The Options Bar

Below the menu we find the options bar.  In this bar we set the options for the tool selected in the toolbar, constantly changing the buttons and the settings.

For example, the tool “Brush” is selected in the previous illustration of the Options bar.  The tool “Rectangle” is selected in the following illustration the Options bar.

When we learn how to use the different tools, you can set the options in this bar for the selected tool.We can make the Options Bar visible or invisible by clicking on “Window” in the menu bar and selecting “Options” from the drop-down menu.

 

Image Window

Since version CS4, the photos are by default opened in different tabs.  If you have opened several pictures, click on the double right pointing arrow (1) in the tab bar.  When you click on this button, it opens a drop-down menu with a list of all open photos.
The one with a checkmark next to it, is the picture selected at that time.

The order of the pictures in this list determines the order in which the tabs are located. You can drag tabs to the place where you want it in the tab.

You can detach the tabs, or rather the photos in the tabs, by dragging the photo to the bottom.

You can close a picture by clicking on the x icon.

You can close all the pictures by the shortcut, Alt + Ctrl + W buttons combination on your keyboard.

If you like all this stuff, but not the tabs and rather want to open different pictures in different windows, no problem. Click the “Edit” button in the menu bar, choose “Preferences” from the drop-down menu, and click the “Interface”.

In the “Preferences” uncheck the box for the option “Open Documents as Tabs” and click the “OK” button.

The next time you open one or more photos, these are all in their own image window.

 

Guides and Rulers

We can use different guides to assist us in making changes in our image.
To insert guides we first open the rulers. Just click the button “View” in the menu bar and select “Rulers” in the drop-down menu.

To add a horizontal guide click and drag the pointer from the top ruler down, release the mouse button when the desired position of your line is reached.   Ditto for vertical lines, but then we start in the vertical ruler.

We can always change the position of the guide.   The only requirement is that the tool “Move” is selected (1). Move the mouse pointer over this line and when it turned into a double arrow, click and drag it to another position (2).

To remove a guide, click and drag it back into the ruler.

To remove all guides, click the “View” in the menu bar and select “Clear Guides” in the drop-down menu.

If you want to lock the guides, click the “View” in the menu bar and select “Lock Guides” in the drop-down menu.

If you wish to add a guide at a certain position in the window, click the “View” in the menu bar and select “New Guide” in the drop-down menu.

In the window that appears, when you see the position of the horizontal or vertical guide that you want to add, press enter.

 

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