> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ JULY 2017[ 70 ]
WORKING WITH ARTBOARDS IN PHOTOSHOP
Since the introduction of artboards in Photoshop CC, many people have used them to create graphics
for Web and mobile interfaces, but that’s because those are the default template settings for art-
boards. But that’s not where the power of artboards begins and ends. Now that you can use multiple
artboards in a single native PSD file, there are many other options you can explore.Although we can use artboards for mobile and Web, we can
also use them for other possibilities when creating content in
Photoshop. Think of artboards as documents within a docu-
ment. This feature is included in Illustrator (also as artboards)
and in InDesign (as pages), and in each of these, you can
create multiple designs in one single document, making it
easier to manage content and assets.
So let’s take a look at some tips on how to use and set
up these versatile artboards. We’ll begin with a standard
Instagram-size artboard of 1080 px square at 300 ppi. Why
are we using such a high resolution for Web, you ask?
Because there’s always the possibility that these assets will
be needed for print, as well, and it’s better to create high-
resolution files just in case you need them. At least I always
do! (Note: I also covered a little of this in my recent KelbyOne
course, Designing Graphics for Social Media in Photoshop.)Step One: Start with File>New, and along the top of the
New Document dialog, pick your output destination (Print,
Web, etc.). In this case, we selected Print so the Resolution
defaulted to 300 ppi. Enter 1080 pixels for both Width and
Height, tick on the Artboards checkbox, and click Create.Step Two: You’ll see a blank square on the page, as if you’d
set up a regular document. But if you click-and-drag out
the bottom right-hand corner of the document window to
expand it so you can see the canvas around the white square,
you’ll see the words “Artboard 1” just above it on the left.
If you click on that label with the Move tool (V), four small
circles with plus signs in them will appear around the docu-
ment (we’ll cover these a little later). You’ll also notice that the
Move tool automatically changes to the Artboard tool.Step Three: You may have noticed in the image above
that my Artboard tool sits below the Move tool in my Tool-
bar (normally it’s nested with the Move tool). Since I use
artboards all the time, I customized my Toolbar to give me
easier access to the Artboard tool.
To do that, click-and-hold on the
three little dots near the bottom of
the Toolbar and select Edit Toolbar.
In the Customize Toolbar dialog,
drag the Artboard tool below the
Move tool, and click Done.DAV EC L AY TON
Designing in Photoshop