photoshop cs4 TOOLs

Menu Bar

If you look at the top of the screen you will see the Menu bar which contains all the main functions of Photoshop, such as File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, View, Window, and Help.

Tool Bar

Most of the major tools are located in the Tool bar for easy access.

The Image

The image will appear in its own window once you open a file.

Image Name

The name of any image that you open will be at the top of the image window as shown above.

Palettes

Palettes contain functions that help you monitor and modify images. By default, palettes are stacked together in groups. These are the palettes that are usually visible: Color, Adjustments, and Layers. If none of the palettes are visible, go to Window in the Menu bar and choose palettes you need to work with

Photoshop CS4 Toolbar

                                                                     

 Marquee

 Selects an object by drawing a rectangle or an ellipse around it.
Click the tool button, choose a rectangular or an elliptical marquee. Drag the marquee over the area of the image you wish to select.
 

Move

Used to select and move objects on the page.
Click the tool button, then click on any object on the page you wish to move.

Lasso
Selects an object by drawing a freehand border around it.
Click the tool button, drag to draw a freehand border around the are of the image you wish to select.

Magic wand
Selects all objects in a document with the same or similar fill color, stroke weight, stroke color, opacity, or blending mode. By specifying the color range, or tolerance, you can control what the Magic Wand tool selects.

Slice tool
Used to cut images into slices, which can be exported to a web page.
Marquee Move Lasso Polygonal Lasso Magnetic Lasso Magic Wand Crop Tool Slice Tool

Healing brush
Corrects small blemishes in scanned photos.
Select the tool, hold down the ALT key and left-click on the base color you need to heal. Then left-click over the blemish.

Brush tool
Draws lines of different thicknesses and colors.
Select the tool. Then click on the selected area, drag to draw lines. Use the Options bar to change the Brush, Mode, Opacity, and Flow.

Clone stamp
Takes a sample of an image and applies over another image, or a part of the same image.
Select the tool. Hold down the ALT key and left-click on a certain point of the document where you want to start your copy point. Then, put your mouse over whatever part of the new document you want the picture to go to. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse across the page to copy the picture.

Art history tool
Paints over an image using the source data from a specified history state or snapshot.
Select the tool, specify the Brush, Blending Mode, Opacity, Style, Area, and Tolerance.

Erase tool
Removes part of an existing path or stroke. You can use the Erase tool on paths, but not on text.
Select the tool, click on the part of the image you wish to erase. Drag to erase pixels.

Paint bucket tool
Fills and entire area with a specific color of your choice.
Select the tool. Choose a foreground color in the Color Box. Select an area you wish to apply the color to. Click the tool button, then click on the selected area.

Gradient tool
Applies a gradient fill to a selected part of the image or to an entire layer.
Select an area you wish to apply gradient to, click the tool button, choose a fill in the Options bar, click on the starting point, hold the mouse down and drag to the end point.

Blur tool
Blurs the sharp edges of an image.
Select an area where you wish to apply the tool. Click the tool button, choose the Brush, Mode, and Strength. Drag the brush along the edges.

Selection tool
Selects paths and path segments.
Select the tool, click anywhere on the path.

Type tool
Types text on a page. Every time you click the Type Tool on a new portion of the page a new layer will be created.
Select the tool, click on the page and begin to type. You can specify the font and size in the Options bar. You can also resize and transform the text box by dragging the squares at the sides and corners. Use the Move Tool to move the text on the page.

Pen tool
Draws smooth-edged paths.
Select the tool, click on the page, drag to draw a path. Click and drag the anchor points to modify the path.

Rectangle tool
Draws a rectangle shape. Other shapes that are hidden in this tool are: Rounded Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, Polygon Tool, Line Tool, and Custom Shape Tool.
Select the tool, click and drag on the page to draw a shape. The shape will be automatically filled with the current foreground color.

Eyedropper tool
Takes color samples from colors on the page and displays Tool them in the Color Boxes.
Select the tool, click on the color in the image you wish to sample. The Color Box will display this color.

Hand tool
Allows you to move around within the image.
Select the tool, click on the spot on the page, hold the mouse button down, drag to move in the area.

Magnifying
Magnifies or reduces the display of any area in your image Glass Tool window.
Select the tool, choose Zoom In or Zoom Out in the Options bar, click on the area of the image you wish to magnify or reduce.

Color Boxes
The foreground color appears in the upper color selection box and represents a color that is currently active. The background color appears in the lower box and represents an inactive color.
To change the foreground color, click the upper color selection box in the toolbox.
To change the background color, click the lower color selection box in the toolbox.
To reverse the foreground and background colors, click the Switch Colors icon (the arrow) in the toolbox.
To restore the default foreground and background colors, click the Default Colors icon (the little black and white boxes) in the toolbox.
NOTE: If you are using the Gradient Tool, the currently selected foreground and background colors will be the default colors of the gradient.

Modes
Edit in Standard Mode and Edit in Quick Mask Mode are used for modifying images in the unmasked or masked area.