Editing PNG Image in Photoshop: 5 Powerful Tips for Perfect Results
Who doesn’t recognize Photoshop? This dependable and flexible tool enables you to export, import, and start editing PNG image files in various ways. However, to make the most of its features, you need to master the proper steps.
Ready to learn? Let’s dive into these powerful and easy steps for editing PNG image in Photoshop!
You may be confused if this is your first time using Photoshop or if you rarely engage with any editing app. You don’t need to worry anymore, as these steps will guide you through the entire PNG file editing process from start to finish.
Before proceeding to this step, ensure that your PNG files are organized into folders. It will be helpful so that the files can be easily located when requested by Photoshop later on. There are two ways to import your PNG file into Photoshop: through a keyboard shortcut and manually through the toolbar.
If you choose the former way, you may press the Control button on your keyboard along with the letter O. If you use a MacBook, press the Command button + letter O. This shortcut will open up a window that will help you to locate your PNG file on your computer.
After you have found the file you want, proceed by clicking “Open” to finish importing the file into Photoshop. The editing software will immediately create a new document based on the dimensions of the PNG file. If using shortcuts confuses you, the latter way is the one for you.
You need to find “File” and click “Open” in the drop-down menu. Automatically, a window will appear, asking which PNG file you wish to use. After that, click “Open” to have the file imported into Photoshop.
One essential step in editing PNG image professionally is using adjustment layers. It allows you to make color or tone corrections without permanently changing the original image.
One of the things you can do when editing PNG image file is to add an adjustment layer. What is an adjustment layer? It is a feature that allows you to apply tonal and color adjustments to your PNG without permanently altering the pixel values. Let us take an example of creating a hue or saturation adjustment layer for better understanding.
After importing your PNG file, you may find “Layer” in the toolbar and drag down your cursor to “New Adjustment Layer” and select the “Hue/Saturation” option. Next, on the right sidebar of your Photoshop, click the ‘Adjustment’ panel and click the first icon of the second row.
It will guide you to the Hue/Saturation box or layer, which you can name to distinguish it from other layers. Then, you may click ‘OK’. In the Layers box, you will find an adjustment layer added just above the image. It indicates that you have created a new layer for editing the hue/saturation of your editing PNG file.
After successfully adding the layer, you may proceed by adjusting the properties. In the adjustment panel, you can see several features of the hue/saturation adjustment, including preset colour options, hue, saturation, and lightness. Preset provides pre-made templates.
In this feature, you can add quick colour adjustments. It is perfect for you if you prefer everything to be fast or automated. The second feature is the colour selector, which is suitable if your PNG image consists of multiple colours. If you only want to adjust a specific colour, you can find it in the drop-down menu.
If you want to change the colour appearance of your PNG, please select the ‘Master’ option. The third one is Hue, which aims to adjust the colours of your image. You need to drag the slider to change the colour to your liking. Next is Saturation. This feature is used to increase the richness of your image colours.
These subtle tweaks can completely transform your PNG image editing results.
On the Layers Panel, clicking on the ‘rectangle with a hole in the middle’ will lead you to create a layer mask. What is a Layer Mask? It is a feature that allows you to remove or reapply effects at your discretion. Let us take an example of editing your PNG by removing its original text.
First, you can select the brush tool through a shortcut on your keyboard by pressing ‘B’. After that, you can change the foreground to either black or white. The ‘black’ foreground will help you mask out the content of your image, making it invisible, whereas white will make the content visible.
Once you’ve finished editing your PNG image, it’s time to save your work.
First, ensure that you save the PSD file of your work for future access to make further changes. You can do it by heading to ‘File’ and clicking ‘Save As’ to name your project. After saving, proceed to find ‘Export’ under the ‘File’ menu as well.
On the export bar, you can change the image format to PNG, which automatically makes your image background transparent. But mind that this step will only work on images whose white background has been removed.
If you want to add branding or creative touches, use the Type Tool (T).
Click anywhere on your PNG and start typing. Customize fonts, colors, and styles to make your image stand out.
Photoshop gives you unlimited possibilities for editing PNG images with precision and creativity. By following these five powerful tips, you’ll enhance your workflow and produce stunning visuals.
Don’t forget to explore more photo editing guides from Dropicts to keep improving your skills every day!
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