This Step by Step guide to Photoshop Express is great for quickly editing your images.
This photo editing and photoshop app having a wide range of easy-to-use filters and adjustment tools for improved efficiency. You can make unique edits or collages using the app’s creative tools.
Even if you are a complete beginner, you can produce spectacular images in minutes. In this article, you’ll discover and learn how to use Adobe PS Express for creating stunning iPhone, as well as Android photo edits.
You can download Adobe Photoshop Express from the App Store or Play Store as per your requirements at no cost. The good thing is there are no in-app purchases with Photoshop for the iPhone.
But you have to sign up for a free Adobe account to use some of its more advanced features. You can also be a part of their Adobe cloud for availing the cloud storage and being completely stressless of back-up and extra storage.
Working on the app:
Opening an Image
When you try to open an image on Adobe Photoshop Express, you’ll see the images from your phone’s photo gallery.
There are two options available for proceeding: Edit Images and Make Collage.
Ensure ‘Edit Images’ is selected. Then select the photo you want to work on and turn into a beautiful masterpiece.
You can also open an image from a different photo album. Tap the arrow at the top of the photo library screen, then select Albums. You know what the standard procedures look like.
Auto Enhance Tool
When you go to the home page of the app, you’ll see an Auto-Enhance tool icon (blue wand icon). This tool applies automatic light and colour adjustments in an attempt to improve your photo.
When you open a photo to edit, by default, Auto-Enhance option is switched on. So before you even start processing, the AI of the PS Express app attempts to automatically fix your photo.
In some cases it is useful. But the app doesn’t always meet your requirements when it comes to editing. It is always better to make your adjustments using the filters and adjustment tools. This app offers you almost all the professional tools for better image photo editing.
To turn off automatic enhancement, tap the Auto-Enhance icon (blue wand) so that it turns white. Your photo will revert to the original unedited version.
Filters
If you are looking for a quick way to change the look and mood of your photos, the one-tap filters in Photoshop Express are the easiest way to do that.
Filters apply a particular set of pre-defined layers to your image. These may include changes to exposure, colour, brightness, and sharpness.
With filters, you can quickly turn photos look into a black and white mood. Or add a certain colour tone in your image. You can warm-up or cool down colours to change the feeling in your photo. Or you can make the colours more vibrant or muted. There are tons of options available.
Filters are known as “Looks” in this app. To access the filters, tap the Looks icon ( it is like three overlapping circles) at the bottom left of the interface.
The list of categories including different types of filters appears in the lower portion of your screen. The categories are:
- Basic
- Charm
- B&W
- Portrait
- Nature
- Pop Color
- Duo-Tone
- Premium.
Tap on the filter category, and scroll across to view individual filters. Tap on a filter to apply it to your image.
The slider beneath your photo is available to adjust the intensity of the applied filter. Drag right to increase, or left to decrease the filter strength.
In most of the cases, people reduce the filter strength for avoiding photo looking over-edited. Never use too many edits to give them feel. It looks unnatural.
Crop
The second icon in the toolbar is the Crop, Rotate and Transform.
As the name suggests, you can crop the unnecessary edges of your photo. You can rotate, flip and straighten your image as per requirements. Also, you can skew your image to address perspective problems.
The Aspect Ratio option allows you to crop your photo. Cropping is great for removing unwanted distractions from the edges. You can also use it to improve the composition and bringing the subject to the desired position.
Choose an aspect ratio from the bottom of the screen. These let you crop to a predefined shape like 1:1. This app also provides you with the option to crop-specific aspect ratios for Facebook profile and cover images. You can also crop without being restricted to a particular aspect ratio by choosing the Unrestricted option. After selecting an aspect ratio, drag the corner handles to crop the image.
Rotate and Transform
The Rotate option includes four tools for changing the orientation. These tools are:
- Straighten
- Rotate
- Flip Horizontal
- Flip Vertical
All pf these are self-explanatory. The Straighten tool is perfect for levelling the horizon in landscape photos. You can also use it to ensure lines are straight in your architecture photos.
Tap Auto to the left of the slider. Photoshop Express attempt to straighten it after analysing the image. If the app doesn’t get it right, you can drag the slider to tilt it. Use the help of the grids to get the lines straight.
The Rotate tool allows rotation of your image 90 degrees at a time. Use it to change the orientation from vertical to horizontal, or vice versa.
The Flip Horizontal and Flip Vertical tools flip your photo horizontally or vertically. This creates a mirror image of your original photo.
Flipping an image horizontally can sometimes improve the composition and overall look of your image. For example, a composition looks better if the most prominent subject is present on the left.
We read from left to right, so our eyes naturally want to look from left to right in a photo.
Have you ever taken a photo of a tall building, and observed that it gets narrower towards the top? This perspective problem is due to the tilting of your Phone up while taking the photo.
You can correct these perspective problems using the Transform tool.
For straightening the building (or any other subject with similar perspective distortion) tap the Vertical Skew tool.
Drag the slider to skew the photo. Or tap Auto to the left of the slider to let Photoshop Express do the work for you. It is a very helpful tool and a great resource.
Adjustment Tools
These tools available in the third icon adjust crucial settings like light, colour and sharpness. These tools are very easy to use.
It generally consists of a single slider which lets you control the depth of each effect. You can use move the sliders to bring out more detail and make the necessary adjustments.
The Adjustment tools are organized into the following categories:
- Light
- Colour
- Effects
- Details
- Blur.
Be careful that the adjustment tools don’t ruin your photo when you are using filters. They can easily make your image look noisy and over-edited.
Always use the sliders with proper caution. Use them to make small and subtle changes to your photo. Applying these subtle adjustments helps you to create a beautiful final product.
There are several sets of sliders for each category.
Light
- Exposure: Adjusting the brightness of the entire image.
- Contrast: Changing the difference between different aspects.
- Highlights: Adjusting the brightness of the bright areas.
- Shadows: Adjusting the brightness of the dark areas.
- Whites: Adjusting the brightness of the brightest areas.
- Blacks: Adjusting the brightness of the darkest areas.
Color
- Temperature: Make the colours warmer or cooler.
- Tint: For adding a tint of a specific colour to your photo.
- Vibrance: For adjusting the lower-saturated colours without affecting the other colours. This boosts colours in your photo without making it harsh. This tool is of great use!
- Saturation: Adjusting the intensity of all colours in your photo.
- Effects
- Clarity: It brings out the details and textures.
- Dehaze: Removing or enhancing the amount of atmospheric haze or fog in your image.
- Fade: It fades the colours in your photo.
- Grain: Adding grainy noise to create an old-fashioned film. Specifically useful for a vintage look.
- Vignette: Add a black or white vignette surrounding the edges of your image. Black works great for highlighting the subject and making it the centre of attraction.
Conclusion
All of the tools discussed above are of great use. The purpose and use of these tools are self-explanatory. Try them out. Make sure you don’t overdo any of it. Making subtle adjustments always works. If you are beginner, it wouldn’t take much time to get accustomed to it.
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Happy Editing!