Begin by double-clicking the Photoshop CS2 Icon. This will open the program and present you with Photoshop's interface, something which will take some time to learn.


By far, the most important part of the interface (besides the toolbar) is the combination of the Colors, Layers, History and Navigator panels, pictured to the left. They will most likely be on the right side of your screen.

The Navigator panel allows you to adjust the zoom level on your image or jump to a specific area of your image quickly and easily.

The Info tab, included in the Navigator panel, displays the coordinates of your pointer and the size of your current selection, as well as RGB and CMYK color information for the pixel beneath it.

Below this is the Color panel. Here you can select primary and secondary color choices, or select from a variety of different swatches and styles.

Next, we have the History, Actions and Tool Presets panel. The History tab displays all of the adjustments you have performed on the current image (up to a certain point.) By clicking on any of these, you will jump back to the image as it was when you made the adjustment.

The Actions tab allows you to perform a complicated series of tasks saved as an Action with one single click.

The Tool Preset tab lets you use preset settings for your currently selected tool.

Finally, there is the Layers/Channels/Paths panel. The Layers panel allows you to create and manipulate layers individually. Layers are very important, and will be described in detail momentarily.

The Channels tab allows you to view or hide layer masks and specific color channels as you see fit. The Paths tab lets you manage paths created by the Pen or Shape tools. These are typically only important to more advanced users, and thus will not be covered much.

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