Photoshop & Lightroom Tools & Techniques Tutorials
Master the tools every edit is built on: layers, masks, adjustment layers, blend modes, Smart Objects, Camera Raw, and the Lightroom panels, plus sharpening, noise reduction, resizing, and perspective. More than 230 free and PRO video tutorials from Aaron Nace, organized from simple to advanced.
What You’ll Learn
Most Photoshop problems are really tool problems: the wrong selection tool, a mask that was never refined, a destructive edit that cannot be undone. This category teaches the tools themselves, then shows the same technique at simple, intermediate, and advanced levels so you can grow into it.
- Cutouts and selections. Select Subject, the Pen Tool, Channels, and Select and Mask, from a simple product cutout to hair, glass, and motion blur.
- Object removal. Simple, intermediate, and advanced removal with the Remove Tool, Content-Aware Fill, Clone Stamp, and painting by hand when AI gets it wrong.
- Non-destructive editing. Layers, layer masks, adjustment layers, Smart Objects, and Blend If, so every edit stays reversible.
- Backgrounds and studio cleanup. Changing, extending, and cleaning backgrounds, matching color between images, and restoring old photos.
- Graphics, text, and mockups. Logos, vector conversions, textures and overlays, title animations, and realistic product mockups.
Where to Start
Learn the tools in order with 30 Days of Photoshop, then use this category as a reference whenever a specific tool is the problem. The Essential Photoshop Skills collection is a shorter refresher, and the PRO course The Ultimate Guide to Smart Objects is the single most useful deep dive on this page.
Free and PRO Tutorials
Free tutorials are complete lessons, not previews. PRO tutorials go deeper and longer, and they include the sample images, RAW files, actions, and presets used in the lesson so you can follow along on the exact same file. A PHLEARN PRO membership unlocks every PRO tutorial on the site, including all of the ones in this category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which selection tool should I use?
Start with Select Subject or Object Selection for anything with a clear edge, use the Pen Tool for hard geometric edges like products and architecture, and use Channels or Select and Mask for hair, fur, and transparency. The cutout tutorials here cover each case.
What is the difference between the Remove Tool and Content-Aware Fill?
The Remove Tool is a brush that samples intelligently as you paint and is best for small distractions. Content-Aware Fill works on a selection, gives you control over the sample area, and is better for large objects. Both are covered at simple, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Do I need to learn every tool?
No. About ten tools do most of the work in real-world editing, and they are the ones 30 Days of Photoshop covers. Learn those well, then pick up the rest from this category when a project calls for them.
Where to Go Next
Once the tools are comfortable, put them to work in Compositing and Retouching. The Photo Editing hub covers correction and color, and Workflow & Productivity covers the habits that make all of this faster.
Learn the Tools in Order
30 Days of Photoshop teaches the essential tools one short lesson at a time, in the order they build on each other.
On This Page
PHLEARN PRO
Every PRO tutorial in this category, with sample and RAW files, plus the full PRO library.
Learn the value of a non-destructive workflow while learning about Layers, Layer Masks, and Adjustment Layers!
Sample Image Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 2 Sample PSDs | 1 PDF Guide
Get the most out of your Wacom Tablet in Photoshop! Learn how to apply a subtle dodge and burn effect using the features of a pressure-sensitive tablet.
Sample Image & Custom Brush Included
Photoshop | Photo Editing | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Photoshop Brush | 1 PDF Guide
Tired of Photoshop lagging? Computer crashing? Annoying errors and pop-ups? Learn how to troubleshoot common problems, customize your workspace, and speed up Photoshop on any computer!
Photoshop | Workflow & Productivity | Easy | 2.25 hours
10 Sample Images | 1 Sample PSD | 1 PDF Help Guide
Join Aaron as he teaches his mom some Photoshop magic! Learn some quick and easy fixes for old family photos like cropping, removing red eye, removing distractions, and recreating film noise.
Sample Image Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to use the all-new Lightroom to upload your images to the cloud, organize them, apply edits, and share them with the world–all using the power of RAW Images.
Lightroom, Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 4 hours
50 RAW Sample Images | 20 Lightroom Presets | 30 Photoshop LUTs
Learn how to get perfect perspective with the help of Rulers and Grids in Photoshop! Follow along as we use various guides to help us straighten lines in buildings and architecture.
Sample Image Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Lightroom Classic is the best way to organize your photos, pick out your favorites, and create beautiful edits with perfect color and detail. From capture to export, this is the easiest way to learn Lightroom Classic!
Lightroom, Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 5.75 hours
68 Sample Images | 4 Lightroom Presets
This is our most comprehensive Photoshop tutorial, and the perfect place to start learning. Improve your photos, help people look their best, and share your ideas with the world.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 13.5 hours
50 Sample Images | 4 Sample PSDs | Beginner’s Guide PDF | 2 Photoshop Actions
Learn how to edit photos non-destructively using Adjustment Layers, how to use use Layer Masks to hide and show parts of a layer, and learn the importance of saving your work as both a .PSD and a .JPG.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to create a custom brush out of any shape in Photoshop! Aaron breaks down how to make a brush from scratch and how to use the Brush Settings Panel to add natural variation for realistic effects.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 Photoshop Brush | 1 PDF Guide
Learn all about Curves, a precision tool that can help fix exposure, brighten up a subject, and even add and change colors in any photo.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to create rain, snow, and atmosphere from scratch and how paint in photo-realistic hair for perfect cutouts. Watch 15 in-depth examples of how to use some of the 35 custom Photoshop brushes included with this tutorial!
Photoshop | Photo Effects | Medium | 6.25 hours
26 Sample Images | 35 Photoshop Brushes
In this tutorial, we break down the differences between LAB, ProPhoto RGB, sRGB and more, while offering general tips on how to choose what color space to work in and to use when exporting your photos.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample RAW File | 1 PDF Guide
Learn how to open RAW photos in Photoshop through Adobe Camera RAW, load them as Smart Objects, and and setup your project to work with all of the benefits of a 16-bit image.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Workflow & Productivity | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample RAW File | 1 PDF Guide
The Frame Tool allows you to turn any shape or text layer into a container which can hold any image. In this episode, Aaron demonstrates how the Frame Tool works and then compares it to its more powerful cousin, Clipping Masks.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
4 Sample Images | 1 PDF Guide
Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 3 hours
18 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Action
We make sense of some of the most common file formats used in Photoshop. From TIFs to GIFs and PNGs to JPEGs, we’ll show you the best ways to save and export your work!
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 30 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
In this tutorial, we teach you everything you need to know about the Pen Tool, from the most important keyboard shortcuts to making beautiful lines and curves. Learn to change a background color, remove an entire background, and create a simple logo.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 2.75 hours
14 Sample Images
Learn to convert layers into Smart Objects, apply Smart Filters that can be adjusted or removed, and create multiple design mockups quickly and easily! Smart Objects will help you work faster, smarter, and non-destructively.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 1.25 hours
19 Sample Images
Learn everything about layers and groups! From a thorough examination of the Layers Panel to the skills required to get all of the different elements of an image to blend together beautifully, these are must-have skills for the Photoshop pro.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 3.75 hours
30 Sample Images
Learn to use Adobe Camera Raw to adjust white balance, recover details in the highlights and shadows, remove minor distractions, create HDR images, and to work seamlessly with Photoshop so that you can go back at anytime to make changes or adjustments.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 4 hours
15 Sample Images
Sharpening is an important last step when finishing an edit. In this tutorial, we show you when and how to sharpen an image using our tried and tested method.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Retouching | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
In this tutorial, we’ll help you master every layer effect with practical examples like adding photorealistic text to an environment, creating a neon glow effect from scratch, using layer styles to add a natural glow to a light source and much more!
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 3.5 hours
19 Sample Images | 1 Photoshop Brush
Adjustment Layers are the smartest and most powerful tools for photo editing in Photoshop. We walk you through all 19 Adjustment Layers while showing you how to fix exposure, apply professional coloring, create custom LUTs and more.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 4.5 hours
45 Sample Images
Blending Modes control how different layers blend, interact, and create a combined image. Join us as we go in-depth with each of the 27 Blending Modes to add clouds to a clear sky, make colors pop, and learn to sharpen an image like a pro.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 3.25 hours
72 Sample Images | 1 Custom Texture
The Pen tool can be tough, so we break down the fundamentals, demonstrating how to use it to make elegant curves, perfect angles, and accurate selections.
Sample Images Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Sample Image | 1 PDF Guide
Turn any image into a scene straight from a Hitchcock film! Add birds to any environment with this free Photoshop Brush!
Free Brush Included
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 15 mins | 1 video
1 Custom Brush
We all need to start somewhere. Photoshop is an immense program with a tool, tab, or technique to accomplish any creative task. We break down the fundamentals of over 60 tools from the Brush Tool, to the Pen Tool, to Channels and more!
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 10 hours
60 Sample Images
One of our flagship tutorials, learn your way around every button, tool, and menu item in Lightroom. We’ll teach you a streamlined workflow and professional techniques for editing, organization, and delivery.
Lightroom | Tools & Techniques | Easy | 7.25 hours
89 Sample Images | 15 Lightroom Presets
Learn the fundamentals of Photoshop and transform that knowledge into professional skill and mastery. Learn every tool, every adjustment layer, the importance of layers, masking, and groups, how to cut objects out, and a professional workflow.
Photoshop | Tools & Techniques | Medium | 20.5 hours
22 Sample Images | 5 RAW Images | 1 Photoshop Action