
This is merely an overview of the interface. I will go into further depth in later posts.
Overview of the Photoshop User Interface
Now, you might or might not have CS3, but no matter what version you have, this video pretty much nails it when introducing the interface in a simple, easy to understand manner. If you are more of an experienced PS user, you might feel like he is babying you, but nonetheless it was pretty informative in my opinion. He also clarifies the differences between a rasterized image and a vector image.
1. Menubar: Just like any other application, Photoshop has a menubar. Here, you can access all of Photoshop's many options and drop-down menus. There is a File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, Analysis, 3D, View, Window, and Help drop-down menu located in the menubar -- many of which I will go over in later posts. I will not be covering the 3D and video aspects of Photoshop because, well, I've never really used them before. ;d
*If there is an ellipses next to an option in the drop-down menu, a dialog box will pop up when you click it for more options.
2. Tools: This is where all the tools are displayed and can be accessed. More information about each tool will be discussed in this post.
3. Option Bar: The option bar displays umm… options (no duh) that modify the selected tool. Let's say you selected the brush tool. The option of changing your specific brush, brush size, and brush hardness will appear, along with the options of changing mode, opacity and flow. These options are pretty much necessary when using Photoshop to paint and photo manipulate.*
4. Palettes/Windows/Panels: The panels I have might be different from the ones you have, for I have organized mines to suit my needs. If you have tinkered with Photoshop a bit or have accidentally moved some of the panels, you will find that they are drag-able. You can remove, add, and move around palettes to fit your preferences. You can make new panels appear by going to the Window menu on the menubar and selecting a panel you would like to use.
I will discuss what each panel does in this post.
5. Workspace Options: After getting to know what each palette does, it is important to setup your workspace to suit your own needs. Rearrange the palettes around and move them wherever you like. Once you are done, it is time to save your workspace. When you click the button, a drop-down menu will appear. There you can save your current workspace or switch between other pre-installed workspaces.
6. Document Window: This is where your image will be displayed. More information about the image can be found on the tab and on the status bar of the document window. The status bar is located at the bottom where the zoom status is displayed (in this image it is where the "100%" is at). If you click on where it says "Doc:", information about your document's width, height, channels, and resolution will be displayed.