{"id":46207,"date":"2017-06-07T05:00:56","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/?p=46207"},"modified":"2024-04-16T05:08:34","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T12:08:34","slug":"social-media-graphics-photoshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativemarket.com\/blog\/social-media-graphics-photoshop","title":{"rendered":"How to Design Stunning Social Media Graphics With Photoshop"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you run a business that promotes messages on social media, it’s essential to create great graphic content to accompany your posts. After all, did you know that 87% of Facebook fan engagement<\/a> happens with posts that include photos and that Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets<\/a> than those without them? For these reasons, it should come as no surprise that 74% of social media marketers<\/a> use visual assets in their social media marketing.\nIf you want to harness the power of graphics to boost your brand, you can use a powerful tool like Photoshop to help you with social media design. Photoshop allows you to customize images so that your brand can appear professional, creative, and unique. Here’s a beginner’s guide to get you started.\n

<\/span>What Is Photoshop?<\/span><\/h2>

\nAdobe’s Photoshop<\/a> is a popular image creation software. The program can be used for a wide range of purposes, including photo editing, graphic design, video game design and more.\nPhotoshop is undoubtedly a powerful program. However, for newbies, it can also be overwhelming, since there are so many terms and tools to learn about if you’re going to take full advantage of its capabilities. If you’re just getting started with Photoshop, here are some key terms you should understand:\n<\/p>

<\/span>Layers<\/span><\/h3>

\nIn Photoshop, images can be built with layers<\/a>, which Adobe describes as being like “transparent sheets of glass.” You can create an image on a clear layer and then place it on top of another. You can see through the transparent part of each layer to the layers that are below it.\n<\/p>

<\/span>Opacity<\/span><\/h3>

\nTransparent layers in Photoshop are see-through. In contrast, opaque layers are ones that block light. Opacity<\/a> is the extent to which something blocks light (something with opacity doesn’t necessarily block all light). You can alter the opacity of objects like layers and filters in order to determine how much of an underlying image can be seen.\n<\/p>

<\/span>Filters<\/span><\/h3>

\nA Photoshop filter<\/a> is an automated way to change the appearance of an image. Filters include preset effects that determine the level of noise, brightness, contrast, temperature, color balance, and more.\n<\/p>

<\/span>Layer Styles<\/span><\/h3>

\nLayer styles are ways to automatically add effects to a layer in a design. You can also copy a given layer’s style to save time in applying it to the next.\n<\/p>

<\/span>Resizing\/Scaling<\/span><\/h3>

\nWhen you resize<\/a> something in Photoshop, you change its dimensions. You can resize windows, canvases, and images. When you scale<\/a> an image in Photoshop, you change its proportions, while maintaining their aspect ratio.\n<\/p>

<\/span>Transform<\/span><\/h3>

\nWhen you transform<\/a> something in Photoshop, you can rotate it, skew it, enlarge it, shrink it, scale it or change its perspective. You can transform layers, shapes, and selections.\n<\/p>

<\/span>How Do You Purchase Photoshop?<\/span><\/h2>

\nThere are many versions of Photoshop out there today, but the most recent one is called Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud (CC).<\/a> Adobe offers monthly plans that let you pay to use the program each month. You can also pay to include access to other Creative Cloud programs when you buy a Photoshop plan.\n<\/p>

<\/span>How to Create Stellar Social Media Graphics With Photoshop<\/span><\/h2>

\nIf you want to use the power of Photoshop to create outstanding social media graphics, the following step-by-step Photoshop tutorial will help.\n<\/p>

<\/span>1. Open a New File<\/span><\/h3>

\nStart working on your social media graphic by creating a new Photoshop document. To do this, open the program, then select “File” and “New.”\n\"\"\n<\/p>

Resize the File for a Specific Social Media Platform<\/strong><\/p>

\nEvery social media platform requires a certain size in order for images to look their best in posts. To make sure you’re designing a graphic of the right dimensions, you should resize the photo<\/a> with the specific platform in mind. To resize the photo, choose “Image,” then “Image Size.” You can also set these dimensions from the onset, when you complete step 1. Enter the width and height you need, as well as the resolution. Then click “OK.”\nHere are the current optimal dimensions for posts on each social media platform:\n<\/p>