I'm sure you've been in the position where you've opened Photoshop and don't know where to start. you may even have opened the file in Photoshop, and then found it difficult to do what you wanted to do with it. This is probably because Photoshop is such a powerful program, and sometimes all we need is a little kickstart. So that we know what we're doing. Like all other things, nothing is really difficult once you know how. That is the idea of this article. It is to help you get started using Photoshop productively.
If you're into web design or Internet marketing, Photoshop is a very handy tool, and can save you lots of dollars by being able to do most of your own graphic design.
Photoshop makes it easy to create your own website header graphics, squeeze page, e-book and e-books covers.
To create a header graphic. The first thing you need to do is decide on the size of the graphic. Most header graphics on sales pages are between 600 and 700 pixels wide. And about 110 to 130 pixels high. Now all you need to do is click "File" in the top left-hand corner and then "New". You are now asked to set the size of your new graphic.
Your screen now has a blank graphic to the sizes that you specified. The next thing you need to do is to give it a background. You could specify a color or gradient for your background. You could also use a picture as your background.
On the left-hand side of your screen. You should have a number of tools available to you. If you just want to to fill the background with a solid color. You would use the bucket tool. Firstly, you would need to choose your color. In the box of tools you have on the left-hand side of your page. You will see two colors. Choose the one that looks to be on top. When you do that, a color picker appears. Choose the color you want as your background. Then click on the bucket tool, move your mouse to your graphic, you will notice that your mouse pointer looks like the bucket tool. click the mouse in your graphic and you have now changed the background color.
If you would like to use a gradient as your background, go back to the bucket tool with your mouse and this time, right click the bucket tool. You will notice that you have two options. Number one, the bucket tool that is already selected, and number two. The gradient tool. Choose the gradient tool. On the top bar you will now see some new options appear for you. This will allow you to choose the type of gradient you want. You will need to experiment with this and then choose the one you want.
With your mouse now click on the gradient tool. Now move your mouse pointer to your graphic. You will notice that your pointer now looks like a cross. Click your mouse on one end of the graphic and holding the button down, drag it across to the other end. You can do this from any angle you like, depending on how you want your gradient to look.The colors of your gradient a chosen by the two colors you have chosen in the toolbox on left-hand side.
You can also use an image as your background. To do this, all you need to do is open the image you want to use. The image must be as large or larger than the image you are creating. If you use an image that is larger than the one you are creating,you are able to position it to where you want it.
Now that you've opened the image you want to use as your background, all you need to do is drag and drop it into your new header.
Any other images, you may want to import into your picture can all be dragged and dropped in the same way. Each will be in its own layer and can thus be manipulated individually.
On the right-hand side of your screen you will find layers. From here you can activate any layer you want to work on.
To remove the background of some of these images. You can use the eraser tool. If you right click on the a eraser tool, you are given three options. If your background is basically one color. You can choose the Magic eraser to a erase it in one or two clicks.
After you have completed your artwork all you need to do now is insert your text and you can do this with the text tool. As in any word processor program, you can choose your font, size of your font, and bold or italic. You can also make some of the words standout.
To do this you need to make sure that the layer you want to work on is the one highlighted and then go to the top of the page to "layer", from layer choose "layer style". You now have a large choice such as drop shadow, inner shadow, outer glow ,iner glow, bevel & emboss, Satin, color overlay, pattern overlay and stroke. You will need to play around with these to get an idea of each are their functions. As you make the changes you will see the changes immediately. Once you're satisfied with the changes made you can commit them.
You have just created your header with Photoshop.
To see how to easily create eBook, eBox covers, cd covers and cards go to www.ecovergraphics.biz
