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With preferences, tools, and layer fundamentals covered in Parts 1 and 2, this final part of the series makes a few finishing adjustments to the same image, a painted overlay to brighten eyeglasses, a blurred-mask vignette, and a warmed face, and then covers the part beginners often skip: naming layers and groups, and saving files correctly for both future edits and the internet.
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The Quick Start Guide to Photoshop (Part 3)
With preferences, tools, and layer fundamentals covered in Parts 1 and 2, this final part of the series makes a few finishing adjustments to the same image and then covers the part beginners often skip: naming layers and groups, and saving files correctly for both future edits and the internet.
Brightening the Eyes With a Painted Overlay Layer
Painting a bright color directly over an area and then switching its blend mode is a quick way to brighten and recolor something like eyeglass lenses.
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Paint a Bright Color Over the Area
Create a new layer, choose a bright color like orange, and paint loosely over the target area with a soft-edged brush.
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Try Different Blend Modes
Change the layer’s blend mode from Normal to options like Soft Light, Overlay, or Color Dodge to see which gives the most natural-looking brightening effect.
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Adjust Opacity to Taste
Lower the layer’s opacity if the chosen blend mode looks too strong.
Changing a Painted Color After the Fact With Hue/Saturation
A color painted onto a layer isn’t locked in permanently, since Hue/Saturation applied directly to that layer can shift its color at any point afterward.
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Open Hue/Saturation on the Layer
Select the painted layer and press Cmd/Ctrl+U to open Hue/Saturation.
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Shift the Hue
Drag the Hue slider left or right to change the painted color entirely, even though it started as a different color.
Restricting a Hue Shift to a Selection
Making a selection before applying Hue/Saturation limits that color change to just the selected area of the layer, rather than the whole thing.
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Make a Selection on the Layer
Use the Marquee tool to select a specific area of the painted layer.
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Apply Hue/Saturation to Just That Selection
Press Cmd/Ctrl+U with the selection active so only that selected area receives the hue change.
Adding a Vignette by Blurring a Curves Layer Mask
A darkened Curves adjustment layer, masked with a blurred elliptical selection, creates a soft vignette that darkens the edges of the frame.
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Darken the Image With Curves
Add a Curves adjustment layer and drag the middle point down, lowering the white point slightly as well.
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Make an Elliptical Selection and Invert the Mask
Use the Elliptical Marquee tool to select the center of the image, then press Cmd/Ctrl+I on the layer mask to invert it so the darkening applies to the edges.
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Blur the Layer Mask
With the layer mask selected, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and raise the radius until the vignette’s edge softens smoothly.
Why Blur the Layer Mask Instead of the Image for a Vignette
Applying Gaussian Blur to the image itself would soften actual photo detail, which is not the goal of a vignette at all. Applying the blur to the Curves layer’s mask instead only softens the transition of where the darkening effect appears, leaving every pixel of the actual photo completely untouched.
Warming the Face With a Masked Curves Layer
The same Curves and layer mask combination used earlier for the eyeglasses works just as well to warm up skin tone in a specific area.
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Add Warmth With Curves
Add a Curves adjustment layer, raise the Red channel, and lower the Blue channel slightly for a warmer tone.
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Invert the Mask and Paint the Warmth In
Press Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert the mask, then use a large soft brush to paint white over the face to reveal the warmth there.
Naming Groups for Client Delivery
Grouping and naming related adjustment layers keeps a file understandable later, whether that’s for personal use or when a professional retoucher needs to deliver a layered file to a client.
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Group Related Layers
Shift-click related layers, such as the eyeglass adjustments, and press Cmd/Ctrl+G to group them.
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Rename the Group Descriptively
Double-click the group’s name and rename it to something clear, such as Glasses or Color, so its purpose is obvious later.
Saving a Layered TIFF for Future Edits
A layered file saved as a TIFF preserves every adjustment layer and mask, making it possible to revisit and refine specific edits long after the file was first finished.
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Choose Save As
Go to File > Save As.
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Save as a TIFF With Layers Checked
Choose TIFF as the format, make sure Layers is checked, and confirm the ProPhoto RGB profile is embedded.
Why Save a Layered File Even When Delivering to a Client
A client who later requests a small change, such as fixing a sloppy edge on a mask, can only get that fix quickly if the original layers and masks are still intact and editable. Saving a layered TIFF alongside the final delivered image means a request like that takes seconds to address, instead of requiring the whole edit to be redone from scratch.
Saving for Web With the Correct Color Space and Size
Save for Web handles both the color space conversion and the file size reduction an image needs before it’s ready to go online.
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Open Save for Web
Go to File > Save for Web.
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Confirm Convert to sRGB Is Checked
Make sure Convert to sRGB is checked so the image displays with correct color once it’s uploaded.
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Choose Format and Quality
Choose JPEG for a photo without transparency, and set quality to around 60, which keeps file size down without a noticeable visual difference from 100.
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Resize for the Web
Set a target width, such as 1,000 pixels, so the image loads faster once it’s online.
Why Convert to sRGB in Save for Web
Most web browsers read the sRGB color space natively, so an image saved in a wider space like ProPhoto RGB without converting can end up displaying with noticeably wrong colors once it’s uploaded. Making sure Convert to sRGB stays checked in Save for Web is what guarantees the file looks correct the moment it reaches a browser, regardless of what space it was edited in.
Why This Approach Works
Blurring a layer mask instead of the image itself is what makes a vignette possible without sacrificing any actual photo detail, a small distinction that applies to plenty of other masked effects as well. Saving a layered TIFF before ever exporting a final image is what keeps every future edit fast, since a masking mistake or a client request can be fixed directly rather than starting the whole retouch over. Checking Convert to sRGB in Save for Web is the one small step that bridges the large ProPhoto RGB space used for editing with the smaller space every browser actually expects to see.
Final Thoughts
Between naming layers and groups clearly and saving both a layered TIFF and a web-ready JPEG, this final habit is what keeps a Photoshop project usable long after the initial edit is finished. Anyone who followed along with Part 1 and Part 2 now has the complete picture, from setting up preferences to saving a finished file correctly.
Quick Reference: Keys, Menus and Settings
- Recolor a layerCmd/Ctrl + U for Hue/Saturation
- VignetteCurves down, Elliptical Marquee, Cmd/Ctrl + I on the mask, Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur
- Warm a faceCurves: Red up, Blue down a little; invert the mask, paint white
- Group and nameShift-click, Cmd/Ctrl + G, double-click the name
- Layered fileFile > Save As: TIFF, Layers checked, ProPhoto RGB embedded
- Web copyFile > Save for Web: Convert to sRGB, JPEG quality 60, width 1,000 px
Finishing and Saving in Photoshop: Common Questions
How do I brighten or recolor glasses lenses quickly?
Paint a bright color loosely over the lenses on a new layer with a soft brush, then try Soft Light, Overlay or Color Dodge and lower the opacity. Aaron kept Overlay.
Can I change a color after I’ve painted it?
Yes, if it’s on its own layer. Press Cmd/Ctrl + U for Hue/Saturation and drag Hue to shift the whole layer to a new color.
How do I change the color of just part of a layer?
Make a selection with the Marquee tool first, then press Cmd/Ctrl + U. Only the selected area changes.
How do I add a vignette with Curves?
Add a Curves layer and pull the middle down, plus the white point a little. Select the center with the Elliptical Marquee, press Cmd/Ctrl + I on the mask, then blur the mask with Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Why blur the mask instead of the photo?
Blurring the mask only softens where the darkening fades in. The photo itself stays sharp.
How do I warm up just the face?
Add a Curves layer, raise the Red channel and lower the Blue channel a little, press Cmd/Ctrl + I on the mask, and paint white over the face with a large soft brush.
Do I need to name every layer?
Aaron doesn’t name every layer, but he names his groups, like Glasses and Color, so he or a client can tell what each one does later.
Should I save as TIFF or PSD?
Both keep layers. Aaron prefers TIFF because more programs can read it; use File > Save As, keep Layers checked and embed the ProPhoto RGB profile.
What settings should I use in Save for Web?
Keep Convert to sRGB checked, choose JPEG for photos, quality around 60, and a width like 1,000 pixels. Aaron can’t see a difference between 60 and 100, and the file is much smaller.
Master Photoshop, Lightroom and Photography
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