Edit, Retouch and Create Professional Images

Adobe Photoshop is the industry-standard tool for image editing, photo retouching and visual composition.
In this practical three-day training, participants learn how to work confidently with the Photoshop interface, make professional photo corrections, create selections and masks, work with layers and adjustment layers, and prepare images for print, web and social media.

The course also introduces modern Photoshop workflows, including non-destructive editing with Smart Objects and an introduction to AI-assisted features such as Generative Fill, Remove Tool and Object Selection, which are now part of current Photoshop workflows.

Through step-by-step exercises, participants build a solid foundation for creating clean, professional and visually strong images.

Duration

3 days.

Course Outline

Day 1 – Photoshop Fundamentals & Core Editing Skills

Getting Started with Photoshop

• Understanding the Photoshop interface
• Navigating the workspace
• Panels, toolbars and contextual options
• Opening, saving and organising files
• Understanding image formats (PSD, JPG, PNG, PDF)

Working with Images

• Image size and resolution
• Canvas size vs image size
• Cropping and straightening images
• Basic transformations: resize, rotate, flip
• Understanding colour modes (RGB, CMYK, grayscale)

Basic Photo Corrections

• Adjusting brightness and contrast
• Correcting colour and tone
• Using levels and curves
• Working with adjustment layers
• Introduction to non-destructive editing

Practical Exercises

• Workspace navigation
• Basic image corrections
• Cropping and preparing images

Day 2 – Selections, Layers and Retouching

Making Accurate Selections

• Overview of selection tools
• Marquee and lasso tools
• Quick Selection tool
• Magic Wand tool
• Object Selection tool
• Select Subject
• Refining selections with Select and Mask

Adobe documents that Object Selection can isolate people and even specific details such as hair, clothes and accessories, while Select and Mask remains central for refining edges.

Working with Layers

• Understanding layers
• Rearranging and grouping layers
• Layer opacity and blending modes
• Layer styles
• Adjustment layers
• Smart Objects basics

Smart Objects are still a key current feature because they preserve image quality and editing flexibility in non-destructive workflows.

Retouching and Repair Tools

• Spot Healing Brush
• Healing Brush
• Clone Stamp tool
• Remove Tool
• Content-Aware techniques

Adobe’s current help materials highlight the Remove Tool as a modern way to remove unwanted objects, distractions and even background people, making it more important in a beginner course than before.

Practical Exercises

• Selecting and isolating subjects
• Layer-based compositions
• Basic retouching and cleanup

Day 3 – Masks, Compositing, AI Tools & Export

Working with Masks

• Layer masks
• Quick Mask mode
• Combining selections and masks
• Non-destructive editing with masks
• Blending images smoothly

Intro to Compositing

• Combining multiple images
• Matching colour and lighting
• Using gradients and blend techniques
• Simple photo compositions

Introduction to Vector Tools

• Difference between bitmap and vector graphics
• Working with paths
• Using the Pen tool
• Creating selections from paths
• Basic shape layers

Modern Photoshop Tools

• Generative Fill
• Generative Expand
• Remove Tool in real workflows
• When to use AI tools and when not to
• Reviewing AI-generated results critically

Adobe’s official documentation confirms that Generative Fill can add, remove or modify content from a selection and remains part of Photoshop’s current feature set, while the latest desktop releases continue to update generative results.

Exporting and Output

• Saving layered working files
• Exporting for web and social media
• Exporting for print
• File formats and optimisation
• Best practices for image delivery

Final Practical Exercise

• Editing and retouching a complete image
• Creating a simple composition
• Exporting in multiple formats

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Navigate the Photoshop interface confidently
• Correct and enhance photos professionally
• Work with selections, masks and layers
• Retouch images using modern tools
• Apply non-destructive editing techniques
• Create simple visual compositions
• Export images correctly for print, web and social media

Result

After this three-day training, participants will:

• Understand the essential tools and workflows in Photoshop
• Edit and retouch images efficiently
• Work with modern selection and masking techniques
• Use Smart Objects and adjustment layers in a non-destructive way
• Apply introductory AI features such as Generative Fill and Remove Tool
• Create polished visual content for professional use

Audience

This course is designed for:

• Beginners who want to start working with Photoshop
• Marketing and communication professionals
• Social media content creators
• Photographers
• Designers who need a solid Photoshop foundation
• Anyone who wants to edit and enhance images professionally

Prerequisites

Participants should have:

• Basic knowledge of Windows or macOS
• General computer skills

No prior knowledge of Photoshop is required.