Graphic Design Adobe Photoshop (Raster Graphics) Syllabus

Name the four Global Refinements sliders in Select and Mask and what each does.

Smooth (reduces jagged edges), Feather (softens the edge transition), Contrast (hardens/sharpens the edge), and Shift Edge (moves the selection border inward with negative values or outward with positive values).

What Output options does Select and Mask offer?

Output To: Selection, Layer Mask, New Layer, New Layer with Layer Mask, New Document, or New Document with Layer Mask — the 'Layer Mask' options preserve non-destructive editing.

On a layer mask, what do black, white, and gray represent?

White reveals the layer's pixels, black conceals (hides) them, and gray partially hides them proportionally to its darkness — remembered as 'black conceals, white reveals.'

Why is a layer mask preferred over the Eraser tool for hiding parts of a layer?

A layer mask is non-destructive: hidden pixels are only concealed and can be restored anytime by painting white on the mask. The Eraser permanently deletes pixel data.

What is a clipping mask and how do you create one?

A clipping mask makes a layer's visibility conform to the shape (opaque pixels) of the layer directly below it — e.g., clipping a photo into text. Create it with Layer > Create Clipping Mask, Alt+click on the line between the two layers, or Ctrl+Alt+G.

Contrast a layer mask with a clipping mask.

A layer mask is a grayscale image attached to one layer that you paint to hide/reveal its content. A clipping mask uses the content (transparency) of the base layer below to control the visibility of one or more clipped layers above it.

List the main layer types available in Photoshop.

Pixel (raster) layers, the Background layer, Type layers, Shape (vector) layers, Smart Object layers, Adjustment layers, and Fill layers (solid color, gradient, pattern).

What is special about the Background layer, and how do you convert it to a regular layer?

The Background layer is locked by default: it cannot be moved, reordered, have transparency, or have a layer mask. Double-click it (or click its lock icon) to convert it into a normal editable layer.

How do you group layers, and why are groups useful?

Select the layers and press Ctrl+G (Cmd+G) or drag them onto the folder icon. Groups organize complex documents, allow collective moving/hiding/transforming, and can carry a single mask affecting all contents.

Into which functional categories are Photoshop's blending modes grouped?

Normal, Darken (e.g., Multiply), Lighten (e.g., Screen), Contrast (e.g., Overlay, Soft Light), Comparative/Inversion (e.g., Difference), and Component/Composite (Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity).

What does the Multiply blending mode do, and what is its formula?

Multiply darkens by multiplying the base and blend colors: $R = \frac{A \times B}{255}$. White ($255$) is neutral (no change) and black stays black — useful for shadows and darkening.

What does the Screen blending mode do, and what is its formula?

Screen lightens by inverting, multiplying, and re-inverting: $R = 255 - \frac{(255-A)(255-B)}{255}$. Black is the neutral color (no change) — useful for glows and lightening.

How does the Overlay blending mode work, and what is its neutral color?

Overlay increases contrast by applying Screen to areas lighter than 50% gray and Multiply to areas darker than 50% gray. Its neutral color is 50% gray, which produces no change.

Name common layer styles (layer effects) available in the Layer Style dialog.

Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, Bevel & Emboss, Satin, Color Overlay, Gradient Overlay, Pattern Overlay, and Stroke — all non-destructive and re-editable via the fx icon.

How can you copy layer styles from one layer to another?

Right-click the layer and choose Copy Layer Style, then Paste Layer Style on the target layer; or Alt-drag the fx icon (or an individual effect) from one layer to another.

What is a Smart Object in Photoshop?

A layer that embeds or links to source image data (raster or vector) so its original content is preserved. Transformations, filters, and warps applied to it are non-destructive and can be re-edited or undone without quality loss.

Why is scaling a Smart Object safer than scaling a regular raster layer?

A Smart Object retains its original pixel data, so it can be scaled down and back up (up to its original size) with no quality loss; a rasterized layer permanently loses pixels when scaled down.

What are Smart Filters?

Filters applied to a Smart Object become Smart Filters: they remain editable (double-click to change settings), can be toggled off, reordered, blended, and are constrained by a shared filter mask — all non-destructively.

What is the difference between an embedded and a linked Smart Object?

An embedded Smart Object stores the source file inside the PSD (larger file, self-contained). A linked Smart Object references an external file; editing that file updates every document that links to it.

How does the Spot Healing Brush differ from the Healing Brush?

The Spot Healing Brush automatically samples surrounding pixels — just click on the blemish. The Healing Brush requires you to Alt+click to set a sample source first. Both blend the sampled texture with the target area's color and luminosity.

How does the Clone Stamp tool differ from the Healing Brush?

The Clone Stamp copies sampled pixels exactly as they are (an exact duplicate), while the Healing Brush copies texture but blends it with the color and lighting of the destination area for a seamless repair.

What does the Patch tool do?

It repairs a selected area by dragging the selection to a source region; Photoshop blends the source's texture with the original area's lighting and color. It works like the Healing Brush but on selection-sized areas.

What do the Dodge and Burn tools do, and what is their origin?

Dodge lightens pixels and Burn darkens pixels where you paint. They come from traditional darkroom techniques of blocking (dodging) or adding (burning) exposure. Both offer a Range setting: Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights, plus an Exposure strength.

What does the Sponge tool do?

It changes color saturation where you paint: Saturate mode intensifies colors, Desaturate mode drains them toward gray. Flow controls the strength of the effect.

In the Levels adjustment, what do the three Input sliders under the histogram control?

The black point slider (left) sets which value becomes pure black, the white point slider (right) sets pure white, and the middle gray (gamma) slider adjusts midtone brightness without moving the endpoints.

Why is Curves considered more powerful than Levels, and what does a steeper curve indicate?

Curves allows placing multiple control points anywhere along the tonal range for precise per-tone adjustments (Levels only has three input sliders). A steeper section of the curve means increased contrast in that tonal range; a classic 'S-curve' boosts overall contrast.

In Color Balance, which complementary color pairs are adjusted?

Cyan–Red, Magenta–Green, and Yellow–Blue, each adjustable separately for Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights. Moving toward one color reduces its complement.

What is an adjustment layer, and what are its two main advantages over Image > Adjustments commands?

An adjustment layer (e.g., Levels, Curves, Hue/Saturation) applies a color/tonal edit to all layers below it. Advantages: it is non-destructive (settings stay editable, opacity/blending changeable, deletable) and it includes a built-in layer mask for selective application. To limit it to just one layer, clip it to that layer with a clipping mask.

What operations does Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd+T) allow, and how do you access Warp?

Scale, rotate, skew, distort, flip, and apply perspective (via right-click context menu or modifier keys). Warp mode — accessed via the Options Bar warp button or right-click > Warp — bends the image with a mesh grid or presets like Arc, Flag, Wave, and Fisheye.

How does Content-Aware Fill work and what advantage does its dedicated workspace provide?

It removes a selected object by synthesizing new pixels from surrounding image content that plausibly matches the background. The Content-Aware Fill workspace (Edit > Content-Aware Fill) shows a live preview, lets you paint which sampling area Photoshop may use, and can output to a new layer for a non-destructive result. Also memorize: the Filter Gallery (Filter menu) previews and stacks multiple artistic/sketch/texture filters in one dialog, and Unsharp Mask sharpens by increasing edge contrast using Amount, Radius, and Threshold settings.