How to Use Adobe Photoshop CC for the First Time

So, you heard of Adobe Photoshop CC and decided you want to see what the excitement is all about? Here’s what to expect when you open Adobe Photoshop CC for the first time! 

Home Screen

You'll see the Home Screen when you first open Adobe Photoshop CC. This is the default view you’ll see when starting the software for the first time.  

Files

Once you have worked on a project in Adobe Photoshop, you’ll find previously opened files, suggestions, and options for importing or creating new files. You can open previous files or create a new file. You’ll see a list of recent files you’ve worked on with thumbnail previews of the files, the file type, and when it was last opened. You can toggle between a grid or list view for the recent files. Photos can also be imported into Photoshop from Lightroom. If you collaborate with others on a project, you can access files that have been shared with you right from the Home Screen. You can also see a list of files that have been deleted in case you need to restore a file or a previous version of a file. 

Suggestions

The ‘Suggestions’ area shows tips and suggestions based on your activity and what’s currently popular in Adobe Photoshop. You can view articles and browse topics of interest, such as using neural filters, creating animated GIFs from a series of photos, and learning how to crop and straighten images. 

What's New

The present icon in the right-hand corner shows you What’s New in the program.  

The “Learn more” button opens the workspace window and the Discover panel. 

Discover Panel

You can learn more about each tool within Adobe Photoshop CC from the Discover panel and find tutorials demonstrating their use. These tutorials can help you get familiar with how to use each tool and know when one tool might be a better choice over another similar option, such as the difference between the spot healing brush and the healing brush. 

Learn

The' Learn' button is on the Home Screen under the ‘Home’ icon. This tab shows a variety of tutorials you can choose from to familiarize yourself with the program, such as working with layers, changing the size of an image, and adjusting the image quality. Clicking on the ‘Home’ icon will take you back to the Start Screen. 

Cloud

In the upper right corner of the screen, near the present icon, is the cloud icon, which shows you how much storage capacity you have used. Adobe provides cloud storage to make it easier to access your files from anywhere you can use the internet. 

Magnifying Glass

Next to the cloud and present icon is a magnifying glass icon where you can search within Adobe Photoshop CC for files and tutorials. Typing “flowers” yielded both files created by the user containing the word and tutorials relevant to the topic. 

Adobe Stock

Below the tutorials, you’ll also see Adobe Stock assets relevant to the search term(s). Adobe Stock offers both paid and free assets. 

PS Icon

The ‘PS’ icon in the upper left corner is a clickable button that opens the default view of the Adobe Photoshop CC workspace. 

The Takeaway

The Home Screen in Adobe Photoshop CC is a great place to launch into tutorials to learn new skills, collaborate with others, and even find the perfect Adobe Stock assets for your project.