Photoshop Basics

A tool-by-tool reference library for Photoshop: free short guides to the Lasso, Eraser, Patch Tool, Quick Masks, History and more than twenty other tools, alongside the Photoshop 101–301 courses for learning them in order.

60+ Tutorials | 20+ Hours | Beginner | 100% Free

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What You’ll Learn

Photoshop Basics is the reference shelf. Where the Learning Paths teach a workflow from start to finish, this collection answers a narrower question, fast: what does this tool actually do, and how do I use it properly? Most entries are short free guides devoted to a single tool, so you can look one up the moment you need it.

Selection tools The Polygonal Lasso, Quick Masks and the selection helpers — the honest mechanics of getting clean selections without fighting the software.
Cleanup tools The Eraser, the Patch Tool and their relatives, and when each one is the right choice for removing something.
Navigation and safety nets The Zoom and Rotate View tools for working comfortably, and the History panel for backing out of anything.
Layout and shape tools Alignment tools, the Rounded Rectangle and the rest of the shape toolset, for design work inside Photoshop.
Effects The Filter Gallery, demystified — what is genuinely useful in there and what is a relic.
The structured route The collection also carries the Photoshop 101, 201 and 301 courses and the Every Tool master class, if you would rather learn the toolbox in order than piece by piece.

Who This Collection Is For

Two kinds of people. Beginners who want to learn one tool at a time in short, free lessons rather than committing to a full course. And working editors who know most of Photoshop but keep a mental list of tools they have always guessed at — this is where those get settled in ten minutes each.

If you want a curriculum instead of a reference, Getting Started in Photoshop runs the same numbered courses as an ordered track, and the Photoshop Learning Path is the current flagship sequence.

What You Need

Photoshop Any version from the last decade. These are the tools that do not change.
Nothing else The individual tool guides are free to watch. The 101–301 courses are PRO.
No prior experience Every guide starts from what the tool is for.

This is also a good collection to keep bookmarked — it is built for coming back.

How Long It Takes

As long or as short as you like. Each tool guide stands alone and most run well under half an hour, so the collection works as an occasional reference rather than a program to complete.

Watched front to back alongside the numbered courses, it is roughly a month of steady sessions — and at the end of it there is no tool in the program you have not at least met.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this collection free?

The individual tool guides are free to watch. The Photoshop 101, 201 and 301 courses and the Every Tool master class included here are PRO.

Do I need to watch these in order?

No — that is the point of this collection. Come for the tool you need today, leave, come back for the next one.

How is this different from Getting Started in Photoshop?

Getting Started is a course track with a fixed order. Photoshop Basics is a reference library organized by tool. They share the numbered courses; everything else here is look-it-up material.

Are these up to date?

The tools covered here — lassos, erasers, history, shapes, filters — have worked the same way for many versions. That stability is why a reference library of them stays useful.

What should I watch first?

Whichever tool you avoided last week. Failing that, Quick Masks — it changes how people select things more than any other single guide here.

Where to Go Next

Photoshop Learning Path The full sequence, once the tools feel familiar.
Getting Started in Photoshop The same courses as an ordered track.
30 Days of Photoshop A free daily challenge that puts the tools to work.
PS Tools & Techniques Learning Path Deeper dives into the professional toolset.

Start Anywhere

This is a reference library — start with the tool you need today. New to everything? Begin with Photoshop 101.

Start with Photoshop 101

On This Page

What You’ll Learn
Who This Collection Is For
What You Need
How Long It Takes
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Go Next

PHLEARN PRO

The 101–301 courses and the Every Tool master class, plus the full PRO library.

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026 Dodge Tool Basic Thumbnail Square Final

How to Use the Dodge Tool in Photoshop

Modeled after techniques used when developing film, The Dodge Tool enables you to lighten pixels in your image. This is great for drawing attention or creating contours.