Adobe Photoshop
The world's most widely used image editor — for photo retouching, compositing, and digital art.
What it is
About Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard for pixel-based image editing. Photographers use it to retouch and composite images; graphic designers use it to create assets for print and digital media; and artists use it for digital painting. Photoshop works in raster (pixel) format, making it ideal for photographs and complex composites — but less suited to logos and icons, where vector tools like Illustrator are preferred. Generative Fill (introduced 2023) lets you extend, replace, or add to images using AI-generated content directly in the canvas.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Retouch portrait photographs by correcting skin tone, removing blemishes, and adjusting exposure on individual non-destructive layers
Composite multiple images into a single believable scene using masking, blending modes, and adjustment layers
Create print-ready artwork at correct resolution (300 DPI) and colour mode (CMYK) for press production
Design and export web or app assets (icons, banners, backgrounds) at multiple resolutions using the Export As workflow
Use Generative Fill to extend images, replace backgrounds, or insert objects using AI-generated content matched to the scene
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Adobe's free tutorials at helpx.adobe.com/photoshop — broken down by task and skill level
YouTube: Phlearn and Adobe's own channel cover everything from basics to advanced compositing
Pick one use case (e.g. photo retouching) and master every relevant tool before branching out to others
Pro Tip
Work non-destructively from the start. Always work on duplicate layers, use Smart Objects before applying filters, and use adjustment layers rather than direct image adjustments — it means you can revise anything without starting over.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool