- Hey guys, today I'm gonna be showing you
six tips on how you can work faster in Photoshop.
(upbeat pop music)
First of all, let's talk about the thing
that most people don't know yet,
that's also one of the best things
that Adobe has finally done for Photoshop.
If you need to copy layers to another document,
it's such a hassle.
You gotta do that whole drag your window out
and then drag and drop your layers into a new document.
But in the Photoshop CC 2018 update, Adobe finally released
the copy and paste feature for layers.
Now, you can simply can select the layer you want,
press control or command C to copy,
switch to your new document and paste it.
It's funny how long it took Adobe
to come up with this feature, but I'm just glad it's here.
By the way, you're gonna run into some issues
where this won't work and the reason why
is because you have an active selection.
So if this happens to you,
just press control or command D to remove your selection
and now you should be able to copy and paste your layers.
Adobe has this tool called Libraries,
which lets you store and access your frequently used assets.
You can access this panel in Photoshop
by going to Window, Libraries.
I like to create Photoshop templates,
like my YouTube thumbnails and store them in here.
You can also store graphics, layer styles, colors and more.
By the way these libraries are also available
and synced to other Adobe Software
like Premiere and After Effects.
The best way to work faster in Photoshop
is to work more efficiently.
So try to do things with less layers.
As you know, there are many ways
to achieve the same edit in Photoshop.
The most powerful tool
for any tonal adjustment is the Curves.
This single adjustment can replace many other adjustments
and it keeps your layers very simple.
It's also a universal skill
that you can use in other software.
If you wanna learn more about Curves, check out my channel.
I have tons of tutorials and you're gonna find out
that it's not as hard as most people think it is.
The next tip is keystroke combinations.
You already know about hotkeys
but keystroke combinations is a little different.
First if all, this only applies to you
if you are using Windows.
So Photoshop has a lot of hotkeys but not for everything.
For example, one of the things that I do the most
in Photoshop is to convert a layer into a smart object.
But there's no hotkey for that.
Technically, I can go into Photoshop's preferences
and try to find a hotkey that's not used and set it to that.
But in less time you can just memorize
a hotkeys to access it from the menus.
If you hold the alt key, you will see an underline
under a letter of the menu.
This tells you the hotkey
that you need to press to open that menu.
So to convert a layer into a smart object,
I can press alt, L to open the layers menu,
S to go into a smart objects sub menu
and then S again for a smart object.
So now that I have found
the keystroke combinations for that,
next time I can just press alt, L, S, S
to quickly convert a layer into a smart object.
You can find these keystroke combinations
for almost everything you need and don't forget
that this trick also works with other software.
Something I find funny is that some people buy
the most expensive camera equipment and camera bags,
but when it comes to computer accessories
they use the cheapest stuff possible.
Typically, it's the keyboard and mouse
that comes with the computer.
The first thing that you should buy
is a good gaming grade mouse.
Now, don't let the term gaming make you think
that it's not good enough for professional work.
They're just marketed towards gamers and there's actually
some of the best quality products you can buy.
If you have troubles doing things like painting in a mask,
upgrading your mouse will improve your precision.
Next are macro keys.
These are additional keys that you can record
to do anything you like
and you can find macro keys on both keyboards and mouse.
Once you have it set up the way you like it
and get in the habit of using it,
you'll be working faster than ever.
For me personally, macro keys have been
the biggest improvement towards my workflow.
So for a next keyboard, try to find one with macro keys.
Finally, there are other accessories that you can buy.
You can get a dedicated macro keypad, media control board
or a Loupedeck if you primarily use Lightroom.
My favorite is Palette Gear, which is a modular setup
that you can customize to your workflow.
And the reason why I like it, is because number one,
it works with more than one software.
Something like a Loupedeck is perfect for Lightroom classic
but that's about it.
With Palette Gear it automatically switches profiles
depending on whether you're using Lightroom,
Photoshop, Premiere, etcetera.
Number two, it maximizes your workspace.
You can customize your modules to fit your workspace
and when I'm traveling, I'll actually just bring a few
and combine it with my small Dell XPS laptop.
It makes a nice portable setup
that will fit on an airplane tray.
Number three, it's expandable.
You can start off with a medium size kit.
And in the future when you need more,
you can always add more.
Some of the accessories I have mentioned are not cheap
and it's not something that I recommend everyone go and buy.
Obviously, for professionals who make a living
off using Adobe products, it's a no-brainer
to buy these tools, because they will pay for themselves
in the form of reduced work time.
But if you're not on that level,
I say start off at least with a good quality mouse.
Nowadays, they're so affordable
and there's no reason to not use them.
(gentle pop music)
Finally, make use of Photoshop Actions.
It's one of the best features of Photoshop.
Whether you want to create your own
or download someone else's, they can save you a lot of time.
For example, I do Real Estate Photography on the side
and over time I created my own set of Photoshop Actions
to do 90% of the work for me.
Without these Actions it would take way longer
and frankly, I don't think I would enjoy it.
Two of the most powerful websites
where you can buy Photoshop Actions
are CreativeMarket.com and GraphicRiver.net.
There's so many Actions there and you will find cool Actions
that you never knew you could do in just a few clicks.
Also, as a personal plug, if you wanna buy
some of my Photoshop Actions,
check out my website at SparkleStock.com.
I have Actions to retouch skins, replace skies,
create double exposures, and more.
If you do buy anything, thank you so much for your support.
I really appreciate it.
Now if you are looking for something that's free,
I also have a ton of free Photoshop Actions
that you can find by visiting Photoshoptutorials.ws
and going to the download section.
Another great website for free Actions
is SpoonGraphics.co.uk.
Just search for a keyword Actions
and you're gonna find some incredible stuff.
Finally, there's also a lot of Actions
at Brusheezy.com/actions.
(upbeat pop music)
Hey, thanks for watching this video.
If you liked it, please remember to hit the like button.
Also, if you have any other tips
on how to work faster in Photoshop,
let me know in the comments below.
I would love to hear your opinion.
For any requests, you're welcome to send me a message,
leave a comment, write to me on Instagram,
anything you like.
I'll try my best to get to it
and see if it's something that I can do.
Anyways, I hope you have an amazing day.
Subscribe to my channel if you haven't already
and I'll see in the next video.