I started a thread like this on another forum, since there are a lot of people who know how to use photoshop, and a lot of people that don't know how to use it, but want to.

I am starting with the absolute basics - introducing the menu; since it's important to know what you're using. If I post this first you won't have an excuse, when you come asking me what tool are we using atm & where can you find it :]

This will take a while x _ x
Okay, soooo... this is how Photoshop looks like.. Mine is version CS2, so if you have a different one it's very possible yours looks different. Still, menus should be pretty much the same.
If your version is a lot older than mine, you might not have a few features that i do. And on the other side, if you're with one of the newest version, you'll have things that I don't.

http://i29.tinypic.com/6gd99d.png
^ - - - this is how Photoshop looks when you open it. You have a lot of things to poke and torment... lots of menus, to be honest I don't know and don't use a lot of them!

Now, we'll begin with the menus on top. I bet most of you know atleast a bit about them, but it's my duty to do this (it feels like i just put a porcupine in my pants with this... D: )
p.s. if you know the function of something i don't - let me know; i'll add it -w-;

menu FILE
new - new document, you can set up things like background color, size... don't need to explain this now.
open - you can open files you're working on, load pictures you have...you get it!
browse - starts Adobe Bridge that lets you browse through your documents. I hate this thing.
open as - it lets you open a jpg image straightly as png & so on. useless in my opinnion.
open recent - opens things you have opened lately. surprised? XD
edit in image ready - closes your file in photoshop, starts image ready and opens your file there. i don't use imageready that much, it's hard as hell for me.
close - closes current file. if you have worked on it it will ask you if you want to save changes.
close all - closes all files that are currently loaded in photoshop.
close and go to bridge - after closing opens up adobe bridge. no idea what that will be useful for.
save - saves the file. if you've photoshoped a picture of yours, it will automatically replace your old file, so be careful if you want to keep both files. it won't warn you about losing your old file.
save as - lets you rename your file and image format. this is what i use usually, because i keep both original and retouched files.
save a version - *shrugs*
save for web - files get compressed before saving in case you need them to be smaller.
revert - this thing is twisted. it should bring you back to your original file if you mess up, but it's so complicated. i don't use it, i'm just being careful~
place - lets you load an image and put it on top of your current file. i don't use it, i use copy/paste instead
import - imports things that i have no knowledge about
export - same story as import
automate & scripts - i doubt any of us is aiming for a professional position, so who cares about those
file info - pretty obvious :]
page setup - we all know this one. i don't seem to understand why we need it though~ there are other adobe programs for magazines and such o.o
print with preview; print; etc etc - ...
jump to - i don't recall seing that one active o.o
exit - closes photoshop

menu EDIT
undo - let's you undo ONE MEASLY MOVE! ._. use the history menu on the right instead :]
step forward & step backward - never used those... i think that might let you undo more than one move xD ; i still say "use the history menu on the right"
fade - never used it. i'll let you know when i find out D: or you can tell me, if you know~
cut - cuts the whole thing or parts you have selected~
copy - copies...only one layer (if you have those) >w>
copy merged - lets you copy the whole thing... if you have 3 layers and use copy it'll copy only the active one. copy merged lets you copy all three of them as if they are one whole thing.
paste - pastes~ >.>;
paste into - if you have a selection or something, it will paste only in that area, creating a mask around it. (no idea what i mean by "mask"? we'll cover that up later, dw ;3 )
clear - deletes stuff xD
check spelling & find and replace text - never noticed it has those before o-o;
fill - i preffer the bucket tool... there is also the same function in the layers menu...no idea why
stroke - adds borders
free transform - says it all
transform - lets you mirror, rotate etc. good thing about it is it only does that to the currently selcted layer of the image
define custom shape/pattern/custom shape - lets you create your own brushes patterns and shapes.
purge cleans things like clipboard, history and other things >w>
adobe pdf smthn smthn - *shrugs*
preset manager - lets you organise your things - brushes, tools, shapes...pretty much everything loadable by the user. it also lets you create your own presets packs (like abr files for brushes & so on)
color settings - don't ask me, i don't know
asign profile - you don't really need that, unless you'll be printing a book or something...
convert to profile - ...
keyboard shortcuts - lets you change the shortcuts or add ones to menus that don't have shortcuts.
menus - lets you customise your photoshop. it's pretty usefull, especially if you remove some of the things - then the program runs and loads faster. my menus keep reseting though, so i gave up on customising.
preferences - more stuff for you to customise. i don't for the same reason as above :/ stupid thing hates me~

menu IMAGE
mode - changes the mode of your file;; this thing is very troublesome sometimes xD
adjustments - let's you adjust your image's hue, brightness, contrast, levels...stuff like this. it's accessible from the menus on the right too.
duplicate - duplicates the current image and opens it up, so you have it two times. duplicates absolutely everything - even layers.
apply image & calculations - never used
image size - lets you resize your image
canvas size - let's say you're drawing something and it turns out you need your image to be 1000px higher. this will let you expand (or contract) your canvas in a way that works best for you. image size works with all 4...edges of the image at the same time, while canvas size can work even with 1 if needed.
pixel aspect ratio - no idea. i've only been told to alwasy keep it square.
rotate canvas - rotates the canvas. nod hard to figure it out.
crop - works with the crop tool or with a selection. dunno why they put it here, i never use it.
trim - another crop function. never used it so i can't say anything about it.
reveal all - i think that was related to mask layers -shrugs-
variable, apply data set & trap - no idea

menu LAYER
new - creates a new layer, converts the background into a layer, creates a group of layers...stuff like that
duplicate layer - duplicates the currently active layer
delete - deletes currently active layer or all hidden layers
layer properties -changes the name of the currently active layer. you can also change the color tot he side (good for people with no attention span like me)
layer style - helps stylise the layer; things such as drop shadow, bevel and emboss, color and pattern overlays; accessible from another place too
new fill layer - instead of making a new layer, then picking fill tool to paint the whole thing with color/pattern/gradient you can use this instead. i don't.
new adjustment layer - creates a layer where you can adjust things as brightness, contrast, etc~ (yes, pretty much the same as the one in the "image" menu.
change layer content & layer content options - no idea
layer mask - creates mask
layer vector mask - creates vector mask i guess...i only use the one above, so idunno
create clipping mask - not sure about this one. i usually use it to color my linework >w>;
smart objects - not...sure. i use it only when it's mentioned in tutorials. i guess it's for smart people only xD
type - active, when you have text. brings up various options which i don't use;
rasterize - rasterizes layers. (like, the type layer is not a raster layer; if you have no idea what ratser is, look in wikipedia)
new layer based slice - no idea
group & ungroup layers - exactly what you think;; let's you group and ungroup layers of your choice
hide layer - hides the currently active layer (or all of the selected ones, if you have more than one);; if you are on a hidden layer, the menu will say "show layer" instead
arrange - lets you move your layer up or down on the layers menu; i preffer doing that by hand, not with a silly menu
align layers to selection - if you have a selection, this lets you align an image to it...i guess you figured it out xD
distribute - no idea
lock all layers in group - if you have a layer group it'll lock all layers in it. i never use it
link layers - links two or more layers together; you should first select all layers that you want to link.
select linked layers - never used it and i have no idea, but i think we can all guess from the name
merge layers - merges the currently active layer witht he one below it. (text layers need to be rasterized first)
merge visible - merges all layers that are visible
flatten image - merges all layers, even the hidden ones (first asks you to confirm)
matting - no idea~

to be continued~

This is going to be sooo useful to a noob like me~ Thank you for the information Rock-tan~ Serious kudos to youuu! <3

Haha, glad to help out. I certainly know how confusing Photoshop can be, especially if you have to figure it out on your own.
anyway, continuing~

menu SELECT
all - selects the whole image
deselect - removes the current selection
reselect - reselects the last selection. Won't work if the image was modified (like being resized)
inverse - inverts selection
all layers - selects all layers
deselect layers - pretty obvious - deselects all selected layers
similar layers - selects layers with similar content (for example you have 3 normal & 3 text layers. if you're currently active layer is a text one, choosing this option will select all text layers)
color range - creates selection, based on colors. this one is pretty hard for me to use most of the time
feather - feathers/smoothens the selection. i never use it
modify - lets you modify your selection - expand it, add border etc.
grow - expands the selection a bit. not sure what it's based on, though
similar - selects other element, similar to the current selection
transform selection - lets you transform the selection, without deselecting it
load & save selection - it's possible to save the current selection and re-load it any time you need it. i've never used it.

menu FILTER
last filter - applies the last filter used with the exact same adjustments as the previous one
extract - never used it
filter gallery - loads up the filter gallery, which can be accesed through the lower parts of the menu too. filter gallery is useful if you're not sure which filter you want, so you can try all different filters.
liquify - lets you distort your image, so it looks like a liquid.
pattern maker - lets you select a part of the image and turn it into a pattern. dunno the purpose of this, since there is already the "define pattern" thing.
vanishing point - dunno how to explain it... it helps you decide on the perspective angle and is very useful for manipulations, but it's hard to use. i can barely do it.
i really don't think it's needed for me to list all those filters. feel free to browse the filter gallery and discover them on your own. if you really insist, i can just do it, though. but as i said - i don't think it's needed.
digimark & NVIDIA tools - no idea ^^;

menu VIEW
to be honest, I never use it! So I'll just list the ones I know;; most of the things here are good if you're trying to publish a book xD
zoom in/zoom out - lets you get closer/farther from your image. An easier way to do it is to hold Ctrl button and press the + & - symbols on your keyboard (next to the numbers)
fit on screen - stretches the image to fit the screen. i don't use it because if the image is too large/small it looks freaky D:
actual pixels - zooms in the image 100% so you see it original size.
print size - scales the image to a size you'll see it when printed.
screen mode - lets you choose if you want to see the standart screen, or clear w/o any menus...or something in the middle xD you can also hide the menus when you press Tab (what i usually do, especially when coloring or working on something, since menu windows can be bothersome~)
the others are, as i said, things useful for printing - guides, scaling...stuff i don't have any idea how to use xD

menu WINDOW
arrange - orders all of your opened images in a specific way (depends what you pick)
workspace - you can save your current workspace, if you have moved things; you can re-load it, and highlight menus, depending on the type of work they are good for
the rest of the things on the list activate the corresponding menus
the bottom shows the currently active windows, it's useful if you want to switch quickly from one window to another.

menu HELP
pretty obvious, i don't think it needs an introduction. none of the tutorials there were that helpful to me, though~ xD but different people learn in different ways

time to check out the tools!

Now we'll cover the tools, located on the left; Please note each of the tools has more options you can play with, which you can find on the top, placed right under the menus

MOVE TOOL

lets you move your pictures.
from the menu on top you can select align options and if you want to see transform controls or not.
when transforming, if you wish to keep the same height/width proportion, hold the Shift button, or risk deforming your image.

MARQUEE TOOL

rectangular marquee tool - select rectangles; you can make a perfect square selection if you hold Shift, while selecting
elliptical marquee tool - select eclipses; you can make a perfect circle selection if you hold Shift, while selecting
single row & single column marquee tools - selects a 1px(pixel) horisontal/vertical line
from the menu on top you can adjust feather options, fixed sizes and a few selection options (add to selection, substract from selection, etc.)

LASSO TOOL

Again for selections
Lasso tool - lets you select freely around. Could be a bit hard to handle, especially if you don't have a tablet.
Polygonal lasso tool - same as above, though this time you have to click each time you want to make a turn in your selection, this way you have more control over what you select.
Magnetic lasso tool - it automatically selects around you images, based on contrast.

From the top menu you can control the sensitivity of the tool as well as a few other options.

I don't use this tool, though. xD

MAGIC WAND TOOL

When you click somewhere on the image with the magic wand, it will select all nearby areas of the same color. The higher the tolerance number set in the options box, the more of a color it will select.

;;example

The default tolerance number is 32; Here is how much it selects from Noa's hair on this image:

Let's see if we change the number to... let's say 70:

The selection is noticeably larger, and you can even see that it went on to her gun, since it has purple highlights, which are a similar color to her hair.

SLICE TOOL

...I only know how to use the regular slice tool ;w; I tried looking for an explanation about the differences, but didn't find anything xD
Aaaanyway, the slice tool lets you cut an image in parts with just a few clicks. You can save them in a folder all together, which is pretty neat if you're doing a website skin or something.

HEALING TOOL

I have used it only once or twice~ Maybe I should let Merun-kun explain this one xD
Spot healing brush tool - just as it's named, the spot healing brush helps you fix an image. You can select a different blending mode; choose if you want to heal the image, using other pixels from it or a texture; and you can also make all the corrections on a new layer, so you wouldn't have to worry if you mess up something. It might take some practice before you are able to control the tool as you wish.
Healing brush tool - the difference between this tool and the one above is that here you actually have to pick yourself what are from the image you would like to use for the healing.
Patch tool - probably my fave healing tool. It lets you select a part of the image you're using and then with the help from the options on top you can use one spot to heal another. Pretty much what the healing brush tools are doing, but this time you have much more control over what you are doing. Since I am only introducing the tools and not actually telling you how to use them, here is a video to those who are interested in learning more about the patch tool @ 5min.com
Red eye tool - you know how you take a picture with the flash on and it ends up with someone looking like a vampire? Well, this tool lets you fix that. Just drag around your red eyes and let go. Since that simple move made me fix all of my problems, i never did really touch the options, and left them at default values ^^;

BRUSH TOOL

Brush tool - whether you draw or make graphics, the brush tool will play an important role in your work. I am guessing a lot of you know this, but I'll just go right ahead and say it - there are limitless possibilities to use the brush tool, since you can always add new brushes, you can control the ones you have, add textures to them, etc etc~
since I am going to try and teach you how to put the tools to use, but not how to use the tools themselves (that's too much for my fail explanation skills) here is a tutorial covering all you need/might need/probably would like to know about the brush tool -> http://tinyurl.com/ygb38rq
Pencil tool - pretty much the same options as the brush tool, but this one is pixel corrected (photoshop has tiny pixels scattered all around the brush to make it softer), which makes it a perfect tool for pixel art. If you load brush presets, they will be pixelated as well~
Color replacement tool - as the name suggests, it lets you change a color. Can't really tell you anything about this one, at least not from my own experience, since I use other methods to change a color if I need to ^^;

owo oh lol~
u continued it ~
goooo girl <3

thanks for ruining my combo~
-eats you-
-pats belly- now stay there and be quiet! your kamisama orders you!

lol photoshop and all the other adobe products that are like it are some of the most intricate programs ever. period! (the irony is that I put an exclamation point...maybe Im the only one with such strange humor to notice and think its funny...)

I have CS5 Extended and so far all I know how to do are all the basic menu stuff and like liquifying and the 3 other things directly with it in that menu and somewhat with warping so atleast this is helpful in explaining what the marquees are for...as I wouldve spent hours...no...Id get bored and forget and spend days trying to figure it out...possibly weeks...

Well, I learned by myself 6 years ago ( Photoshop 7, CS5 is version 12), but since I entered at college 2 years ago I had some lesson for beginners. A little bit of image theory before starting Photoshop was taught, then a few tools from Photoshop was introduced and we got exercise.


Selection tool is the basis to learn as well as understanding layer.

Btw, the extract filter which you never used is quite useful in case like you need to cut out a real dog out of a photo.

Digimarc is a watermarking filter, which should embed the watermark while remaining invisible to the eyes.

An even easier way for people to zoom is holding ALT and using the scroll wheel. For moving around the picture, hold SPACE to get the hand.

Trim allows to crop the image to the visible pixel.
Reveal all resize the canvas so that you can see all the layers.

Now to answer a few questions ( beginners SHOULDN'T read the following )

The pixel ratio should always be square since you are using a computer with square pixel. It should only be changed in case if you work on anamorphic images for a DVD Video for instance.

Automate and script is quite useful even for people who aren't professional. It can be used to create a workflow to process photo. I used it to clean my scan, either artbook, or manga for scanlation.

Image mode should remain in RGB 8bit/channels as Photoshop works the best in this mode. If you plan to print, use CMYK. Other mode are very particular, but you should only encounter Indexed color if you open a GIF or some PNG. 16bit/channels is mainly for photos, when you need to level them from a RAW.

^ o.o oh~! most of those i didn't know at all~! xD
Aaaanyways; I edited my previous post a few times, but it reached the 6000 character limit; so I'm continuing in this post instead.

STAMP TOOL

Clone stamp tool - allows you to duplicate parts of an image, this way you can either 'clone' one object somewhere else on your image, or to remove unwanted elements.
Pattern stamp tool - for drawing with patterns

HISTORY BRUSH



--
brb XD

ugh~ still need to pull my lazy ass together and finish this thing *facedesk*

in the mean time, I'll distract you with a simple icon tutorial
*runs away*

Hay this is pretty useful, thanks.

Blah, I have Photoshop CS3 for a long while now ;u; So I'm not sure how accurate I can continue with the introductions of the tools and menus *facedesk*

I was wondering if maybe I should just start with tutorials and such and just make them detailed as possible. Aaand, of course, if any questions pop up in the process, I'd explain those too :[
I really don't want to downgrade, since CS3 takes much less CPU memory than CS2 *sigh*

I don't see why you should downgrade O.o. I have used every Photoshop since Photoshop 7 ( aka, CS 0 xD ). As far as the tools are concerned, not a lot has changed and I believe that people here use more recent version than CS3. So concerning tutorials for tools, I'm pretty sure tutorial dating back from Photoshop CS3 holds up nicely even with recent iteration of Photoshop.