Welcome to Photoshop 2024!
Would you like to learn how to straighten a crooked photo, lighten an under-exposed image, or sharpen a blurry picture? Adobe Photoshop is the most powerful software available for editing (and also creating) digital images. We offer here both comprehensive learning tools and quick how-tos that you can easily follow.
What is Photoshop and What Can It Do?
How Do I Access Photoshop?
Students, faculty, and staff who need to use Adobe Photoshop may contact SMHS Technology Support Center at casshelp@gwu.edu about acquiring access.
Free Online Photoshop Courses and Tutorials
The following websites offer access to online courses and tutorials designed to get you started with Photoshop or, if you are already familiar with with the software, to master new skills. Many additional resources are available via online search.
- LinkedIn Learning Photoshop TutorialsLinkedIn Learning is offered free to all students, faculty, and staff at GW. Use above link to access the website. Once in the program, enter "Photoshop 2022" in the search window up top to display available video courses and shorter tutorials. Each course or tutorial indicates whether it is targeted to beginner, intermediate, or advanced learners.
- Learn PhotoshopAdobe offers Photoshop video/print tutorials on individual topics, such as image quality adjustment or adding text. As GW has a site license for the program, these tutorials are offered free to GW students, faculty, and staff.
- Adobe's Photoshop User GuideAdobe has published the Photoshop User Guide online. It is organized by broad subjects such as Image Adjustments and Filter and Effects. Use the Table of Contents to navigate easily through the guide.
- Photoshop Tutorials YouTube channelAccess free video tutorials to learn how to do specific tasks in Photoshop, such as portrait touch-ups and double exposures. Not affiliated with adobe.com.
- Photoshop Training ChannelContains free Photoshop tutorials. (You can also pay a subscription to view premium content.) Not affiliated with adobe.com.
Preparing Images for Journal and Textbook Publication
Do you have digital or print images that you need to incorporate into a journal article or textbook? Do you need to make any technical modifications to the image (resolution, file format, etc.) to meet the requirements of the publisher? Did you know that certain image edits could constitute fraud? Visit the links below to learn more.
PREPARING IMAGES FOR PUBLICATION IN AN ARTICLE OR BOOK
Visit your publisher’s website and search for technical guidelines for the submission of figures
- Example: PLOS1
- Example: Elsevier
The ethics of image alteration for publication
Before adjusting, retouching, or cropping images destined for publication, explore the following resources to learn what may constitute image fraud.
Print resource
Avoiding Twisted Pixels: Ethical Guidelines for the Appropriate Use and Manipulation of Scientific Digital Images. Douglas W. Cromey
Video resources
Avoiding Image Fraud: 7 Rules for Editing Images
Clean-up or Fraud? How to Avoid Photoshopping Your Way Into Disgrace
From the Photoshop for the Scientist series on YouTube:
- How to Ethically Photoshop Your Data: Part I (15:04)
- How to Ethically Photoshop Your Data: Part II (18:43)
Journal editors may ask you to send the original image for comparison
Remember to keep your original, unaltered image in a designated location on your computer, out of harm’s way.
Glossaries of Photoshop terms
Photoshop is a layer-based image editing software. But what does that term mean, and why is it useful to understand it? What exactly is anti-aliasing, and should your image use it?
The following link offers clear and simple definitions of the many photo editing terms used in Photoshop.
Want to take a quick peek?
Quick Lessons on Essential Topics
- Get to know PhotoshopSeveral tutorial introduce you to the Photoshop work area and shows you how to open and save your images, zoom in and out, and undo mistakes.
Open and Create Images (3min, 6sec)
The Interface (3 min, 58sec)
To zoom in and out and pan around (5min, 5 sec)
To Undo (4 min, 53 sec)
To Save and Image (4 min, 31sec) - Layers for BeginnersLearn how to use layers and other basic tools in Adobe Photoshop (11min, 17 sec)
- Get to Know LayersLearn about layers in Photoshop.
- Try Out Simple Selection Tools(4min, 59sec)
- How to crop and straighten photos(4min, 19sec)
- Adjust Image QualityFour videos to help you with image quality adjustment:
-Adjust brightness and contrast (4min, 8sec)
-Adjust color vibrance (2min, 45sec)
-Adjust hue and saturation (4min, 36sec)
-Learn about adjustment layers (4min, 18sec) - Add text and shapesFour videos to learn how to work with text and shapes:
To Add Text (4min, 57sec)
Edit Text (4 min, 9 sec)
Add a Shape to an Image (4min, 32sec)
Add a built-in custom shape (3min, 23sec) - Reduce Camera Shake BlurringLearn how to sharpen blurred images caused by camera shake. (5min, 27sec)
- Change the image sizeFour videos to help you with image size adjustment:
-Resize an image (4min, 47sec)
-Set the resolution (3min, 56sec)
-Use the Crop tool (4min, 15sec)
-Expand the canvas (4min, 39sec) - Best Way to Enlarge Images in PhotoshopThis video was created for Adobe Photoshop CC 2018, but it applies to more recent versions as well. Learn how to enlarge images while preserving details. (8min, 1sec)
- Image Size and ResolutionLearn how to set resolution and size images for printing or web pages.
(5min, 54sec)
