Photoshop is a great tool for editing your photos. Like most computer software, it can be a bit complicated and daunting at first glance. There are five main points everyone should know when using photoshop. So before you print out that masterpiece photograph make sure your ink cartridges are full, you've got a nice hot beverage on your desk and you take note of these important points.

Resizing

Always consider what your image is going to be used for when you have finished editing. Depending on whether the image is going to be used on a web page, a poster or a powerpoint presentation it will need to be sized accordingly. It's also important to not confuse size with the resolution (number of dots per inch) of an image. Photo editing software can often be confusing and combine the two.

Cropping Photos

Cropping a photo is a great way to eliminate unwanted elements from an image and change the focal point. Cropping an image in photoshop is a very easy process. All you need to do is select the Crop Tool from the toolbox and left-click on the image and drag the cursor across to frame the part of the image you want cropped. Once you've got the framing right, click enter on your keyboard and the cropped selection will retain on your screen and the unwanted part of the image will be gone.

Colour Management

Often an image may not be the right colour, especially if you have scanned the image or if it is a film slide. By using photoshop you can adjust the colour accordingly using a few simple tools, and provided you have a photo quality printer loaded with vibrant colour cartridge refills you should be able to achieve great end results.

Adjusting brightness and contrast

Contrast is basically how much shadowing is in an image and brightness is how much lighting is in an image. Hue is what colours are in your image and saturation is how deep these colours appear. By adjusting these four elements, you can dramatically change the appearance of your photo. These tools are all under the 'image' heading and can be seen in the drop down menu. Once you click either, you can drag the pointer accordingly to adjust the brightness and contrast or the hue and saturation.

File Formats

Once you've got your image the way you want it you need to save the image in the correct file format. There are many different file formats that are preferable for different uses. For example, GIF, JPG and PNG are the best file formats to save your image in if you are uploading to the internet. GIF is a good format for line drawings and icons and JPG is good for saving images in their photorealistic state because you can save your photo in a very high resolution therefore giving the image better quality.

The main key in getting to know editing software is to experiment with different tools and play around first with an image you have a saved copy of. That way you can use all of the tools and see what looks best for what you need doing. With the above tips and a little practice, you'll find photoshop an easy and effective tool for all of your photo editing needs