Opening files in Photoshop

When I opened the Photoshop program for the first time, I was completely lost.  All I saw was a  blank space with a tool strip (with weird icons!) and palettes that made no sense.  Even if I COULD have figured out how to open a file, I wouldn't have known what to do with it!

I now know that there are pretty much two ways to get something to work with: (1) create a new image/workspace with File > New  (or holding down "Ctrl" + "N"), or (2) open an existing image from your computer.

Here are my thoughts on opening (and closing) a file in Photoshop:

To open an image to work with, go to "File > Open"  (Or "Ctrl" + "O").  This opens a file browser.  (see picture at right.)  Now you get to look for your file.  Remember that you can change where you are looking for the file either through the drop down at the top where it says "Look in" (has a 1. next to it), or use the buttons down the left side (has a 2. next to it.)

This is why I think all your stuff should be in one place -- all your photos in one place (in sub-folders for organization, of course), all your digital scrapping elements in one place, etc.  You don't want to be searching all over your desktop and hard drive to find the file you want to work with.

If you're not sure just where the file you have in mind is located (or you're not sure which kit to use with a photo), searching around through this "Open File" browser may not be your best bet.  I always minimize Photoshop and look around in my actual file folders until I make a decision, THEN I go back to Photoshop to open the file.  This way if you want to see a picture or element up close, you can double click on it to view it in Windows Viewer, then click through the other images in the folder.  The only way to view a thumbnail file larger in the Open File browser is to just open it in Photoshop.  (You can minimize Photoshop quickly by clicking on a "show desktop" icon (if you have one) on your Windows toolbar -- you know, that blue strip along the bottom of your computer screen next to the Start button -- or you can use the key combination "Window" and "D" to show desktop.  ("Window" key is the one circled in red in picture above and at right.)

You can have several files open at the same time in Photoshop (you're not limited to one at a time.)  (an example of how this looks is to the right.)  If I'm working on a layout with a title or name using alpha elements, I'll open all the letters I need at the same time, to avoid having to open each one individually.  (Although usually wherever you last opened a file from is the folder "Open File" will automatically go.)  When I'm making a multiple photo layout, I open all the photos I think I may use at the same time. If having so much open on your screen feels too cluttered to you, you can minimize the photos/elements by clicking the blue box in the top right corner that just looks like it has an underscore symbol in it ("_")  Doing this to photos causes them to line up at the bottom of the screen until you maximize them again.  (See example at right.)

Closing a File

When you've been working on a file (like a picture or element) and have made changes to it, be careful not to save over the original file when closing.  When you choose to close a file (either by clicking on the red X at the top right, choosing "File > Close," or using the keystroke shortcut "Ctrl" + "W"), a dialog box will ask you if you want to save the changes you've made.  SAY NO!  You don't want to save over an original!  (Especially if you've drastically changed an element from a purchased kit -- most designers aren't going to e-mail you a replacement.  There's no way they could keep up with everyone doing it if the option were open.)  It's ok to use the --> arrow key to get "No" selected if you prefer keyboard shortcuts, but be careful -- once you've closed the file, the damage is done.  And once you choose "yes" or "no" the file is closed.  (If you panic at this choice or suddenly aren't sure, choose "cancel" so you can regroup.)  ;o)

Comments

[Cindy Borklund]

I am very new to digital scrapbooking. I have PSE 3.0. I have downloaded some background paper and have put a couple of them in the tagged catalog on PSE. My problem is getting the paper to my work space in PSE (which would be the "Starting from Scratch" area). I really do not want to put all my paper in PSE. How do you get it from the desktop folder to my workspace in PSE? I hate to sound so dumb but I can't even get it to work in PSE from the tag photo organizer in PSE. When I hide my work space and go to "organizer" and hit Control C and then go back to my workspace in edit and hit Contro V it will put the paper there but real small. I tried to enlarge it by going to Image>Resize>Scale and it does make it bigger but then when I go to get the photos and bring them in they are real big and I cannot seem to get them back to the size I want them to be. I hope you can understand what I am trying to say. I just want to get the downloaded paper to my workspace and do all the neat things I see on the different sites I have visited. Thankyou so much for any help you can give me.

[Julie Steadman]

An alternative to minimizing Photoshop to look around the actual file folders for the elements/papers/pics/whatever you're looking for is to use Photoshop's "browse" function under the file menu. (I have PSCS and am just assuming Elements has this too)? It's awesome - you can move the lines around the preview box to make it bigger, so you get much more than just a thumbnail view of each item. And, you can flag items when you're trying to narrow down what you want to use (using the flag icon at the top) and then just view the flagged items (by dropping down the "view" menu function). Once you select one, you just double-click on it in the preview box to open it in PS. There are tons of other cool things you can do with this too - just explore the menu bar.

I'm SO new to all of this, but that's one of the few things I DO know about PS. Thanks so much for the time you've put into this blog - I'm learning a TON. I have yet to find a site that explains PS functions so basically - which is exactly what I need!

Julie