Latest Photoshop tutorials
Welcome to Photoshop Essentials, where everyone can learn Photoshop! We offer fun, exclusive, step-by-step tutorials for all skill levels, and all written with beginners in mind. From Photoshop Basics to Photo Editing and Retouching, Photo Effects, Text Effects and more!
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Download our Photoshop tutorials as easy to read, ready to print PDFs!
In this Photoshop effects tutorial, learn how to easily turn any photo into its own decorative background or border! Now for Photoshop CC and CS6!
Did you know that the Crop Tool can be used to add extra space around an image? Learn how it works, and how to easily turn the extra space into a simple photo border!
In Part 3 of our series on cropping images in Photoshop, learn a good way, a better way and the best way to rotate and straighten an image before you crop it!
Take your image cropping skills to the next level by learning how to crop images non-destructively in Photoshop!
Learn step-by-step how to easily brighten the skies in your photos by adding a rainbow! Now for Photoshop CS6 and CC!
Learn how to easily open your images, how to have multiple photos open at once, the difference between opening JPEG vs raw files, and more, in the latest version of Photoshop CC!
Adobe has completely redesigned the New Document dialog box in Photoshop CC 2017, but the original, legacy version is still around. Learn how to easily switch between the two versions, and how the legacy version works!
Learn how the redesigned New Document dialog box in Photoshop CC 2017 makes it easy to create new Photoshop documents, either from presets or using your own custom settings!
Learn all about the hidden Recent Files workspace in Photoshop CC and how it can help us when viewing and selecting our recently-opened files!
The Start workspace is a great feature in Photoshop, but not everyone will want to use it. Learn how to disable the Start workspace while still being able to create new documents and open your images!
Learn all about the updated Start workspace in Photoshop CC and how it lets us create new documents, open images and re-open our recent files, all from one convenient screen!
Learn how to easily make Adobe Photoshop your default app for viewing and editing images in Windows 10!
Learn how to easily replace Apple’s Preview app with Photoshop as your default photo viewer and image editor in Mac OS X!
If you’re an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber, you always have access to the very latest version of Photoshop. Learn how to make sure that your copy of Photoshop CC is always up to date!
From creating, copying and selecting layers to blend modes, clipping masks and more, learn how to speed up your Photoshop workflow with these essential layers shortcuts!
Need to quickly free yourself from Photoshop’s Background layer limitations? Learn how to replace your default Background layer with a new one from scratch and how to save the steps as a time-saving action!
In this tutorial in our Photoshop Layers series, learn all about the Background layer in Photoshop CC, why it’s different from normal layers, and how to get around its limitations.
Take a whirlwind tour of Photoshop’s Layers panel and learn the essential skills you need for working with layers!
New to Photoshop layers? In this easy-to-follow, step-by-step lesson, learn the basics of what layers are, how they work, and why knowing how to use layers is such an essential Photoshop skill.
Learn all about the Healing Brush in Photoshop and how to use it to reduce the appearance of dark and distracting wrinkles.
Learn how to easily make your text flow along the shape and direction of a path! Fully updated for Photoshop CS6 and CC!
Learn how to easily change the color of objects in your photos using the Color Replacement Tool in Photoshop! Now fully updated for Photoshop CS6 and CC!
Learn all about the Background Eraser Tool in Photoshop, including how it works and how it can easily remove unwanted background areas in your photos! Now fully updated for Photoshop CS6 and CC!
Learn how to reshape a person’s eyes, nose, mouth and more with Face-Aware Liquify in Photoshop CC. Every feature, fully explained! Plastic surgery has never been easier!
Learn how to add more room around your photos by filling the space with matching content using the new Content-Aware Crop Tool in Photoshop CC!
Learn how to apply editable filter effects to live, editable type in Photoshop using Smart Objects and Smart Filters!
Previously, we learned how to pass raw files from Lightroom to Photoshop for further editing. In this tutorial, learn how to move JPEG photos between Lightroom and Photoshop just as easily!
Learn how to easily pass a raw image file from Adobe Lightroom over to Photoshop for further editing, and then how to send the edited version back to Lightroom!
The Oil Paint filter is back! Learn step-by-step how its Brush and Lighting options make it easy to turn any photo into an oil painted masterpiece.
Learn how to turn any photo into a sketch with lots of fine detail, great for landscapes, architecture photos, still lifes, and more! And, learn how to complete the entire effect from start to finish in 60 seconds!
In this second of two tutorials, learn how Smart Objects and Smart Filters in Photoshop can help us create the same soft glow effect as in the previous tutorial, but this time, keeping the effect fully editable from start to finish!
In this first of two tutorials, learn how to easily enhance your photos with a soft glow effect that softens skin, boosts contrast and makes colors more vibrant!
Learn how to customize the Toolbar in Photoshop CC using the Customize Toolbar dialog box, and how to save your custom Toolbar layout as a preset. You’ll learn how to remove and restore tools, group and ungroup tools, how to reorder the tools in the Toolbar, and more!
Learn all about the new darker dialog boxes in Photoshop CC, one of several changes to Photoshop’s interface that Adobe made as part of the November 2015 Creative Cloud updates.
Learn all about the new Start screen and Recent Files panel recently introduced to Photoshop CC in the November 2015 Creative Cloud updates.
Our complete guide to learning the many ways of transforming objects and selections with Free Transform in Photoshop, from Scale and Rotate to Skew, Distort, Perspective, Warp, and more!
Learn how to add lens flare to your photos without harming the original image using Photoshop’s Lens Flare filter and the non-destructive power of layers and blend modes!
Learn how to easily blend two or more photos into a single composite image using layer masks and gradients in Photoshop!
Learn how to create and edit your own custom gradients and save them as presets using the Gradient Editor in Photoshop!
Learn everything you need to know to start drawing gradients in Photoshop with the simple yet powerful Gradient Tool!
Go beyond simple geometric shapes and learn how to add more interesting custom shapes to your designs and layouts with the Custom Shape Tool in Photoshop CS6!
In this first tutorial in our series on drawing and working with shapes in Photoshop CC, learn the important difference between vector shapes and pixel shapes!
Learn the essentials of creating vector art in Photoshop CS6 with its easy to use shape tools, including the Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, and Line Tools!
Learn the important difference between vector shapes and pixels shapes in Photoshop. Now fully updated for Photoshop CS6!
In this photo effects tutorial, learn how to divide a single photo into multiple sections and display it as a cluster of shapes! Now fully updated for Photoshop CC!
Tired of dragging guides out from the rulers? Learn how the New Guide Layout feature in Photoshop CC lets you quickly add rows and columns, gutters, and margins to your documents, and save your guide layouts as presets!
Learn how Photoshop’s improved Auto button makes correcting the tonal range of your photos using a Levels image adjustment easier than ever!
Add more interest and creativity to your images by learning how to easily blend textures with your photos using layer blend modes in Photoshop!
Take your first step into the world of professional-level image correction by learning how to easily improve the tonal range of an image, boosting contrast and restoring detail, using a Levels image adjustment in Photoshop!
In this second tutorial on understanding histograms in Photoshop, we look at different types of images with their naturally darker (low-key) and lighter (high-key) tonal characteristics and learn why there’s no such thing as a standard, typical or ideal histogram.