Installing and Setting Up Photoshop
Set up for speed
A few minutes of setup - and knowing where everything lives - makes every design you create from now on faster. This lesson installs Photoshop and prepares your workspace.
Install via the Creative Cloud app
Download the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop app from adobe.com, sign in with your Adobe account, then click Install next to Photoshop. Creative Cloud keeps Photoshop updated automatically.
The Photoshop home screen
When you open Photoshop you land on the home screen: recent files, tutorials, and a New file button. From here you can also choose preset sizes for common design jobs.
Tune your preferences
- Open Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Photoshop > Settings (Mac)
- Under Performance, give Photoshop as much RAM as you can spare
- Set History States to at least 20 for more undos
- Under Interface, pick a comfortable UI brightness
Keyboard shortcuts
Photoshop rewards shortcuts. Learn a few core ones now: Ctrl + Z undo, Ctrl + S save, Ctrl + N new file, Ctrl + 0 fit to screen, and Space (hold) to pan the canvas.
Tip: Photoshop saves as .psd - a project file that keeps every layer editable. Always save your work as PSD before exporting other formats.
Warning: Photoshop crashes are rare but real. Save with Ctrl + S after every few minutes of work - or enable auto-save in Preferences.
Practical exercise
Finish your setup:
- Install Photoshop through Creative Cloud
- Adjust performance and history settings
- Create a new file at 1920 x 1080 px, RGB
- Practise zooming and panning with the spacebar
Check your understanding
How do you install Photoshop? Through the Adobe Creative Cloud app.What file type keeps everything editable? PSD - Photoshop's own project file.Why adjust the history states? To allow more undos while working.
Answer the questions out loud or on paper. If any are hard, re-read this lesson before moving on.
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