Adobe Photoshop is considered the gold standard in photo editing software. In fact, it can be hard to picture (see what I did there) a world without the amazing images created with this software.
In the right hands, photographs can be created that would leave you believing that a magical unicorn had walked through your back yard, like this:
But, with all its power comes a steep learning curve. And that?s intimidating.
Simply loading up the software and trying to figure things out on your own doesn?t work as well when you want to learn Photoshop as it does for other pieces of software.
And, while you could try and read the manuals (which may be more effective at putting you to sleep than anything else), a more visual and interactive learning approach is almost always the better option.
Luckily, a high-quality learning experience may be just a few clicks away. Here are 14 places that will let you learn Photoshop for free, giving you all of the information you could want for the most reasonable price in the world.
1. Adobe Photoshop Tutorials
When your goal is to learn photoshop, sometimes it pays off to go to the source. Adobe provides access to a plethora of videos and hands-on tutorials designed to help you learn the basic when you start out and work your way up to more advanced techniques.
The tutorials are available for free, so you can use them at your leisure.
2. Phlearn
For a wide range of video tutorials that let you learn Photoshop basic and advanced techniques, as well as a range of special effects, Phlearn connects you with a lot of resources in one location.
Many of the tutorials are free, though there is also a subscription option to provide you with more access, should you want to dive deeper into the world of Photoshop.
3. Udemy
While Udemy offers more paid courses than anything else, there are numerous free options focused on Photoshop. Many of these are suitable for beginners and they generally rate well with the Udemy community.
4. GCF LearnFree.org
The free tutorial on GFCLearnFree.org provides you with access to 10 core lessons and five extras, including a quiz that lets you put your skills to the test.
These modules are really intended for beginners, but make it easier to learn Photoshop from the beginning.
5. Photoshop Essentials
Every lesson on Photoshop Essentials is created ?with beginners in mind.? You can access information straight through the site or by visiting their companion YouTube channel.
Some of the information is basic, like how to open images using the software, while others focus on fun edits, like giving a person rainbow colored eyes.
6. Photoshop Caf
Another site full of tutorial videos is Photoshop Caf. Using their instructional content, you can learn to do popular tasks like cutting out trees, putting text inside a shape, and how to turn a photo into a pencil sketch.
7. Tuts+
This site goes beyond the basic, letting you learn Photoshop techniques to help you accomplish goals like creating photo-realistic wax seal mock-ups and aligning your Facebook cover and profile picture for a seamless image.
8. Design Stacks
Design Stacks offers shareable tutorials to help you learn Photoshop from nearly beginning to end. You can start with the basics which will help you understand concepts like layers and non-destructive dodge and burn, and move on to photo manipulations, special effects, and web layouts.
9. Trevor Morris Photographics
This site offers only a few tutorials now, but the keyboard shortcuts downloads are helpful for anyone who wants to learn Photoshop. Why? Because sometimes pressing a few keys is so much faster than digging through menus. And who doesn?t love saving some time and hassle.
10. PluralSight
PluralSight, which recently absorbed the learning destination known as Digital Tutors, offers a wide array of Photoshop tutorials and courses.
Some of the information is suitable for beginners while others require being familiar with the software to accomplish the goals set forth in the project. However, all of it is useful, and it?s a great resource if you want to learn almost everything Photoshop can do.
11. Sleek Lens
This photography blog isn?t entirely focused on tutorials, but there are plenty to choose from. For example, you can learn how to digital add fire to a photograph using one of the posts.
There?s also general photography advice, such as how to take the highest quality photos under specific conditions, as well as other helpful information, like camera reviews.
12. Floqq
Floqq offers a free course called, ?Learning Adobe Photoshop in 30 Days.? The class is divided into 30 steps and includes 32 videos (and introduction and conclusion, and one video for each step).
13. Alison
Similar to Udemy and other learning platforms, Alison provides access to two free courses designed to help you learn Photoshop, as well as some others that may be helpful, like guides to digital photography.
14. Photoshop Forums
While this isn?t a traditional learning platform, Photoshop Forums does have a significant amount of information available. The site is now considered closed, but the threads persist. So, you can dig into the archives to find answers to questions you may have.
About The Author
Larry Kim is the CEO of Mobile Monkey and founder of WordStream. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
