Photoemu A–Z: how to use every tool

What: Move layers or selected content on the canvas.

1. Press V or click Move.
2. Click the layer in the Layers panel.
3. Drag on the canvas (or nudge with arrow keys).

Tip: Enable Auto-Select in the options bar to click a layer directly on the canvas.

What: Scale, rotate, and position the active layer or selection.

1. Select the layer (or make a selection).
2. Edit → Free Transform (or Alt+Ctrl+T).
3. Drag handles; confirm with the checkmark or cancel with X.

Tip: Hold Shift while scaling if you want constrained proportions (when available in options).

What: Make rectangular or elliptical selections for crop-like edits, fills, and local filters.

1. Press M (click the corner to switch Rectangle/Ellipse).
2. Drag on the canvas to draw the selection.
3. Use Select menu to invert, feather, or deselect (Ctrl+D).

Tip: Hold Shift while dragging for a square/circle when the tool supports it.

What: Freehand or point-by-point selections around irregular shapes.

1. Press L; pick Lasso, Polygonal, or Magnetic from the tool group.
2. Trace the subject; close the path to finish.
3. Copy, delete, mask, or fill the selection.

Tip: Magnetic Lasso snaps to edges — good for product cutouts on clean backgrounds.

What: Select areas by color similarity or paint a selection quickly.

1. Press W and choose Magic Wand or Quick Select.
2. Click (Wand) or brush over the area (Quick Select).
3. Adjust Tolerance / options, then refine with Select → Modify.

Tip: Lower Tolerance for tighter color picks; higher for broader fills.

What: Trim the canvas to a new frame (social sizes, remove empty edges).

1. Press C.
2. Drag the crop box; adjust handles.
3. Confirm to apply the crop.

Tip: Set a ratio in options when you need a fixed aspect (thumbnails, stories).

What: Sample a color from the image into the foreground color.

1. Press I.
2. Click a pixel on the canvas.
3. Use that color with Brush, Type, or Shape tools.

Tip: Press X to swap foreground/background; D for default black/white.

What: Remove spots, dust, and small distractions by blending nearby pixels.

1. Press J; pick Spot Healing, Healing Brush, or Patch.
2. Paint over the defect (or define source for Healing/Patch as prompted).
3. Work on a duplicate layer so you can hide the fix later.

Tip: Use short strokes; long strokes can smear textures.

What: Paint pixels with the foreground color — masks, doodles, local color.

1. Press B.
2. Set size/hardness in the options bar; pick a color.
3. Paint on a new layer (recommended).

Tip: [ / ] change brush size; { / } change hardness.

What: Copy pixels from one area to another (object removal, extend backgrounds).

1. Press S.
2. Alt-click (or tool’s source action) to set the source point.
3. Paint where you want the copied pixels.

Tip: Resample the source often so patterns don’t tile obviously.

What: Erase pixels on the active layer (prefer masks when you may need pixels back).

1. Press E.
2. Set brush size.
3. Paint to erase; use History to step back if needed.

Tip: For soft edges, erase on a layer mask with a soft black brush instead.

What: Fill with a gradient or solid color.

1. Press G; choose Gradient or Paint Bucket.
2. For Gradient: click-drag across the canvas. For Bucket: click the area to fill.
3. Use a new layer so fills stay editable.

Tip: Gradients work great behind text for thumbnails and banners.

What: Soften, crisp local detail, or push pixels like finger-painting.

1. Select Blur, Sharpen, or Smudge from the toolbar group.
2. Set strength in options.
3. Brush only where needed (eyes, edges, backgrounds).

Tip: Prefer Filter menu for whole-image blur/sharpen when you want even results.

What: Lighten (Dodge), darken (Burn), or desaturate locally (Sponge).

1. Press O; pick Dodge, Burn, or Sponge.
2. Choose Range (Shadows/Midtones/Highlights) when available.
3. Use low exposure and build up slowly on a duplicate layer.

Tip: Subtle passes look more natural than one heavy stroke.

What: Add editable text layers for titles, captions, and watermarks.

1. Press T.
2. Click the canvas and type.
3. Use the options bar / Character settings for font, size, and color.

Tip: Keep text on its own layer; duplicate the layer before rasterizing if you need pixel effects.

What: Draw precise vector paths for shapes and clean cutouts.

1. Press P for Pen / Free Pen; A for Path/Direct Select.
2. Click to place anchors; close the path.
3. Convert the path to a selection or shape as needed.

Tip: Fewer anchors = smoother curves. Zoom in for logo edges.

What: Draw shape layers for badges, frames, and UI-style graphics.

1. Press U; pick a shape.
2. Drag on the canvas.
3. Change fill/stroke in options or properties.

Tip: Combine shapes + Type for YouTube thumbnails and ad creatives.

What: Pan around a zoomed-in document without changing the active tool permanently.

1. Press H, or hold Space temporarily.
2. Drag the canvas.
3. Release Space to return to your previous tool.

Tip: Use Hand while retouching at 100% zoom.

What: Zoom in/out for detail work.

1. Press Z.
2. Click to zoom in; use options or shortcuts for zoom out.
3. Or use Ctrl++ / Ctrl+-, Ctrl+0 fit, Ctrl+1 100%.

Tip: Alt + mouse wheel also zooms in many setups.