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51 Free Photoshop Tutorials for Amazingly Cool Photo Editing

51 Free Photoshop Tutorials for Amazingly Cool Photo EditingImagine a world where Adobe Photoshop and photo editing don’t exist—where the photos in your print marketing collateral have the same visual impact as your driver’s license photo. A world where you can’t tell the difference between a professional direct mail campaign and your Aunt Judy’s tacky holiday greeting card.

Pretty scary, huh?

Fortunately, Photoshop exists (along with many free Photoshop alternatives), allowing print media designers to transform photographs into really cool works of art. To ensure that this terrible alternate reality never comes to fruition, we’re offering up our top 51 must-read free tutorials for amazing photo editing and manipulation with Photoshop.

Basic, Easy Photoshop Tutorials

These quick and easy Photoshop tutorials are best for beginners, but there are great tips for photo editing veterans as well. A number of different topics are covered, from basic resizing and retouching techniques to adding simple photo effects and optimizing colors and contrast.

1. Adjusting Image Resolution and Print Quality


Adjusting Image Resolution and Print Quality

2. Cropping Photos To Specific Frame Sizes In Photoshop


Cropping Photos To Specific Frame Sizes In Photoshop

3. Cropping Photos Without Changing the Aspect Ratio


Cropping Photos Without Changing the Aspect Ratio

4. Difference Between Image Resizing and Resampling in Photoshop


Difference Between Image Resizing and Resampling in Photoshop

5. How to Batch Resize in Photoshop


How to Batch Resize in Photoshop

6. How To Straighten Crooked Photos


How To Straighten Crooked Photos

7. Quick Fix for Cluttered Backgrounds


Quick Fix for Cluttered Backgrounds

8. How to Remove a Background in Photoshop

How to Remove a Background in Photoshop

9. Five Easy Steps to Produce Intense Colors in Your Photographs

Five Easy Steps to Produce Intense Colors in Your Photographs

10. Converting a Color Photo into Black and White


Converting a Color Photo into Black and White

11. Black and White is the Key to Better Color


Black and White is the Key to Better Color

12. Black and White with a Splash of Color


Black and White with a Splash of Color

13. Hand Coloring a Black and White Photo


Hand Coloring a Black and White Photo

14. Understanding Local Contrast Enhancement


Understanding Local Contrast Enhancement

15. A Quick and Effective Way to Enhance Contrast in Photoshop


A Quick and Effective Way to Enhance Contrast in Photoshop

16. Working with Filters in Photoshop Elements


Working with Filters in Photoshop Elements

17. Gaussian Blur Overlays


Gaussian Blur Overlays

18. Antiquing Digital Images


Antiquing Digital Images

19. Creating a Sunset Effect


Creating a Sunset Effect

20. Dreamy Photo Effects (No longer available)

Dreamy Photo Effects

21. Basic Techniques to Make Your Photo Impressive (No longer available)

Basic Techniques to Make Your Photo Impressive

22. 4 Easy Photoshop Techniques to Make Your Pictures Pop


4 Easy Photoshop Techniques to Make Your Pictures Pop

Intermediate Photoshop Tutorials

The following free photo editing tutorials are a little more advanced and require some basic familiarity with Photoshop, but are still relatively simple and super easy to understand. Many of these intermediate level techniques will help you create bold and cool photo effects, while others help explain some of the more powerful tools available in Photoshop.

23. Color Corrections by the Numbers

Color Corrections by the Numbers

24. Adjusting Levels in Photoshop


Adjusting Levels in Photoshop

25. Improve Your Landscape Photographs with Photoshop

Improve Your Landscape Photographs with Photoshop

26. How To Make Digital Photos Look Like Lomo Photography


How To Make Digital Photos Look Like Lomo Photography

27. Using Vignetting to Add Interest (No longer available)

Using Vignetting to Add Interest

28. Adding a Diffuse Glow to Your Images


Adding a Diffuse Glow to Your Images

29. How to Use the Lens Correction Filter

How to Use the Lens Correction Filter

30. How to Stitch Photos in Photoshop


How to Stitch Photos in Photoshop

31. Realistic Spotlight Photo Effects


Realistic Spotlight Photo Effects

32. Using Brushes to Enhance Portraits

Using Brushes to Enhance Portraits

33. Bringing Out Shadow And Highlighting Detail


Bringing Out Shadow And Highlighting Detail

34. Using the Content-Aware Scale Tool


Using the Content-Aware Scale Tool

35. Non-Destructive Dodge and Burn


Non-Destructive Dodge and Burn

36. Matching Colors Of Objects Between Photos


Matching Colors Of Objects Between Photos

Advanced Photoshop Tutorials

These high-level tutorials give you a look at some of the more complex tools available in Photoshop, while also providing step-by-step instructions on how to create amazing photo effects. These lessons require an advanced understanding of Adobe Photoshop and some may also require some good knowledge of photography.

37. Using Layers to Create HDR-Style Images


Using Layers to Create HDR-Style Images

38. Advanced HDR Merging


Advanced HDR Merging

39. Combine the Best Parts of Two Studio Portrait Photos into One Shot

Combine the Best Parts of Two Studio Portrait Photos into One Shot

40. Using Masks To Improve Landscape Images

Using Masks To Improve Landscape Images

41. Advanced Compositing Techniques

Advanced Compositing Techniques

42. Creating a Tilt Shift Effect With the Lens Blur Tool

Creating a Tilt Shift Effect With the Lens Blur Tool

43. Advanced Photoshop Sharpening Techniques

Advanced Photoshop Sharpening Techniques

44. Sharpening Using an Unsharp Mask


Sharpening Using an Unsharp Mask

45. Using the Curves Tool


Using the Curves Tool

46. Advanced Color Correction with Levels


Advanced Color Correction with Levels

47. Advanced Shadow Techniques


Advanced Shadow Techniques

48. Tracing Photos for Beautiful Line Art

Tracing Photos for Beautiful Line Art

49. Noise Reduction by Image Averaging


Noise Reduction by Image Averaging

50. Advanced Skin Softening

Advanced Skin Softening

51. Nesting Smart Objects for Multimask Effects


Nesting Smart Objects for Multimask Effects

Conclusion

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The best designers (even seasoned ones) are always pushing themselves to learn more about their craft and to improve their work. Whether you’re learning more about Photoshop techniques or just basic design philosophy, keeping your mind open to new lessons and experiences will help you grow as a graphic artist. Once you’ve learned the ropes from these tutorials, don’t be afraid to innovate and experiment with your own creative photo effects to develop your own distinct style and taste.

Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface of the best free Photoshop tutorials. Do you know of more tutorials for amazing photo editing that belong on this list? Any cool Photoshop techniques you want to share with us? We’d love to see them, so please comment below!

Vladimir Gendelman
Author: Vladimir Gendelman

As CEO of CompanyFolders.com, Vladimir is a knowledgeable authority in print marketing and graphic design for businesses. With his team of designers and experts, he helps customers put forth the best possible impression with high-quality collateral. Learn more about Vladimir’s history and experience, and connect with him on Twitter.

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Discussion

  1. All of the tutorials are great. Number 13 is awesome.

  2. Aj Sheikh says

    Well if you really want to learn some art on Photoshop, i really have a good recommendation for everyone out there ..
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  3. Wow, really good tips how to turn completely unspectacular pictures into something really special! My favourite ones were no. 15, 19 and 31.

  4. Tutorials really useful. I interested in above all the tutorials for photography of portraits.
    Thank you for sharing them.

  5. I am really struggling with image resolution adjustment and Invert a color for specific area. Your article really good for who really want to improve their skills. Thanks for great sharing.

  6. Emma at Clipping Service House Graphic Media says

    I was Googling for understanding about color adjusting and found the heaven of Photoshop tutorials! Its great to have all these photo editing tutorials in one place. Thanks!

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