two keys I wouldn't get very far without.
Alt + Tab
You can be doing anything and switch back to what you were supposed to be doing in the first place without getting caught.

YAY i will add some info to this thread later on..

BTW I use CNT-SHIFT-ALT-E on the PC all the time.... I call it "Punching the keyboard" but its nice when blending elements or making skin disorders

f7 - layer pallete

use adjustment layers.....and love the layer mask.. this is all I have ATM.. be back later on

This one wasn't obvious to me when I first came on the site. Then, it was Robin, who clued me in: That if I held the shift key down on the first stroke of the paint brush or any other tool, and then clicked the paint brush, lets say, 20 pixels away, A straight line paint stroke, erasure etc., would result. It saves a lot of time, when you don't want to paint in
all those straight lines.

Some good advice here - since this has dropped off the main page already I have taken the AUDATIOUS BEHAVIOR of bumping it back up. Perhaps we'll get some more great tips:

Like - after using the pen tool to create a closed path, hold down CNTRL and hit ENTER. BOOM, its now a selection! (the path is still available in the PATH pallette, but this technique turns it off so you only have a selection active. To reactivate your path just click on it in the PATH pallette.

:^)

OK, OK, I've got one...

Again, on the mac, option-delete paints the active layer (or selection, or pixel, if the layer is locked) with the foreground colour, and command-delete with the background colour. (or is it the other way around? )

I use this for a sharp blending .. its a take on jerry 717's method of sharpening

after you are somewhat done with an image

1. make a new layer and hit Cnt-shift-alt-e (or punch the keyboard)
2. duplicate that layer 2x
3. select the top duplicate and goto image>adjustments>invert
4. set that layer on 50% opacity (now you should have a gray screen)
5. go Filter>blur>gaussin blur and set it at 3.0 then work your way down untill the edges look visable and kind of beveled... but still lack all color

6. now select the layer below that one and create a curves adjustment layer, when the menu comes up just hit ok

7. set the curves layer on overlay

8. hold your pointer between the curves layer and the inverted layer and alt-click
(after doing this you should see your image.. and it will be sharper)

9. merge the duplicated and curves layer (leaving the original one)

9.5 duplicate the original layer..

10. set the merged layer on luminosity.(should be called curves)

11. now merge the duplicate and curves layer...
11.5 duplicate the merged layer

12. with the top layer selected go Image>MODE>CMYK and DO NOT FLATTEN
you are left with 2 adjusted layers and the original.... now using the top one go into channels and look for your blending problems.... This is the best way to see small inperfections... If a channel is too noisy, blur it.... after you have fixed the issues set that layer on the mode that makes it look best.... what I do is select the layer mode thing then use my arrow keys to scroll through them... then adjust the opacity

now move down to the middle layer and sharpen the lightest channels.... then set that layer to luminosity and adjust the opacity.... this is a neat layer

if your image still isnt blending well then duplicate the original and set it to overlay.. then gaussin blur the shit out of it.... and adjust the opacity... this will give you a smooth gradiant light over the entire image...

you can also make a white and black gradiant on an empty layer on top... then set it to overlay or one of the light layers (just look through them and find what is best) then set adjust the opacity to taste... you can also paint the lighting with white and black brushes instead of the gradiant... but I like the look of gradiants hehe

oh make sure you go back to RGB when done

Holy Fuck, Doodler! That isn't a TIP, or a HIDDEN SECRET! That is a WHOLE RELIGION!
YIKES! My brain exploded just reading your tut!

(But thanks, I didn't need my brain anyway - it was too much damned trouble, eh?)

combine this with shift and it will just fill the pixels (without having to lock it)

by the way ommand-delete and option-delete are fast ways to change the color of Text.

Great, thanks, Buglover...I'm sure I'll use that one often.

Here is a link to a pdf file with all the PS7 shortcuts (mac only...sorry). Clicking on this link will download the file automatically. I don't usually like these links because I like to have control over what I download. Anyway, here it is:

www.digitalretouch.org/download/hotkeys/PS7HotKeys-Mac.pdf

There are two pages to this pdf file, and the text is very small. You can zoom in to read.

I think we should have a quiz next week. Anybody? ....Hello?.....

sorry heh... I honestly do that in all my pics lately... it brings out the highlights and makes the edges look more natural... then the overlay one will basically do the lighting for you..

I used a gradiant layer on this to make the surreal lighting

nice pic doodlerMan!

No more tips folks? Is that the BEST YA GOT?

press D to have the foreground/bg colors go back to default black and white, ctrl+h hides/shows extras (guides etc..). to give a soft glow to the pic: duplicate your image in another layer on top of everything, gaussian blur it, lower opacity...ta-da.

To adjust crisp border of an objet i go this way.


- ctrl+clik on the layer to select it

- go to select/inverse ctrl+shift+I

- expand the selecton by: select/modify (i use 1/2 pixels)

- then ctrl+alt+D (feather selection) insert 1 or 2 pixels again

- go on with Canc (the effect increasing everytime you press it) and thats it!

There is so much hidden power in the blending modes of PS (Multiply, screen, overly, vivid light, etc) but it's a pain in the arse to go through them and try them out for a given layer.

So try this shortcut:
click on the layer whose blending mode you want to change to make it current.

then press SHIFT ALT and the PLUS or MINUS sign to quickly cycle through all of the blending modes.
It's wonderful!

Great tips all. I've already improved my VPP emmensly!!! (or imensely) (er, A LOT!)

Soon I'll be up to 14vpp and then you will all suffer my arrogant bliss.

But in the mean time keep on tossing those Mind Numbing Secrets our way!


Like:

do a selection
CNTRL + J copies it to a new fresh layer
CNTRL + SHFT + J cuts it from the layer and moves it to a NEW HAPPY LAYER