the corners, your image will scale without
distorting.
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NOTES
Note: Your Illustrator document should look similar to the next screenshot.
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Because we often use so many of the Adobe CC programs at once. We can have brand
relevant images, logos, colors & fonts in various places. In this exercise we’ll add CC
Library elements from our Illustrator file to be used in Photoshop later on.
1. We will remain in Adobe Illustrator.
2. Choose the Selection Tool from the toolbar.
3. Ensure you can see your CC Libraries panel.
4. Click, hold & drag the logo from the bottom right of the poster into our CC Library
‘Max 2018’.
5. Do the same for the larger logo in the far bottom right of the document.
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5. Follow the same procedure for the blue color used in the box behind the text
‘October 2019 Prospectus’.
Note: You should now have 2 colors in your CC Library.
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A great way to ensure consistency across multiple documents & Adobe programs is to
use consistent character & paragraph styles. Let’s look at how to create a CC Libraries
character style.
1. Using the selection tool, click the small white text ‘OCTOBER 2019 PROSPECTUS’
once.
2. From the bottom of the libraries panel, click the small + icon.
3. Have only the ‘Character Style’ selected. Deselect anything else i.e. ‘Graphic’, ‘Text’
etc..
4. Choose Add.
Note: You should now have the item ‘New Character Style’ in the library. You can rename
the style ‘iHQ Body Copy’ by double clicking the name ‘New Chara...’ in the Library panel.
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ARTBOARDS NOTES
You can think of artboards as multiple pages within a single Photoshop file. Great if you’re
making multiple versions or an image. They are even better when you have lots of sizes of
visually similar graphics like advertising or social media posts.
1. Open Photoshop
2. File > Open: Exercise Files > Banner Ads.psd
3. Drag the ‘Hawaii’ image from your CC Library onto the first Artboard (Square).
4. Resize each of the images using Edit > Transform > Scale.
5. Send the images to the back of the composition by choosing: Layer > Arrange > Send
to Back.
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NOTES
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In this exercise, we want to darken the Hawaii image. Because we have used the CC Library
graphic, we will be able to update the library original and have all the uses update at once.
1. Make sure you can see your CC Library panel.
2. Double click the thumbnail called Hawaii in the Library panel.
Note: A new tab will open. This will have the name Hawaii.PSB. Note that this is not
connected to the original Land & Sea.psd we started with.
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NOTES
5. Identify the lower of the two white tabs on the right hand side of the level panel.
6. Click, hold and drag the white tab to the left. The output level should be around 140,
although this does not have to be exact.
BEFORE AFTER
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BRAND COLORS
Consistent colors across multiple documents & formats is essential for cohesive marketing
& branding. In this exercise we will update the dark grey & pink objects in our ads to the
brand colors we added earlier from Illustrator.
Note: To speed the process of finding the shapes in our Photoshop document, we will start
by filtering our panels.
1. From the top of the layers panel. Click the small icon for ‘Shape Layers’.
Note: This will show you only the layers in the document that contain shape layers. In our
case it’s the Gray Circle and the Button. Ignore the ‘white circle’ in this exercise.
2. From the layers panel. Select the first Button layer but clicking its name in the layer
panel.
Note: You will know it’s selected as it will become a lighter grey than the other layers.
3. Click the iHQ Green from the Libraries panel.
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NOTES
Note: The pink button on the ‘Square’ artboard should now be green.
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Note: When you have finished with the layer filtering it’s best to turn it off straight away. In
this case click the ‘Shape Layer’ icon to disable it.
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In this exercise we will add a new artboard. Along the way we will learn some work-flow
tricks to help you save time.
1. Choose the Artboard tool from the tool bar. You will find this by clicking and holding
down the selection tool.
2. Click the name of the ‘Square’ Artboard. This will select that particular artboard.
Note: You will know it’s selected when a small + symbol appears out of each side.
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NOTES
Note: We want to resize the our artboard from the right, so it is easier in this case to drag
the ‘Rectangle’ artboard.
6. With the Artboard tool still selected, click, hold & drag the left side of the artboard to
600px.
Note: You may have to reposition your Hawaii image to ensure it covers the background.
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NOTES
Note: This will collapse all of the artboards into tidy layer groups.
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3. Now in your document, click the small text ‘Skyscraper’ just above the artboard.
Note: In your layers panel, you should only see the Skyscraper layers.
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4. Experiment by clicking the names of the other artboards in your document. e.g.
Leader Board, Rectangle & Square.
Note: Remember to turn this filter off when you no longer need it.
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3. From the top of the layers panel, click the word ‘Kind’.
4. From the dropdown menu, choose Name.
5. Type the word ‘Logo’
Note: Your layers panel should adjust showing you only the layers containing the word
Logo.
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8. Choose OK.
Note: You should now see an exact copy of the logo in the correct position on the
‘Rectangle’ artboard.
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CHARACTER STYLES
Creating character styles in your CC Library is an easy way to follow brand guidelines for
fonts.
1. From the top of the layers panel, ensure you are on ‘Kind’ from the dropdown.
2. Click the 3rd icon in ‘Filter for Type Layers’
Note: Your layers panel should adjust showing you only the layers that have type in them.
In our case it should be 4 layers with ‘Freedom Starts Here’.
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NOTES
Note: All text layers in the document should now be a new font.
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SELECT SUBJECT
This masking technique is a relatively new feature in Photoshop and is really handy for
making masks about people & objects.
1. Have Photoshop open.
2. File > Open: Exercise Files > Hipster 1.jpg
3. Choose: Select > Subject
Note: You should now have a selection (marching ants) around the model.
4. From the bottom of your layers panel, choose the ‘Add a Mask’ icon.
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Note: You should now have a mask around the edge or your model.
5. File > Save
6. Name your file Hipster 1.psd (this should be done by default).
7. File > Close.
Note: We will now work on a second example following the same process as the first
hipster.
1. File > Open: Exercise Files > Hipster 2.jpg
2. Choose: Select > Subject
Note: You should now have a selection (marching ants) around the model.
3. From the bottom of your layers panel, choose the ‘Add a Mask’ icon.
Note: You should now have a mask around the edge or your model.
SMART OBJECTS
Smart Objects are like a protective wrapper you can put around layers. The smart object
can be distorted, scaled & colored in many ways but the original layer is preserved
untouched inside smart object. This allows you to remove any formatting or revert to the
original layer at any time. This is called non-destructive editing. The other benefit is the
smart objects can be used multiple times in the same Photoshop document but are linked
to one original. This is handy when you want to make a change to all uses of the smart
object at once.
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Note: Your layer should now look like the image below. Note the small icon in the bottom
right of the layer thumbnail, this indicates that it is a smart object.
7. Choose OK
8. Switch to the Banner Ads.psd tab.
9. Reposition & resize the hipster in the bottom right of the ad.
Note: If you get a warning pop up saying “Could not use the move tool...” this is because
we still have our Layer Filtering turned on. We set it to only show text layers earlier in the
course. You can turn it off by clicking the ‘T’ icon at the top of the layers panel.
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10. Duplicate the hipster onto all 4 artboards. You’ll need to reposition & resize each
version to suit the various artboards.
Note: A new tab should open in Photoshop. Changes made here will effect the 4 instances
of the hipster we have in our banner ads. Also note that this document is completely
disconnected from the original image we used to create the smart object (Hipster 2.jpg).
1. Select the mask part of Layer 0. Do this by clicking it once.
Note: You should see a white corner appear on the mask.
2. Choose ‘Select and Mask’ from the Properties panel.
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NOTES
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ADOBE STOCK
In this exercise we will look at saving time choosing & licensing your stock images. Note,
this is an additional paid service from Adobe.
1. Ensure the file Banner Ads.psd is open.
2. Ensure you can see your CC Library.
3. Right click the ‘Hawaii‘ image.
4. Choose find similar.
Note: Photoshop will now do a search of Adobe Stock for images that are visually similar.
5. Once you have selected an image, click the second icon on the image ‘Save Preview‘
Note: in this exercise we will use the second result.
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6. Open the smart object called Hawaii by double clicking on the thumbnail in the layers
panel or you can double click the Hawaii image in the Library.
7. Click hold and drag the new stock image on the artboard.
8. Resize the image so it covers the entire space.
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Note: The preview image should now update to the full resolution image in all of the
banner ads.
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There are many ways to export JPEGS from Photoshop. This technique allows multiple
artboard export. It also uses the names of your artboards as the files names. You can also
export multiple sizes in one easy dialog window.
1. File > Export > Export As
2. Select all of the artboard names on the right side.
3. Change the format to JPEG.
4. Multiple size export can be done by clicking the small + just about the artboard
names.
EXPORTING - PACKAGING
When you are using CC Libraries, files are linked to your library. An easy way to break that
link and grab all the linked files into one place is to package the files. This is handy when
you want to send a PSD to a colleague via email or Dropbox.
1. File > Package.
2. Choose a folder to put your packaged files.
3. Click Choose.
Note: Now open the folder you created and see that there is a PSD along with a ‘Links’
folder containing any links from your CC Library.
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Often when you are working with other members of your team, it’s easy to share CC
Libraries between you.
1. From the CC Libraries panel. Choose the panel menu from the top right corner.
Note: A web browser will open and you will be asked to login if you are not already logged
in.
2. From here you can allow others to share your CC library.
3. Other people can be allowed to just view & use the Library. Others can be allowed to
edit the Library. This gives them the ability to add & delete items from the library.
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Syntax Examples:
hero.jpg5 = Export a JPEG at 50% quality.
300 x ? hero.jpg = Export a JPEG that is 300px wide & its proportional height.
Note: Groups can be named too. This will export everything in that group as one image.
For more syntax options visit:
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/generate-assets-layers.html
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Note: Remember you can do this by double clicking the smart object thumbnail. Marked as NOTES
a red layer.
Note: The smart object will open in its own tab ‘Shape 1.psb‘.
3. Disable the visibility for the layer ‘Logo’. You can do this by clicking the small eyeball
next to the layer.
4. From your CC Library panel, click, hold and drag the ‘Logo - Stack’ onto your
artboard.
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THE END
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