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Get to know the workspace

  1. Photoshop User Guide
  2. Introduction to Photoshop
    1. Dream it. Make it.
    2. What's new in Photoshop
    3. Edit your first photo
    4. Create documents
    5. Photoshop | Common Questions
    6. Photoshop system requirements
    7. Get to know Photoshop
    8. Keep Photoshop up to date
  3. Photoshop and other Adobe products and services
    1. Work with Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
    2. Work with Photoshop files in InDesign
    3. Substance 3D Materials for Photoshop
    4. Use the Capture in-app extension in Photoshop
  4. Photoshop on the iPad (not available in mainland China)
    1. Photoshop on the iPad | Common questions
    2. Get to know the workspace
    3. System requirements | Photoshop on the iPad
    4. Create, open, and export documents
    5. Add photos
    6. Work with layers
    7. Draw and paint with brushes
    8. Make selections and add masks
    9. Retouch your composites
    10. Work with adjustment layers
    11. Adjust the tonality of your composite with Curves
    12. Apply transform operations
    13. Crop and rotate your composites
    14. Rotate, pan, zoom, and reset the canvas
    15. Work with Type layers
    16. Work with Photoshop and Lightroom
    17. Get missing fonts in Photoshop on the iPad
    18. Japanese Text in Photoshop on the iPad
    19. Manage app settings
    20. Touch shortcuts and gestures
    21. Keyboard shortcuts
    22. Edit your image size
    23. Livestream as you create in Photoshop on the iPad
    24. Correct imperfections with the Healing Brush
    25. Create brushes in Capture and use them in Photoshop on the iPad
    26. Work with Camera Raw files
    27. Create and work with Smart Objects
    28. Adjust exposure in your images with Dodge and Burn
    29. Auto adjustment commands in Photoshop on the iPad
    30. Smudge areas in your images with Photoshop on the iPad
    31. Saturate or desaturate your images using Sponge tool
    32. Content aware fill for iPad
  5. Photoshop on the web (not available in mainland China)
    1. Common questions
    2. System requirements
    3. Keyboard shortcuts
    4. Supported file types
    5. Introduction to the workspace
    6. Open and work with cloud documents
    7. Generative AI features
    8. Basic concepts of editing
    9. Quick Actions
    10. Work with layers
    11. Retouch images and remove imperfections
    12. Make quick selections
    13. Image improvements with Adjustment Layers
    14. Add a fill layer
    15. Move, transform, and crop images
    16. Draw and paint
    17. Draw and edit Shapes
    18. Work with Type layers
    19. Work with anyone on the web
    20. Manage app settings
    21. Generate Image
    22. Generate Background
    23. Reference Image
  6. Photoshop (beta) (not available in mainland China)
    1. Get started with Creative Cloud Beta apps
    2. Photoshop (beta) on the desktop
    3. Reference Image
  7. Generative AI (not available in mainland China) 
    1. Common questions on generative AI in Photoshop
    2. Generative Fill in Photoshop on the desktop
    3. Generate Image with descriptive text prompts
    4. Generative Expand in Photoshop on the desktop
    5. Replace background with Generate background
    6. Get new variations with Generate Similar
    7. Generative Fill in Photoshop on the iPad
    8. Generative Expand in Photoshop on the iPad
    9. Generative AI features in Photoshop on the web
  8. Content authenticity (not available in mainland China)
    1. Content credentials in Photoshop
    2. Identity and provenance for NFTs
    3. Connect accounts for creative attribution
  9. Cloud documents (not available in mainland China)
    1. Photoshop cloud documents | Common questions
    2. Photoshop cloud documents | Workflow questions
    3. Manage and work with cloud documents in Photoshop
    4. Upgrade cloud storage for Photoshop
    5. Unable to create or save a cloud document
    6. Solve Photoshop cloud document errors
    7. Collect cloud document sync logs
    8. Invite others to edit your cloud documents
    9. Share files and comment in-app
  10. Workspace
    1. Workspace basics
    2. Preferences
    3. Learn faster with the Photoshop Discover Panel
    4. Create documents
    5. Place files
    6. Default keyboard shortcuts
    7. Customize keyboard shortcuts
    8. Tool galleries
    9. Performance preferences
    10. Use tools
    11. Presets
    12. Grid and guides
    13. Touch gestures
    14. Use the Touch Bar with Photoshop
    15. Touch capabilities and customizable workspaces
    16. Technology previews
    17. Metadata and notes
    18. Place Photoshop images in other applications
    19. Rulers
    20. Show or hide non-printing Extras
    21. Specify columns for an image
    22. Undo and history
    23. Panels and menus
    24. Position elements with snapping
    25. Position with the Ruler tool
  11. Web, screen, and app design
    1. Photoshop for design
    2. Artboards
    3. Device Preview
    4. Copy CSS from layers
    5. Slice web pages
    6. HTML options for slices
    7. Modify slice layout
    8. Work with web graphics
    9. Create web photo galleries
  12. Image and color basics
    1. How to resize images
    2. Work with raster and vector images
    3. Image size and resolution
    4. Acquire images from cameras and scanners
    5. Create, open, and import images
    6. View images
    7. Invalid JPEG Marker error | Opening images
    8. Viewing multiple images
    9. Customize color pickers and swatches
    10. High dynamic range images
    11. Match colors in your image
    12. Convert between color modes
    13. Color modes
    14. Erase parts of an image
    15. Blending modes
    16. Choose colors
    17. Customize indexed color tables
    18. Image information
    19. Distort filters are unavailable
    20. About color
    21. Color and monochrome adjustments using channels
    22. Choose colors in the Color and Swatches panels
    23. Sample
    24. Color mode or Image mode
    25. Color cast
    26. Add a conditional mode change to an action
    27. Add swatches from HTML CSS and SVG
    28. Bit depth and preferences
  13. Layers
    1. Layer basics
    2. Nondestructive editing
    3. Create and manage layers and groups
    4. Select, group, and link layers
    5. Place images into frames
    6. Layer opacity and blending
    7. Mask layers
    8. Apply Smart Filters
    9. Layer comps
    10. Move, stack, and lock layers
    11. Mask layers with vector masks
    12. Manage layers and groups
    13. Layer effects and styles
    14. Edit layer masks
    15. Extract assets
    16. Reveal layers with clipping masks
    17. Generate image assets from layers
    18. Work with Smart Objects
    19. Blending modes
    20. Combine multiple images into a group portrait
    21. Combine images with Auto-Blend Layers
    22. Align and distribute layers
    23. Copy CSS from layers
    24. Load selections from a layer or layer mask's boundaries
    25. Knockout to reveal content from other layers
  14. Selections
    1. Get started with selections
    2. Make selections in your composite
    3. Select and Mask workspace
    4. Select with the marquee tools
    5. Select with the lasso tools
    6. Adjust pixel selections
    7. Move, copy, and delete selected pixels
    8. Create a temporary quick mask
    9. Select a color range in an image
    10. Convert between paths and selection borders
    11. Channel basics
    12. Save selections and alpha channel masks
    13. Select the image areas in focus
    14. Duplicate, split, and merge channels
    15. Channel calculations
  15. Image adjustments
    1. Replace object colors
    2. Perspective warp
    3. Reduce camera shake blurring
    4. Healing brush examples
    5. Export color lookup tables
    6. Adjust image sharpness and blur
    7. Understand color adjustments
    8. Apply a Brightness/Contrast adjustment
    9. Adjust shadow and highlight detail
    10. Levels adjustment
    11. Adjust hue and saturation
    12. Adjust vibrance
    13. Adjust color saturation in image areas
    14. Make quick tonal adjustments
    15. Apply special color effects to images
    16. Enhance your image with color balance adjustments
    17. High dynamic range images
    18. View histograms and pixel values
    19. Match colors in your image
    20. Crop and straighten photos
    21. Convert a color image to black and white
    22. Adjustment and fill layers
    23. Curves adjustment
    24. Blending modes
    25. Target images for press
    26. Adjust color and tone with Levels and Curves eyedroppers
    27. Adjust HDR exposure and toning
    28. Dodge or burn image areas
    29. Make selective color adjustments
  16. Adobe Camera Raw
    1. Camera Raw system requirements
    2. What's new in Camera Raw
    3. Introduction to Camera Raw
    4. Create panoramas
    5. Supported lenses
    6. Vignette, grain, and dehaze effects in Camera Raw
    7. Default keyboard shortcuts
    8. Automatic perspective correction in Camera Raw
    9. Radial Filter in Camera Raw
    10. Manage Camera Raw settings
    11. Open, process, and save images in Camera Raw
    12. Repair images with the Enhanced Spot Removal tool in Camera Raw
    13. Rotate, crop, and adjust images
    14. Adjust color rendering in Camera Raw
    15. Process versions in Camera Raw
    16. Make local adjustments in Camera Raw
  17. Image repair and restoration
    1. Remove Tool
    2. Remove objects from your photos with Content-Aware Fill
    3. Content-Aware Patch and Move
    4. Retouch and repair photos
    5. Correct image distortion and noise
    6. Basic troubleshooting steps to fix most issues
  18. Image enhancement and transformation
    1. Replace sky in your images
    2. Transform objects
    3. Adjust crop, rotation, and canvas size
    4. How to crop and straighten photos
    5. Create and edit panoramic images
    6. Warp images, shapes, and paths
    7. Vanishing Point
    8. Content-aware scaling
    9. Transform images, shapes, and paths
  19. Drawing and painting
    1. Paint symmetrical patterns
    2. Draw rectangles and modify stroke options
    3. About drawing
    4. Draw and edit shapes
    5. Painting tools
    6. Create and modify brushes
    7. Blending modes
    8. Add color to paths
    9. Edit paths
    10. Paint with the Mixer Brush
    11. Brush presets
    12. Gradients
    13. Gradient interpolation
    14. Fill and stroke selections, layers, and paths
    15. Draw with the Pen tools
    16. Create patterns
    17. Generate a pattern using the Pattern Maker
    18. Manage paths
    19. Manage pattern libraries and presets
    20. Draw or paint with a graphics tablet
    21. Create textured brushes
    22. Add dynamic elements to brushes
    23. Gradient
    24. Paint stylized strokes with the Art History Brush
    25. Paint with a pattern
    26. Sync presets on multiple devices
    27. Migrate presets, actions, and settings
  20. Text
    1. Add and edit the text
    2. Unified Text Engine
    3. Work with OpenType SVG fonts
    4. Format characters
    5. Format paragraphs
    6. How to create type effects
    7. Edit text
    8. Line and character spacing
    9. Arabic and Hebrew type
    10. Fonts
    11. Troubleshoot fonts
    12. Asian type
    13. Create type
  21. Filters and effects
    1. Use the Blur Gallery
    2. Filter basics
    3. Filter effects reference
    4. Add Lighting Effects
    5. Use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter
    6. Use the Oil Paint filter
    7. Use the Liquify filter
    8. Layer effects and styles
    9. Apply specific filters
    10. Smudge image areas
  22. Saving and exporting
    1. Save your files in Photoshop
    2. Export your files in Photoshop
    3. Supported file formats
    4. Save files in graphics formats
    5. Move designs between Photoshop and Illustrator
    6. Save and export video and animations
    7. Save PDF files
    8. Digimarc copyright protection
  23. Color Management
    1. Understanding color management
    2. Keeping colors consistent
    3. Color settings
    4. Duotones
    5. Work with color profiles
    6. Color-managing documents for online viewing
    7. Color-managing documents when printing
    8. Color-managing imported images
    9. Proofing colors
  24. Web, screen, and app design
    1. Photoshop for design
    2. Artboards
    3. Device Preview
    4. Copy CSS from layers
    5. Slice web pages
    6. HTML options for slices
    7. Modify slice layout
    8. Work with web graphics
    9. Create web photo galleries
  25. Video and animation
    1. Video editing in Photoshop
    2. Edit video and animation layers
    3. Video and animation overview
    4. Preview video and animations
    5. Paint frames in video layers
    6. Import video files and image sequences
    7. Create frame animations
    8. Creative Cloud 3D Animation (Preview)
    9. Create timeline animations
    10. Create images for video
  26. Printing
    1. Print 3D objects
    2. Print from Photoshop
    3. Print with color management
    4. Contact Sheets and PDF Presentations
    5. Print photos in a picture package layout
    6. Print spot colors
    7. Print images to a commercial printing press
    8. Improve color prints from Photoshop
    9. Troubleshoot printing problems | Photoshop
  27. Automation
    1. Creating actions
    2. Create data-driven graphics
    3. Scripting
    4. Process a batch of files
    5. Play and manage actions
    6. Add conditional actions
    7. About actions and the Actions panel
    8. Record tools in actions
    9. Add a conditional mode change to an action
    10. Photoshop UI toolkit for plug-ins and scripts
  28. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues 
    2. Known issues
    3. Optimize Photoshop performance
    4. Basic troubleshooting
    5. Troubleshoot crash or freeze
    6. Troubleshoot program errors
    7. Troubleshoot scratch disk full errors
    8. Troubleshoot GPU and graphics driver issues
    9. Find missing tools
    10. Photoshop 3D | Common questions around discontinued features

Explore where all your favorite tools are in Photoshop on the iPad

Topics in this article:

Adobe Photoshop deeplink

Try the mobile app
Try out the latest features and enhancements in the Photoshop app on the iPad for general availability.

As you launch Photoshop on the iPad, you can view the home screen of the app. From the home screen, you can start creating your composites or documents and proceed to the editing workspace. In the workspace, you can find your favorite Photoshop tools, panels, and other options that will equip you to create composites and retouch your creative work. More Photoshop tools and features are coming to your iPad in future releases.

Home screen

Photoshop iPad Home screen

  • Home: the Home icon () represents the home screen of the app.
  • Learn: Access an interactive app tour and hands-on tutorials to help you explore what's different when you use Photoshop on the iPad and understand common workflows.
  • Discover: View a curated selection of artwork, projects, and live streams from other Photoshop users to get inspired and fuel your own creativity.
  • Files: Find all your documents in Photoshop on the iPad under the Files section.
    • Your files: View a list of all saved cloud documents in Photoshop, whether created in Photoshop on your iPad or desktop. To learn more about cloud documents, see Photoshop cloud documents | Common questions.
    • Shared with you: View a list of the cloud documents that have been shared with you in Photoshop.
  • Deleted: Accidentally deleted a file? No worries! Find a complete list of cloud documents that you have deleted here. You can choose to restore the documents or permanently delete them.
  • Create new: Easily create a new document with the option to name the document, set the canvas dimension, change orientation, select resolution and choose black, white or transparent background color. You can also explore common preset canvas options in the Print, Screen, Film, or Video categories.
  • Import and open: Quickly import and open your document from the Camera Roll, Files, or take a new photo with your iPad's Camera. Your imported file converts to a Photoshop cloud document and opens on the canvas.
  • New and upcoming features: View a summary of new features releasing with a new version and what's coming in future releases of Photoshop on the iPad. Adobe is building Photoshop with valuable inputs from its large community of users like you. 
  • Recent: Use the Recent section to access all the documents you worked on recently. 
  • Account Settings: Tap the profile icon to set your preferences while working with Photoshop on the iPad. To learn more, see Manage app settings.
  • Cloud docs help: Tap the cloud icon to check whether you're online or offline, and the save status of your cloud documents.

Bulk delete from the Files tab

With the January release of Photoshop on iPad version 4.3, you can delete more than one file from the Files tab of your app.  

Navigate to the Files tab > Your files. Use the checkbox to select ( ) one or more files and hit Delete

Access new Learn tutorials

Browse through our new Learn tutorials - Adjustment layers and Retouch images - to access interactive app tours on your iPad.

After going through the Adjustment layers tutorial, you will learn how to change the color of objects in an image by creating a layer mask from a selection and by clipping an adjustment to a layer.

After going through the Retouch images tutorial, you will learn how to use the Spot Healing brush, Healing brush, and the Clone Stamp tool to remove blemishes and imperfections from your photos. 

Edit workspace

As soon as you open a document, you will enter into the editing workspace and your creative work can begin. The canvas displays the area where you interact with your open document. Photoshop on the iPad offers you a context-aware user interface. Core tools and tool options are contextual and surface only when you need them.

Tool options

You can control the settings of your selected tools using the tool options. Tap a tool icon to bring up the tool options. 

Hold and drag the grabber at the top of the tool options to move it around the canvas. You can also dock tool options by dragging them to the bottom of the toolbar and releasing them.

Note: All tools do not have tool options.

Get to know the Photoshop workspace on your iPad
A. Header bar, B. Toolbar, C. Tool options, D. Touch shortcut, E. Taskbar, F. Panel options

Labels added to tool icons

You can now see labels added to tool icons in the Workspace when working on your images in Photoshop on the iPad. Just hover over the icons and you will be able to see what the icons mean!

Visualize colors with the improved color picker and swatches

Introduced in Photoshop on the iPad 5.0 (September 2023 release)

Use the color picker to create color palettes and swatches, and think of new and creative ways to use color in your creative work. 

Tap the color chip to open the Color panel, and you'll find the color picker.

From there, you can adjust your colors by using the sliders for the HSB, RGB, CMYK, or Lab color models to set the Background color and Foreground color.

Get color variants using the updated color picker and swatches
A. Color dropper, B. Color chips for Background color and Foreground color, C. Slider options, D. Swatches section

Header bar

Photoshop header bar on the iPad
A. Home, B. File name, C. Current zoom level, D. Undo, E. Redo, F. Cloud docs help, G. Share, H. Send to, I. Help, J. App settings

A. Home: Use the back icon to switch back to the home screen from the editing workspace at any time.
B. Filename: Displays the name of the document currently open.
C. Current zoom level: Displays the current zoom level of the open document.
D. Undo: Reverts the last action performed.
E. Redo: Restore the last action undone.
F. Cloud docs help: Check whether you're online or offline, and the save status of your cloud documents.
G. Share document: Tap the icon to share your document for collaboration and comments.
H. Send to
Use the Send to icon to publish, export, and livestream your work.
I. Help: Find all your help resources in one place under the Help menu. You can browse through tutorials, take a tour, view gestures and shortcuts, post to community, and share feedback.
J. App settings
: Access settings of Photoshop on the iPad here

Toolbar

Toolbar in Photoshop on the iPad

A. Move: Move selections and layers.

B. Crop and rotate: Crop your selection, and choose to rotate and recenter.

C. Transform: Apply various transform operations to the selected layer or object.

D. Selection tools: Make a selection with the selection tools—Lasso, Object selectionQuick selection, Marquee rectangleMarquee ellipse, and Magic wand. You can also use the Select subject and Remove background actions to make a selection. 

E. Brush: Apply brush strokes and control brush settings.

F. Erase: Remove portions in your photo where you apply the eraser brush strokes.

G. Clone: Retouch and fix imperfections with Spot healing brush, Healing brush, and Clone stamp.

Toolbar in Photoshop on the iPad

H. Fill: Fill the active selection with the foreground color using Paint bucket and Gradient tools.

I. Type: Create a type layer to add text.

J. Adjustment tools: Use the Dodge, Burn, Sponge, and Smudge tools to set the right exposure by brightening (dodging) or darkening (burning) specific areas in your image.

K. Place photos: Add photos from Photos, Files, Libraries, and Camera

L. Eyedropper: Easily change foreground color by sampling from any layer.

M. Color chip: View the selected foreground and background colors in the color chip. Swipe vertically to switch between the two colors. Tap the color chip to choose a new color from the color picker that appears.

N. Switch: Tap to switch between the two colors in the color chip. 

Taskbar

Taskbar in Photoshop on the iPad

A. Compact layer view: See all the layer thumbnails in a simplified view. 

B. Detail layer view: See an expanded layer stack with masks, layer names, visibility, and group contents.

C. Layer properties: View blending options, adjustments, and dimensions for the type of layer selected (type, pixel, adjustment, and so on).

D. Comments: Expands/collapses on tap. Add and view notes or comments from fellow collaborators.

E. File info: Provides basic information about the file you're currently working with.

Taskbar in Photoshop on the iPad

F. Add layer: Insert a new layer. Long press for more options — add a new layer, adjustment layer, or empty group.

G. Layer visibility: Control layer visibility.

H. Add layer mask: Add layer masks to hide or reveal portions of a layer.

I. Add clipping mask: Add clipping masks to hide or reveal portions of a layer based on the following layer.

J. Filters and adjustments: Apply various filters and adjustments to the selected layer.

K. Layer actions: Reveal more actions you can perform with layers.

Touch shortcut

Use the touch shortcut to quickly access alternate actions of a selected tool in Photoshop on the iPad.

To learn how to use primary and secondary touch shortcuts, see Touch shortcuts and gestures.

Touch shortcuts for Brush tool
Left: Primary touch shortcut. Right: Secondary touch shortcut.

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