Summary
Highlights
The session begins by revisiting the Move tool, categorizing its functions into basic actions (moving, rotating, scaling) and advanced features like distortion, perspective, warping, and flipping. It then moves on to the importance of layers in Photoshop, highlighting that work should be distributed across multiple layers for easier editing of individual elements without affecting others.
The instructor outlines four primary ways to import images: copy-pasting from the internet, drag-and-dropping downloaded images, using 'Place' (either embedded or linked), and 'Open' for direct file access. The discussion emphasizes that these methods yield different types of layers with varying characteristics.
A crucial tip for finding high-quality images online is presented: always use the 'Large' size filter in image searches. This ensures higher resolution images are prioritized. However, a caution is added that large dimensions don't always guarantee high quality; some images might be stretched, leading to blurry results. Users should look for images with both large resolution and clear, undistorted content.
The video clarifies the difference between zooming and scaling. Zooming adjusts the user's view of the image without changing its actual size in the project, while scaling alters the image's real dimensions. Tools for zooming (zoom tool, Alt + scroll) and panning (hand tool, Spacebar) are demonstrated for efficient navigation.
Two conditions are established for assessing image quality: first, the zoom level should be 100% to view the actual size without artificial enlargement or reduction. Second, the image should not have been scaled up from its original dimensions. Scaling up a low-resolution image causes pixelation (visibility of individual pixels), degrading quality.
The concept of Smart Objects is introduced by comparing an image imported via copy-paste (a normal layer) with one imported using 'Place' (a Smart Object). Smart Objects retain the original image data, meaning they can be scaled down and scaled back up to their original size without losing quality, unlike normal layers which lose data upon reduction.
A direct comparison shows that when a normal layer is scaled down and then back up, it becomes pixelated because it forgets its original resolution. In contrast, a Smart Object maintains its quality because it continuously references the original image data, making it suitable for iterative scaling.
Despite their advantages, Smart Objects cannot magically create pixel data. Scaling a Smart Object beyond its original dimensions will still result in quality loss. Therefore, the general rule is never to scale an image beyond its actual size, regardless of whether it's a Smart Object or a normal layer. Smart Objects are beneficial primarily for allowing non-destructive scaling *within* the original size and for re-editing transformations like distortion.
Smart Objects offer a significant advantage in retaining transformation data. When applying a transformation like 'Distort' to a Smart Object, the original anchor points are preserved, allowing for easy re-editing. For normal layers, applying 'Distort' and committing the change makes it difficult to re-edit accurately, often requiring starting over. This makes Smart Objects a professional and safer approach to iterative design.
The session concludes with a summary of critical rules: 1) View images at 100% zoom and without prior scaling to assess actual size. 2) Normal layers should only be scaled down, never up. 3) Smart Objects can be scaled down and then back up to their original size non-destructively. 4) Never scale any image beyond its original actual size. 5) Smart Objects allow non-destructive editing of transformations, preserving editable anchor points.