Photoshop User - USA (2019-08)

> PHOTOSHOP USER

>^ AUGUST 2019

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DAVECROSS

Photoshop Q&A

Q: Is it possible to use Content-Aware Fill on

a smart object?

A: Unfortunately not, but you can take advantage of Con-

tent-Aware technology by using the Patch tool. Add

a blank layer above the smart object layer, and in the

Options Bar settings for the Patch tool, set the Patch

menu to Content-Aware and check Sample All Layers.

Make a selection around the problem area, and then

drag it to the area you want to use as the patch. When

you release the mouse button, the selected area will

update with the patch information.

Note: If the results are not ideal, you can adjust the

Structure and Color settings. For Structure, enter a

value between 1 and 7 to specify how closely the patch

should reflect existing image patterns. If you enter 7,

the patch adheres very strongly to existing image pat-

terns; if you enter 1, the patch adheres very loosely to

the existing image patterns. For Color, enter a value

between 0 and 10 to specify the extent to which you

want Photoshop to apply color blending to the patch.

If you enter 0, color blending is disabled. A Color value

of 10 applies maximum color blending.

Q: How do I make a rectangle with only one

rounded corner?

A: Use the Rectangle tool (U) and set the tool mode in the

Options Bar to Shape. Drag out a Rectangle and then go

to the Properties panel. Toward the bottom, you’ll see

four icons, each one representing a corner. By default,

these are linked together, so to change the settings of

just one corner, click on the chain link icon in the center

to unlink the settings. Then position your mouse over the

icon of the appropriate corner and click-and-drag to the

right, using the scrubby slider to change the setting of

that corner. This is a live setting that you can come back

to and edit, if necessary.

Q: Some applications, such as InDesign, let you

save a template so it opens an untitled copy of

the template. Can you do that in Photoshop?

A: Photoshop doesn’t have the option to save as a template

(as you can in InDesign); however, simply saving a file as

a PSD file is, in effect, the same as saving a template. The

only difference is that it won’t open an untitled copy of

your file, so there are a few solutions, for example:

1. Open the PSD file and immediately go to File>
   Save As and save it with another name. This will
   preserve the original PSD file, but the onus is on you
   to remember to Save As.

©Marlene Cross