Photoshop Tool Basics

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/using-tools.html

 

This is a quick summary of Photoshop’s Tools palette with a description of each tool’s functions and shortcuts. Great for those brand new to Photoshop.

The keyboard shortcut is in ( ).

The marquee tools make rectangular, elliptical, single row, and single column selections.
Rectangular Marquee Tool (M)
Use this tool to make selections on your image, in a rectangular shape. This changes the area of your image that is affected by other tools or actions to be within the defined shape. Holding the [Shift] key while dragging your selection, restricts the shape to a perfect square. Holding the [Alt] key while dragging sets the center of the rectangle to where your cursor started.

The move tool moves selections, layers, and guides.
Move Tool (V)
Use this tool to, well, move things. Usually you use it to move a Layer around after it has been placed. Hold the [Shift] key to limit the movements to vertical/horizontal.

The lasso tools make freehand, polygonal (straight-edged), and magnetic (snap-to) selections.
Lasso Tool (L)
Use this to draw selections in whatever shape you would like. To close the selection, either click on the beginning point (you’ll see the cursor change when you’re on it), or just double-click. When holding the [Ctrl] key, you’ll see the cursor change, and the next time you click, it will close your selection.

The magic wand tool selects similarly colored areas.
Magic Wand Tool (W)
Use this to select a color range. It will select the block of color, or transparency, based on wherever you click. In the Options Bar at the top, you can change the Tolerance to make your selections more/less precise.

The crop tool trims images.
Crop Tool (C)
The Crop Tool works similarly to the Rectangular Marquee tool (see above if you have no short-term memory). The difference is when you press the [Enter/Return] key, it crops your image to the size of the box. Any information that was on the outside of the box is now gone. Not permanently, you can still undo.

The healing brush tool paints with a sample or pattern to repairs imperfections in a image.
Healing Brush Tool (J)
This is a really useful tool. Mildly advanced. You can use this tool to repair scratches and specs and stuff like that on images. It works like the Brush tool (see below). You choose your cursor size, then holding the [Alt] key, you select a nice/clean area of your image. Let go of the [Alt] key and paint over the bad area. It basically copies the info from the first area to the second, in the form of the Brush tool. Only, at the end, it averages the information, so it blends.

The brush tool paints brush strokes.The pencil tool paints hard-edged strokes.
Brush Tool (B)
This is one of the first tools ever. It’s what Photoshop is based off of. Well, not really, but it’s pretty basic. It paints one your image, in whatever color you have selected, and whatever size you have selected. The pencil tool paints hard-edged strokes.

The clone stamp tool paints with a sample of an image.The pattern stamp tool paints with part of an image as a pattern.
Clone Stamp Tool (S)
This is very similar to the Healing Brush Tool (see above). You use it the exact same way, except this tool doesn’t blend at the end. It’s a direct copy of the information from the first selected area to the second. The pattern stamp tool * paints with part of an image as a pattern.

The history brush tool paints a copy of the selected state or snapshot into the current image window.The art history brush tool paints with stylized strokes that simulate the look of different paint styles, using a selected state or snapshot.
History Brush Tool (H)
This tool works just like the Brush Tool (see above) except the information that it paints with is from the original state of your image. If you go Window>History, you can see the History Palette. The History Brush tool paints with the information from whatever History state is selected. The art history brush tool * paints with stylized strokes that simulate the look of different paint styles, using a selected state or snapshot.

The eraser tool erases pixels and restores parts of an image to a previously saved state.The magic eraser tool erases solid-colored areas to transparency with a single click.The background eraser tool erases areas to transparency by dragging.
Eraser Tool (E)
This is the anti-Brush tool. It works like an eraser (duh) and erases whatever information wherever you click and drag it. If you’re on a Layer, it will erase the information transparent. If you are on the background layer, it erases with whatever secondary color you have selected. The magic eraser tool erases solid-colored areas to transparency with a single click. The background eraser tool * erases areas to transparency by dragging.

The gradient tools create straight-line, radial, angle, reflected, and diamond, blends between colors.The paint bucket tool fills similarly colored areas with the foreground color.
Gradient Tool (G)
You can use this to make a gradiation of colors. Gradiation doesn’t appear to be a word, but it makes sense anyway. It creates a blending of your foreground color and background color when you click and drag it. Like a gradient. The paint bucket tool fills similarly colored areas with the foreground color.

The blur tool blurs hard edges in an image.The smudge tool smudges data in an image.The sharpen tool sharpens soft edges in an image.
Blur Tool (R)
The Blur tool is cool. It makes things blurry. Click and drag to make things blurry. The more you click and drag, the blurrier things get. The smudge tool smudges data in an image. The sharpen tool sharpens soft edges in an image.

The dodge tool lightens areas in an image.The burn tool darkens areas in an image.The sponge tool changes the color saturation of an area.
Dodge Tool (O)
It’s used to lighten whatever area you use it on. As long as it is not absolute black. Absolute black won’t lighten. The burn tool darkens areas in an image. The sponge tool changes the color saturation of an area.

The path selection tools make shape or segment selections showing anchor points, direction lines, and direction points.
Path Selection Tool (A)
You use this tool when working with paths. Since this is all about the basics, I won’t go into details. It’s related to the Pen Tool (see below) though.

The type tools create type on an image.The type mask tools create a selection in the shape of type.
Horizontal Type Tool (T)
It makes type. Or text. Or whatever you want to call it. You can click a single point, and start typing right away. Or you can click and drag to make a bounding box of where your text/type goes. The type mask tools * create a selection in the shape of type.

The pen tools let you draw smooth-edged paths.
Pen Tool (P)
I mentioned this tool above. It’s for creating paths, in which you would use the Path Selection Tool to select the path. Paths can be used in a few different ways, mostly to create clipping paths, or to create selections. You use the tool by clicking to add a point. If you click and drag, it will change the shape of your path, allowing you to bend and shape the path for accurate selections and such.

tool_basics18The custom shape tool makes customized shapes selected from a custom shape list.
Rectangle Tool (U)
By default it draws a Shape Layer in the form of a rectangle. It fills the rectangle with whatever foreground color you have selected. It’s pretty complicated, don’t hurt yourself with this one.

The annotation tools makes notes and audio annotations that can be attached to an image.
Notes Tool (N)
Like post-it notes, but digital. You can use this tool to add small little note boxes to your image. These are useful if you’re very forgetful or if you’re sharing your Photoshop file with someone else. I’m pretty sure it only works with .PSD files.

The eyedropper tool samples colors in an image.
Eyedropper Tool (I)
This tool works by changing your foreground color to whatever color you click on. Holding the [Alt] key will change your background color.

The hand tool moves an image within its window.
Hand Tool (T)
You can really make short work of your job with the Hand Tool. It’s for moving your entire image within a window. So if you’re zoomed in and your image area is larger than the window, you can use the Hand Tool to navigate around your image. Just click and drag. You can get to this tool at any time when using any other tool by pressing and holding the [Spacebar].

The zoom tool magnifies and reduces the view of an image.
Zoom Tool (Z)
Pretty obvious what this tool does. It allows you to zoom into your image. Don’t be dumb, it doesn’t actually change the size of your image. Hold the [Alt] key to zoom out. Holding the [Shift] key will zoom all of the windows you have open at the same time. Double-click on the Zoom Tool in the palette to go back to 100% view.

tool_basics23
BONUS!!
These are your color boxes. Foreground (in the front) and Background (in the back). Click on either one to bring up the color select dialog box.