Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 is the flagship image editing software in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, and with its powerful pixel-level editing, compositing, and design capabilities, it has become a core tool for professional photographers, designers, and digital artists. This guide will provide a detailed introduction to its interface, complete workflow, and efficient operation techniques.

I. Detailed Explanation of the Software’s Core Interface and Workspace

After launching Photoshop CC 2017, you will see the core workspace composed of multiple panels and areas.

1.1 Main Interface Composition

Menu Bar: Located at the top of the screen, it contains all advanced commands and settings such as “File,” “Edit,” “Image,” and “Layer.”
Options Bar: Below the menu bar. Its content changes dynamically with the currently selected tool and is used to set the specific parameters of the tool (such as brush size and opacity).
Tools Panel: By default, located on the left side of the interface, it brings together all editing tools. Tools with a small triangle in the lower right corner indicate hidden tool groups, which can be expanded by long-pressing or right-clicking.
Document Window: The central area, displaying the image file currently being edited. Each opened file will appear as a tab.
Panels: By default, stacked on the right side. Core panels include:
- Layers Panel: Manages all layers, groups, and layer effects in the document, and is the core of compositing.
- Color/Swatches Panel: Used to select and store colors.
- Adjustments Panel: Provides a quick way to create non-destructive image adjustment commands (such as Curves, Hue/Saturation).
- History Panel: Records operation steps, allowing you to revert to a previous state.
Status Bar: Located at the bottom of the document window, displaying document information (such as zoom ratio, document dimensions).

1.2 Workspace Management

You can switch between preset workspaces via the menu bar Window > Workspace, such as “Photography,” “Painting,” “Essentials,” etc., to optimize the panel layout for different tasks. You can also manually drag panel tabs to customize the layout, and save it via Window > Workspace > New Workspace.

II. Complete Workflow: From Creation to Export

The following is a standard workflow for creating a new project from scratch, performing a simple design, and finally exporting it.

Step 1: Create a New Project

Method: After launching the software, click the menu bar File > New, or use the shortcut Cmd + N.

Location: The pop-up “New Document” dialog box.

Specific Settings:

Enter a document name (e.g., “My Design”).
In “Preset Details,” set the width, height (e.g., 1920 px × 1080 px), resolution (72 ppi for screen display, 300 for print), color mode (RGB for screen, CMYK for print), and background contents (white, transparent, etc.).
Click the “Create” button.

Step 2: Import and Process Assets

Open an existing image: File > Open (Cmd + O), then select an image file from your hard drive.

Place a linked asset: File > Place Embedded Smart Object to insert another image into the current document as a “Smart Object” that can be transformed non-destructively.

Basic adjustments: Select the “Move Tool” (V) from the toolbar to adjust the position; select “Free Transform” (Cmd + T) to adjust the size and rotate (drag the control handles, hold Shift to maintain proportions). Press Return to confirm the transformation.

Step 3: Use Layers for Compositing

Work in the Layers panel:

Create a new layer: Click the “Create a new layer” icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, or press Cmd+Shift+N. This is the foundation for drawing and adding elements without destroying the original image.
Select and manipulate layers: Click a layer name in the Layers panel to select that layer. Drag layers up or down to change the stacking order.
Add Layer Mask: Select the layer and click the “Add Layer Mask” icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Use the Brush tool (B) to paint with black on the mask to hide parts of the image, and paint with white to reveal them again. This is key to non-destructive cutout and compositing.

Step 4: Image Adjustment and Retouching

Color Adjustment: Click the “Curves” or “Hue/Saturation” icon in the Adjustments panel, which will create a new adjustment layer that affects all layers below it. Modify the parameters in the “Properties” panel above the Layers panel.

Remove Blemishes: Select the “Spot Healing Brush Tool” (J), set an appropriate brush size in the options bar, and simply click on blemishes in the image.

Add Text: Select the “Type Tool” (T), click on the canvas, and type. Set the font, size, and more in the options bar.

Step 5: Save and Export the Final File

Save the Working File: File > Save (Cmd + S), and choose the .PSD format to preserve all layers and editing information.

Export to a Universal Format:

For Web/Screens: File > Export > Export As (Cmd+Shift+Option+W). In the dialog box, choose a format (such as JPG, PNG), set the quality and dimensions, and click “Export All”.
Quick Export as Web Format: File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy) (Cmd+Shift+Option+S), providing more granular web optimization controls.

III. Advanced Tips for Common Features

Quick Selection and Masking: Use the “Quick Selection Tool” (W) to roughly select an object, then click the “Select and Mask” button in the options bar to enter the advanced edge adjustment interface, where you can refine complex edges such as hair and directly output as a new layer with a mask.
Non-Destructive Filters: Convert the layer to a Smart Object (right-click the layer > Convert to Smart Object), then apply a filter (e.g., Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Afterwards, you can double-click the filter name in the Layers panel at any time to modify parameters or disable the effect.
Content-Aware Fill: Use the Marquee Tool (M) to select the area you want to remove, press Shift+Delete to open the Fill dialog, select “Content-Aware,” and click OK. The software will automatically intelligently fill the selection based on surrounding pixels.
Quick Copy of Layer Styles: After adding styles such as drop shadow or stroke to a layer, in the Layers panel, hold the Option key and drag the layer’s “fx” icon onto another layer to copy all styles.

IV. Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: The tool cursor turns into a crosshair or other strange shapes

Cause: You may have accidentally pressed the Caps Lock key, or changed the cursor display settings in Preferences.

Solution: Check whether the Caps Lock key is lit, then press it again to turn it off. Alternatively, go to Photoshop > Preferences > Tools and select “Normal Brush Tip” under the “Other Cursors” option.

Issue 2: You made a mistake and want to go back multiple steps

Solution: Use the History panel (Window > History). By default, 20 steps are recorded; you can simply click an earlier step name in the panel to revert. You can also use the shortcut Cmd+Option+Z to step back gradually (which goes back more steps than Cmd+Z alone).

Issue 3: When saving as JPG, a “Save As” dialog appears and you cannot directly overwrite the original image

Cause: The current file is a PSD format containing multiple layers. When saving as JPG for the first time, you must specify a new file name and location.

Solution: Use File > Save As (Cmd+Shift+S) or the “Export As” feature. If you want to keep the original PSD file and only generate a JPG copy, this is the normal workflow.

Issue 4: The brush or other tools suddenly stop responding

Solution:

Check the Layers panel to confirm whether the currently selected layer is locked or hidden.
Check whether you are operating on a layer mask (the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel has a double-line border).
Check whether the brush opacity and flow (in the Options bar) have been accidentally set to 0%.

V. Photoshop CC 2017 for Mac Core Keyboard Shortcuts Summary Table

Function Category	Operation Description	Shortcut (Mac)
File Operations	New Document	Cmd + N
Open Document	Cmd + O
Save Document	Cmd + S
Save As	Cmd + Shift + S
Close Document	Cmd + W
Edit Operations	Undo	Cmd + Z
Step Backward	Cmd + Option + Z
Step Forward	Cmd + Shift + Z
Free Transform	Cmd + T
Fill	Shift + F5
Tool Selection	Move Tool	V
Rectangular/Elliptical Marquee Tool	M
Lasso/Polygonal Lasso Tool	L
Quick Selection/Magic Wand Tool	W
Crop Tool	C
Spot Healing/Healing Brush Tool	J
Brush Tool	B
Type Tool	T
View & Control	Zoom In	Cmd + +
Zoom Out	Cmd + –
Fit on Screen	Cmd + 0
Actual Pixels	Cmd + 1
Show/Hide Extras (e.g., guides)	Cmd + H
Show/Hide Rulers	Cmd + R
Layer Operations	New Layer	Cmd+Shift+N
Layer via Copy	Cmd + J
Merge Visible Layers	Cmd+Shift