Move and Selection tools
Move Tool * ( V )-The Move Tool is used to move layers, selections and guides within a Photoshop
document. Enable "Auto-Select" to automatically select the layer or group you click on.
Artboard Tool ( V )-The Artboard Tool allows you to easily design multiple web or UX (user experience)
layouts for different devices or screen sizes.
Rectangular Marquee Tool * ( M )-The Rectangular Marquee Tool draws rectangular selection outlines.
Press and hold Shift as you drag to draw a square selection.
Elliptical Marquee Tool ( M )-The Elliptical Marquee Tool draws elliptical selection outlines. Press and
hold Shift to draw a selection in a perfect circle.
Single Row Marquee Tool-The Single Row Marquee Tool in Photoshop selects a single row of pixels in
the image from left to right.
Single Column Marquee Tool-Use the Single Column Marquee Tool to select a single column of pixels
from top to bottom.
Lasso Tool * ( L )-With the Lasso Tool, you can draw a freeform selection outline around an object.
Polygonal Lasso Tool ( L )-Click around an object with the Polygonal Lasso Tool to surround it with a
polygonal, straight-edged selection outline.
Magnetic Lasso Tool ( L )-The Magnetic Lasso Tool snaps the selection outline to the edges of the
object as you move your mouse cursor around it.
Object Selection Tool * ( W )-Thee Object Selection Tool lets you select an object just by dragging a
rough selection outline around it.
Magic Wand Tool ( W )-Photoshop's Magic Wand Tool selects areas of similar color with a single click.
The "Tolerance" value in the Options Bar sets the range of colors that will be selected.
Quick Selection Tool ( W )-The Quick Selection Tool lets you easily select an object simply by painting
over it with a brush. Enable "Auto-Enhance" in the Options Bar for better quality selections.
Crop and Slice tools
Crop Tool * ( C )-Use the Crop Tool in Photoshop to crop an image and remove unwanted areas.
Uncheck "Delete Cropped Pixels" in the Options Bar to crop an image non-destructively.
Perspective Crop Tool ( C)-Use the Perspective Crop Tool to both crop an image and fix common
distortion or perspective problems.
Slice Tool ( C )-The Slice Tool divides an image or layout into smaller sections (slices) which can be
exported and optimized separately.
Slice Select Tool ( C )-Use the Slice Select Tool to select individual slices created with the Slice Tool.
Frame Tool * ( K )-New as of Photoshop CC 2019, the Frame Tool lets you place images into rectangular
or elliptical shapes.
Measurement tools
Eyedropper Tool * ( I )-Photoshop's Eyedropper Tool samples colors in an image. Increase "Sample
Size" in the Options Bar for a better representation of the sampled area's color.
3D Material Eyedropper Tool ( I )-Use the 3D Material Eyedropper Tool to sample material from a 3D
model in Photoshop.
Color Sampler Tool ( I )-The Color Sampler Tool displays color values for the selected (sampled) area in
an image. Up to four areas can be sampled at a time. View the color information in Photoshop's Info
panel.
Ruler Tool ( I )-The Ruler Tool measures distances, locations and angles. Great for positioning images
and elements exactly where you want them.
Note Tool ( I )-The Note Tool allows you to attach text-based notes to your Photoshop document, either
for yourself or for others working on the same project. Notes are saved as part of the .PSD file.
Count Tool ( I )-Use the Count Tool to manually count the number of objects in an image, or to have
Photoshop automatically count multiple selected areas in the image.
Retouching and Painting tools
Spot Healing Brush Tool * ( J )-The Spot Healing Brush in Photoshop quickly removes blemishes and
other minor problem areas in an image. Use a brush size slightly larger than the blemish for best results.
Healing Brush Tool ( J )-The Healing Brush lets you repair larger problem areas in an image by painting
over them. Hold Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click to sample good texture, then paint over the problem
area to repair it.
Patch Tool ( J )-With the Patch Tool, draw a freeform selection outline around a problem area. Then
repair it by dragging the selection outline over an area of good texture.
Content-Aware Move Tool ( J )-Use the Content-Aware Move Tool to select and move part of an image
to a different area. Photoshop automatically fills in the hole in the original spot using elements from the
surrounding areas.
Red Eye Tool ( J )-The Red Eye Tool removes common red eye problems in a photo resulting from
camera flash.
Brush Tool * ( B )-The Brush Tool is Photoshop's primary painting tool. Use it to paint brush strokes on a
layer or on a layer mask
Pencil Tool ( B )-The Pencil Tool is another of Photoshop's painting tools. But while the Brush Tool can
paint soft-edge brush strokes, the Pencil Tool always paints with hard edges.
Color Replacement Tool ( B )-Use the Color Replacement Tool in Photoshop to easily replace the color
of an object with a different color.
Mixer Brush Tool ( B )-Unlike the standard Brush Tool, the Mixer Brush in Photoshop can simulate
elements of real painting such as mixing and combining colors, and paint wetness.
Clone Stamp Tool * ( S )-The Clone Stamp Tool is the most basic of Photoshop's retouching tools. It
samples pixels from one area of the image and paints them over pixels in another area.
Pattern Stamp Tool ( S )-Use the Pattern Stamp Tool to paint a pattern over the image.
History Brush Tool * ( Y )-The History Brush Tool paints a snapshot from an earlier step (history state)
into the current version of the image. Choose the previous state from the History panel.
Art History Brush Tool ( Y )-The Art History Brush also paints a snapshot from an earlier history state
into the image, but does so using stylized brush strokes.
Eraser Tool * ( E )-The Eraser Tool in Photoshop permanently erases pixels on a layer. It can also be
used to paint in a previous history state.
Background Eraser Tool ( E )-The Background Eraser Tool erases areas of similar color in an image by
painting over them.
Magic Eraser Tool ( E )-The Magic Eraser Tool is similar to the Magic Wand Tool in that it selects areas
of similar color with a single click. But the Magic Eraser Tool then permanently deletes those areas.
Gradient Tool * ( G )-Photoshop's Gradient Tool draws gradual blends between multiple colors. The
Gradient Editor lets you create and customize your own gradients.
Paint Bucket Tool ( G )-The Paint Bucket Tool fills an area of similar color with your Foreground color or
a pattern. The "Tolerance" value determines the range of colors that will be affected around the area
where you clicked.
3D Material Drop Tool ( G )-Used in 3D modeling, the 3D Material Drop Tool lets you sample a material
from one area and then drop it into another area of your model, mesh or 3D layer.
Blur Tool *-The Blur Tool blurs and softens areas you paint over with the tool.
Sharpen Tool-The Sharpen Tool sharpens areas you paint over.
Smudge Tool-The Smudge Tool in Photoshop smudges and smears the areas you paint over. It can also
be used to create a finger painting effect.
Dodge Tool * ( O )-Paint over areas in the image with the Dodge Tool to lighten them.
Burn Tool ( O )-The Burn Tool will darken the areas you paint over.
Sponge Tool ( O )-Paint over areas with the Sponge Tool to increase or decrease color saturation.
Drawing and Type tools
Pen Tool * ( P )-Photoshop's Pen Tool allows you to draw extremely precise paths, vector shapes or
selections.
Freeform Pen Tool ( P )-The Freeform Pen Tool allows you to draw freehand paths or shapes. Anchor
points are automatically added to the path as you draw.
Curvature Pen Tool ( P )-The Curvature Pen Tool is an easier, simplified version of the Pen Tool. New
as of Photoshop CC 2018.
Add Anchor Point Tool-Use the Add Anchor Point Tool to add additional anchor points along a path.
Delete Anchor Point Tool-Click on an existing anchor point along a path with the Delete Anchor Point
Tool to remove the point.
Convert Point Tool-On a path, click on a smooth anchor point with the Convert Point Tool to convert it to
a corner point. Click a corner point to convert it to a smooth point.
Horizontal Type Mask Tool ( T )-Like the Vertical Mask Type Tool, the Horizontal Type Mask Tool
creates a selection outline in the shape of type. However, the type is added horizontally rather than
vertically.
Path Selection Tool * ( A )-Use the Path Selection Tool (the black arrow) in Photoshop to select and
move an entire path at once.
Direct Selection Tool ( A )-Use the Direct Selection Tool (the white arrow) to select and move an
individual path segment, anchor point or direction handle.
Rectangle Tool * ( U )-The Rectangle Tool draws rectangular vector shapes, paths or pixel shapes, with
sharp or rounded corners. Press and hold Shift as you drag to force the shape into a perfect square.
Ellipse Tool ( U )-The Ellipse Tool draws elliptical vector shapes, paths or pixel shapes. Press and hold
Shift as you drag to draw a perfect circle.
Triangle Tool ( U )-The Triangle Tool draws triangle shapes. Hold Shift to draw an equilateral triangle, or
use the Radius option to round the corners.
Polygon Tool ( U )-The Polygon Tool draws polygonal shapes with any number of sides. Use the Star
Ratio option to turn polygons into stars.
Line Tool ( U )-The Line Tool draws straight lines or arrows. Use the Stroke color and weight to control
the appearance of the line.
Custom Shape Tool ( U )-Photoshop's Custom Shape Tool lets you select and draw custom shapes.
Choose from Photoshop's hundreds of built-in custom shapes or create your own.
Navigation tools
Hand Tool * ( H )-The Hand Tool lets us click and drag an image around on the screen to view different
areas when zoomed in.
Rotate View Tool ( R )-Use the Rotate View Tool in Photoshop to rotate the canvas so you can view and
edit the image from different angles.
Zoom Tool * ( Z )-Click on the image with the Zoom Tool to zoom in on a specific area. Press and hold
Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click with the Zoom Tool to zoom out.
HIDDEN NEW FEATURES OF PHOTOSHOP
1. Customize Toolbar-A painter with an organized palette is always more efficient. Similarly,
Photoshop allows you to customize your toolbar and keep the tools you frequently use at the
forefront. Customizing your toolbar can increase productivity by decreasing the time spent
searching for your preferred tools. It’s akin to having your toolbox arranged in a way that best
suits your workflow.
2. Camera Raw Filter-The Camera Raw Filter, often reserved for photographers, is also a
hidden gem for graphic designers. This feature allows you to adjust clarity, saturation, exposure,
and more precisely. Imagine the Camera Raw Filter as the spices in a dish. Just a pinch can
dramatically transform the overall taste and, in this context, the look of your image.
3. Layer Comps-When working on complex projects with numerous layers, keeping track of
variations can be challenging. Layer Comps is a feature that enables you to save the state of
your layers, visibility, position, and even layer styles at a particular moment. It’s like having a
bookmark that you can return to at any point, ensuring you never lose your place in the narrative
of your design process.
4. Quick Mask Mode-Making precise selections can be daunting in Photoshop, especially for
intricate designs. Quick Mask Mode simplifies this task, acting like a digital stencil, allowing you
to paint your selection using a brush. It’s like creating a sketch before the final painting, giving
you greater control over your selections.
5. Content-Aware Scale-Resizing an image often results in distortion, which can be a concern
when dealing with particular elements within a picture. The Content-Aware Scale is a hidden
feature that resizes images intelligently, preserving important areas from distortion. Imagine it as
a smart tailor who knows precisely where to take in or let out the fabric to achieve a perfect fit.
6. Blend If-Blend If is a powerful feature hidden in the Layer Style dialogue box. It allows you to
blend layers based on luminosity and color values, creating dynamic and intricate effects. It’s
like having a secret door in a bookcase that leads to a world of creative possibilities.
7. Color Lookup Tables-Color Lookup Tables (LUTs) is a feature that allows you to apply
preset color grades to your images. This function can drastically alter the mood and feel of your
designs, much like changing the lighting can transform the ambiance of a room.
8. Smart Objects-Smart Objects allow you to preserve the original properties of an image, even
after transforming or distorting it. This feature ensures that you never lose the quality of your
image, similar to a safety net that protects a trapeze artist from any potential falls.
Basic tools and
advanced hidden
function of
Photoshop
