: If you were to teach Photoshop, what would you suggest are the most important principles? I've been using Photoshop for many years now and because of my experience I was asked to teach Photoshop

@Eichhorn212

I would teach them how to use the pen tool, and why you would use it. The pen tool is tool is challenging to learn. The pen tool is a very under appreciated tool, but so very neccessary.

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@Michele215

I would really stick with the core basics:


Creating a file, saving a file, exporting to different formats
The core selection tools: marquee tools, lasso, magic wand, transform
Core creation and editing tools: paint bucket, gradients, eraser
Then get into the core power of Photoshop: Layers and Masks
Finally, do the core filters as this is a fairly deep subject on its own: Blur, Render, Sharpen, Stylize


I would leave it at that because that offers a good foundation for further exploration on their own. Be sure to have ready example photos and art for them to use to walk through the basic features. That also ensures everyone will be (more or less) doing the same thing at the same time and you'll understand the context of a given question.

Since you have all day, you could structure the class around task-oriented exercises, so doing some common tasks with photos (i.e., removing red-eye, moving images of people between files), basic postcard layouts. Leave enough time for questions during and after the teacher-led exercises.

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@Barnes313

If I didn't know how to use Photoshop, these would be the basic skills I'd like to be taught first.


Use of the magic wand – like cutting out people and adding them in other photos.
Use of textures to make a basic poster.
Making a forum signature in Photoshop using a few starting images.
Demonstration of how a Graphics Tablet can be used in Photoshop.

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