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!
Check out our latest Photoshop tutorials below. Or download our tutorials as PDFs and get exclusive bonus content!
Learn all about Adobe Bridge and how to use Bridge to find, organize and preview your images. Topics include the Bridge interface and panels, Full Screen Previews and Review Mode, applying star ratings, adding keywords and copyright information, filtering images, and more!
Learn how to download photos from your digital camera or memory card to your computer using Adobe Bridge and its Photo Downloader app. Preview and select images, save a backup of your files, add copyright information, and more! For Adobe Bridge CC and CS6.
Learn how to install Adobe Bridge, a powerful file browser that makes it easy to find your images and open them into Photoshop!
Knowing how to get your images into Photoshop is important, but so is knowing how to close them. Learn how to close a single image or multiple images at once, how to close images with unsaved changes, and how to close an image and return to Adobe Bridge.
If you’re a photographer, you’ll want to do your initial image editing work not in Photoshop but in Camera Raw. Learn how to easily open raw files, as well as JPEG and TIFF images, directly into Camera Raw.
Is Adobe Bridge opening certain types of files in the wrong program? Learn how to easily fix it and set Photoshop as your app of choice using the File Type Associations options in the Bridge Preferences!
Learn how Adobe Bridge, the free file browser included with Photoshop and with all Creative Cloud subscriptions, makes it easy to find our images and open them into Photoshop!
Learn how to easily fill a shape with an image using clipping masks in Photoshop! Step by step, perfect for beginners!
New Super Tutorial! Learn step by step how to create a fun 80s retro text effect in Photoshop using layer styles and custom gradients!
**Now with video!** Learn how to easily turn any photo into a black and white pencil sketch, then learn how to colorize it, first using the photo’s original colors, then with a single color, and then with a gradient!
Learn how the power of clipping masks make it easy to create one of Photoshop’s most popular and classic effects – placing an image inside text! Now fully updated for Photoshop CS6 and CC!
Learn how focus stacking in Photoshop can bring your entire scene or subject into sharp focus by blending the depth of field from multiple images!
Learn how to easily create a custom sparkle brush from scratch in Photoshop, then how to use the brush to add a magical sparkle trail to your photo! Now updated and expanded for Photoshop CC and CS6.
Learn step-by-step how to create the illusion of sunlight shining through trees with Photoshop! Now for Photoshop CC and CS6.
Too many different colors in a photo can distract the viewer and lessen the impact of your image. Learn how to easily unify colors to fit a mood or theme with Photoshop!
In the previous tutorial, we learned a quick way to brighten underexposed images. This time, learn how the same basic technique can instantly darken an overexposed photo!
Need to brighten dark, underexposed images quickly and without a lot of hassle? Learn how adjustment layers and blend modes in Photoshop can do the job instantly!
Learn a fast and easy way to lighten and brighten someone’s eyes in a photo using nothing more than a simple adjustment layer, a blend mode and a brush!
Our complete guide to transforming your color photos into stunning black and white images using a Black & White adjustment layer in Photoshop.
Learn the basics of layer masks in Photoshop and how to use a layer mask to show or hide different parts of a layer.
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!
Think the Crop Tool is only for cropping images? Learn how it can also be used to quickly add more canvas and a border around your photos!
Learn a good way, a better way and the best way to rotate and straighten images in Photoshop. Part 2 of our complete series on cropping images.
Learn step-by-step how to easily brighten the skies in your photos by adding a rainbow! For Photoshop CC 2019 and earlier.
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 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!
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 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.