Sep 21, 2010 - Another great resource from photo-plugins.com, this Photoshop. Richard also has many other free Photoshop plugins on his download page. Hot pixels without having to use your clone stamp or healing brush. Then this tool will help you remove them without spending hours with your clone stamp. Apr 17, 2012 - For instance, the clone stamp tool or the spot healing brush don't allow me to. Virtual Photographer is a very popular free Photoshop plugin. The plugin is a small download, but on install the GUI resembles a stand-alone.
Have you ever accidentally wasted an entire day in Photoshop?
I have. It's not like you start out aimlessly. You have a simple goal in mind, like cropping a photo, improving the resolution, or changing the size of the canvas. But then, you look at how many options there are -- and trying to figure out which buttons to press to execute a single task suddenly turns into an attempt to solve The Riddle of the Sphinx.
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just press a button, and magically, do what you wanted to do? Well, we've got good news for you: It turns out there are a wealth of Photoshop shortcuts that pretty much work just that way.
By pressing a few keys on your computer keyboard at the same time, you can select tools, manipulate images and layers, and even make adjustments to your project's canvas. But if we're being honest, if you're just starting out with the software, there might be far too many Photoshop shortcuts to remember them all. That's why we created this guide -- for you to bookmark and return to next time your design project leaves you stumped.
Note: All of these shortcuts can be accessed on PC and Mac, but sometimes, they're different on each operating system. We've included both types below, and in the cases where they might be different, Mac instructions appear in italicized parentheses. Also, in these formulas, the plus sign (+) is present only to represent the combination of key commands. On occasion, it might be part of the command itself, like when you press the plus sign to zoom into a part of an image, but otherwise, don't press the plus sign between commands.
65 Photoshop Shortcuts to Save You Time
Getting Set Up
You'd think setting up your content in Photoshop would be second nature. But sometimes, the shortcuts to change the background size, or zoom into your project aren't what you think. Here are some of the most crucial fundamental shortcuts to know:
1) Control + Alt + i (Command + Option + i ) = Change the image size.
2) Control + Alt + c (Command + Option + c ) = Change canvas size.
3) Control + + (Command + + ) = Zoom in.
4) Control + - (Command + - ) = Zoom out.
Control + ' (Command + ' ) = Show or hide the grid, the automatically-generated horizontal and vertical lines that help align objects to the canvas.
Choosing the Right Tools
These shortcuts will activate different groups of tools, like 'Lasso,' 'Brush,' or 'Spot Healing Brush.' Within these tools, though, there are different functions. Under the 'Magic Wand' tool group, for example, you have the option to execute a new selection or add and subtract from a current one.
Each one of these tools has a keyboard shortcut, and we've outlined some of them below.
5) v = Pointer, a.k.a. Move Tool
6)w = Magic Wand
7) m = Rectangular Marquee, a.k.a. the Select Tool
8) l = Lasso
9) i = Eyedropper
10) c = Crop
Spot Healing Brush Tool In Photoshop
11) e = Eraser
12) u = Rectangle
13) t = Horizontal Type
14) b = Brush
15) y = History Brush
16) j = Spot Healing Brush
17) g = Gradient
18) a = Path Selection
19) h = Hand
20) r = Rotate View
21) p = Pen
22) s = Clone Stamp
23) o = Dodge
24) z = Zoom Tool
25) d = Default Foreground and Background Colors
26) x = Switch Foreground and Background Colors
27) q = Edit in Quick Mask Mode
28) x = Change Screen Mode
Using the Brush Tool
With the brush settings, you can change the size, shape, and transparency of your brush strokes to achieve a number of different visual effects. To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Brush tool by pressing b.
29) , or . = Select previous or next brush style.
30) Shift + , or . = Select first or last brush style used.
31) Caps Lock or Shift + Caps Lock (Caps Lock) = Display precise crosshair for brushes.
32) Shift + Alt + p (Shift + Option + p) = Toggle airbrush option.
Using the Marquee Tool (for Slicing/Selecting)
When used correctly, the marquee tool will let you select individual elements, entire graphics, and determine what is copied, cut, and pasted into your graphics.
To use these keyboard shortcuts, first select the Marquee tool by pressing m.
33) Control (Command) = Toggle between Slice tool and Slice Selection tool.
34) Shift + drag = Draw square slice.
35) Alt + drag (Option + drag) = Draw from center outward.
36) Shift + alt + drag (Shift + option + drag) = Draw square slice from center outward.
37) Spacebar + drag = Reposition the slice while creating the slice.
Using Different Blending Options
Blending options include a number of features to enhance the look of your graphic. You can always choose a blending option by going to the top menu bar, under Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options. Or, you can double-click any layer to bring up the options for that particular layer.
Once you open blending options, you can use keyboard shortcuts to select them without moving your mouse. To use the shortcuts, select the Move tool ('v'), and then select the layer you'd like to use the blending options on. Below are some of the most popular modes.
38) Shift + + or – = Cycle through blending modes.
39) Shift + Alt + n (Shift + Option + n) = Normal mode
Healing Brush Tool In Photoshop Cc
40) Shift + Alt + i (Shift + Option + i) = Dissolve
41) Shift + Alt + k (Shift + Option + k) = Darken
42) Shift + Alt + g (Shift + Option + g) = Lighten
43) Shift + Alt + m (Shift + Option + m) = Multiply
44) Shift + Alt + o (Shift + Option + o) = Overlay
45) Shift + Alt + u (Shift + Option + u) = Hue
46) Shift + Alt + t (Shift + Option + t) = Saturation
47) Shift + Alt + y (Shift + Option + y) = Luminosity
For more niche blending shortcuts, check out these tips from Adobe.
Manipulating Layers & Objects
If you want to modify an object or get complex with multiple layers, here are some shortcuts you might like to know:
48) Control + a (Command + a ) = Select all objects
49) Control + d (Command + d ) = Deselect all objects
50) Shift+Control+i (Shift + Command + i ) = Select the inverse of the selected objects
51) Control + Alt + a (Command + Option + a) = Select all layers
52) Control + Shift + E (Command + Shift + e) = Merge all layers
53) Alt + . (Option + .) = Select top layer
54) Alt + , (Option + ,) = Select bottom layer
Note: In shortcuts 55-57, the brackets ([ ]) are the keystrokes in the command, and 'OR' refers to the actual word -- as in, press one bracket OR the other, not the letters 'o' and 'r.'
55) Alt + [ OR ] (Option + [ OR ]) = Select next layer down or up
56) Control + [ OR ] (Command + [ OR ])= Move target layer down or up
57) Control + Shift + [ OR ] (Command + Shift + [ OR ]) = Move layer to the bottom or top
58) Shift+Control + n (Shift + Command + n) = Create a new layer
59) Control + g (Command + g)= Group selected layers
60) Control + Shift + g (Command + Shift + g) = Ungroup selected layers
61) Control + e (Command + e) = Merge and flatten selected layers
62) Control+Shift+Alt+ e (Command + Shift + Option + e) = Combine all layers into a new layer on top of the other layers. Note: This step gets you one, combined layer, with all elements of that layer in separate layers below -- which is different than a traditional merge-and-flatten layers command.
63) Control + t (Command + t) = Transform your object, which includes resizing and rotating
And Finally -- Save Your Work for Later
Congratulations -- you've finished working on your project, and now, you want to share it with the world. Save time saving your project by using these simple shortcuts:
64) Control + Shift + s (Command + Shift + s) = Save your work as ...
65) Control+Shift+Alt+s (Command + Shift + Option + s) = Save for web and devices
You would think that Photoshop wouldn't need any extra help, like plugins. But heck, there's a whole industry out there doing just that – developing plugins to enhance your photo editing jobs.
We know that if you have the patience, the creativity, and the skill, Photoshop can do just about everything. Even then there are gaps in graphic designing tasks which are filled up by plugins specialized for those needs.
Photoshop plugins come in a variety of packages. Photoshop comes with a few default ones. Then there are some which are just sets of filters, some deal with photo-corrections, others with photo-manipulation, and some make a process better. Then there are Photoshop plugins which are expensive, and thankfully a few which are totally free. So, let's look at the seven best Photoshop plugins that enhance your photo editing skills.
So, let's look at the seven best Photoshop plugins that enhance your photo editing skills.
Wire Worm
Nothing irks me more than an unwanted overhead electrical wire spoiling a nicely framed shot. I usually turn to the healing brush tool to clean up the photo. But the Wire Worm plug-in has some features that help to speed up my photo editing.
For instance, the clone stamp tool or the spot healing brush don't allow me to fine-tune the selected areas. Wire Worm can position the removal patches precisely either with the arrow keys or with an automatic snap function. You can also color match and adjust the patches so that color bleeding is not apparent.
Virtual Photographer
Virtual Photographer is a very popular free Photoshop plugin. With just a click you can apply photographic styles like soft focus, high contrast, gradients, polarization, and more to your digital image. The plugin is a small download, but on install the GUI resembles a stand-alone graphics editor with a tabbed face and large preview screen (use the split screen for better results). The Main tab has a range of user presets with interesting effects under the dropdown.
With a bit of tweaking here and there, I don't think you would look at Instagram anymore. You can even save these tweaks as your own customizations (using the Film and Style tabs). Then there is the Batch mode if you want to rifle through more than one image.
Perfect Effects 3 Free
240 MB for a filter package might be an overkill for anyone but a professional graphic artist. So, I leave the choice to you. But the 25 free filters should be worth your while if you really love dressing up photos with photo effects. The plugin works with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture.
I didn't download the plugin for the present article, so I will direct you to the Features page where you can check out the lineup of great things on offer. I especially liked the feature which allows you to create effects by combining more than one effect. Plus, you can work with multi-layered files. You can also apply masking to selectively apply effects. Manual fine-tuning is lacking in the free version.
Harry's Filters
Harry's Filters is a set of 69 photo-effect filters and an animation feature. It can not only be used in Photoshop but also in Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, Corel Photo-Paint, IrfanView, and more.
The filters are arranged in groups (9 effect categories) like Colors, Artistic, Gradients, and Patterns etc. Along with the color mode sliders, you can combine and create interesting photo effects. The 'Jump' button selects and applies a random effect. You can save the applied effects and reuse them later on.
Filter Forge Freepacks
Filter Forge originally is an editor that allows graphic artists to create effects filters. It is a paid product, but the Filter Forge website has quite a few free Photoshop plugins based on the Filter Forge process.The
The freepacks are based on themes. So, you can download freepacks that create photorealistic metal textures and effects or a freepack that applies frames to your photos. Currently, there are 6 freepacks available with the seventh expected soon. The only slight handicap is that the presets don't work on images larger than 3000 pixels.Filter Forge
Filter Forge freepacks are available for both Mac and Windows
Plug-In Switch
As your plugin count build up, it could get quite unwieldy. Although Photoshop has a dedicated plugins folder, you have to drill down to it via Explorer. Plug-in Switch is a plugin manager which helps you organize all your plugins neatly. Okay, it will not enhance your photo-editing skills but it sure will improve your workflow.With the
With the switch, you can disable Photoshop filters on a temporary basis and re-enable them again when needed, without having to completely remove the plug-ins each time. It also sits outside Photoshop, so you can really say that it is a separate program altogether. It comes from the same developers who also give you the free Fotomatic plugin which is also a photo effects tool.
As with all lists that take-off with the word 'best' in them, this one too is colored by personal preference and usage. These are just a few of the free Photoshop plugins out there, but they can hold their own.
Have I missed a plugin that you regularly use in your Photoshop projects that outshine these six? Let us know!
Image Credit: snapgalleriavia Shutterstock.com
Explore more about: Adobe Photoshop, Image Editor.