6 Common Photoshop Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Did you know that around 60% of Americans took on a new hobby during the pandemic? And over half of those people have monetized those hobbies, including photography. But if you’re hoping to turn your digital images into something even better, you’ll need to know how to use the tools of the trade.

Read on to learn about the 6 common Photoshop mistakes and how to avoid them!

1. Not Learning Your Way Around

For starters, take some time to learn the layout, menu options, and tools of Photoshop. For instance, know how to find the burn or dodge tools for quick contrast edits. And know where the selection tools are and how to use them efficiently.

While you’re at it, know how to find the automatic adjustments. These will come in handy for light edits on photos.

2. Using Too Many Filters

The filters for Photoshop can create some impressive results. But you don’t want to overdo it.

Avoid laying the filters on thick since this can create an image that lacks originality or interest. You’ll lose the original content of your base image. And the edits might be distracting.

3. Editing the Wrong Layers

The beauty of Photoshop is the ability to work in layers. Each layer can be edited separately, which makes it easier to integrate text or collage images. But when you’re working on a complicated image, it’s easy to edit the wrong layer.

Check to confirm that you’re always selecting the right layers. Consider merging layers to make your list of layers less overwhelming. And, along the same lines, consider titling your layers to make their contents more obvious.

4. Forgetting Layer Masks

When you’re editing photo backgrounds or changing photo colors, you could significantly alter the original image. Using layers and masks, however, allows you to edit without destroying the original image.

Create masks and layers where you can test out adjustments to saturation or texture without committing. Click for clipping mask Photoshop tips that will have you editing like a pro in no time!

5. Using Photoshop for the Wrong Job

Are you creating a logo that needs to be scalable? Then you might not want to be using Photoshop. That’s because Photoshop is not a vector-based editing program.

Photoshop works best for photos and other digital images that don’t need to change scale. So if you’re designing signage for your company’s holiday party, you should look to Illustrator.

6. Failing to Save Your Work

Finally, it’s critical to saving your work frequently in Photoshop. And better yet, save your work in multiple formats. This could mean saving your in-progress work as a JPEG as well as a Photoshop, or PSD, file.

The Photoshop file ensures that all layers are separate and this should be your master copy. Otherwise, you may inadvertently merge all layers. And that means you won’t be able to edit them anymore.

Avoid Common Photoshop Mistakes

When you know about common Photoshop mistakes, you can avoid making them. Learn your way around the toolbar and familiarize yourself with layers and masks. And be certain to save your work often and in different formats.

Need more help with Photoshop for websites? Check back soon for new articles!