Photoshop Vocabulary

Layer Styles

Built-in effects that you can apply to layers; they include glows, shadows, bevels, embosses, and chiseled edges, among many others.

File Size

Refers to how big the file is in computer memory-how much storage space it takes up on your computer.

Opacity

Refers to how opaque pixels on a layer are. A layer with 0% opacity is completely transparent and not visible.

Image Size

Refers to the physical dimensions(width/height) of the Photoshop file.

Pixel

Smallest component of a bitmap graphic; derived from the words picture and element.

File Formats

Specific types of computer codes that you use to save an image for various types of output or use with other applications.

Rasterize

Term that means "convert to pixels." Type of elements, for example, can be rasterized from vector type to pixels.

Workspace

The application interface; includes the Menu bar, the Tools panel, the dock of panels on the right of the screen, and the document.

Canvas

The bed of pixels that make up an image.

Shadows

The darkest areas of an image, represented by pixels in the lowest third of the grayscale range.

Layers

The designated levels within a document on which objects appear.

Saturation

The intensity of a color: how close it is to a pure hue; interchangeable with the term vibrance.

Highlights

The lightest areas of an image, represented by pixels whose value falls in the upper third of the grayscale range.

Hue

The name of a color: red, orange, and blue are all hues.

Resolution

The number of pixels per inch (ppi) used to display computer graphics on a monitor.

Merge

To consolidate multiple layers into one single layer.

Layer Mask

Used to define which areas of artwork on a single layer are visible, not visible, or partly visible.

Cropping

A basic task in which you define an area of an image that you want to keep and then discard the remainder of the image.

Anti-aliased Edge

A crisp but smooth selection edge.

Refine Edge

A dialog box that offers you a number of useful options for viewing and refining the edge of a selection.

Grayscale Image

A digital image in which each pixel can be one-and only one-of 256 shades of gray

Bitmap Graphic/Image

A graphic composed of pixels. All Photoshop images are bitmap graphics.

Aliased Edge

A hard selection edge in which the "stair-stepped" pixels are obvious and the edge is noticeably blunt.

Continuous Tone

A smooth transition from shadows to midtones to highlights.

Feathered Edge

A soft selection edge created by blending selected pixels and the background image.

Tolerance

A tool setting and dialog box setting that determines which pixels will be affected based upon their similarity in color.

Adjustment Layer

Adjustments you make that exist as layers on the Layers panel.

Midtones

Pixels whose color falls into the middle range of the grayscale.

Brightness

Defined by a pixel's grayscale value: the higher the number, the brighter the pixel.

Midpoint

Defines which areas of the image fall into the middle range of the available grayscale; separates the bright half from the dark half.

Color Mode

Determines which color model is being used to display and print the image on which you are working.