Software Updates

10 Secret Photoshop Tricks Every Designer Should Know

With countless tools and options, Adobe Photoshop is a designer’s dream come true. However, some of its hidden treasures are frequently missed by even experienced users. Whether you’re working on digital painting, logo design, or website mockups, these little-known capabilities can make your job go more quickly and efficiently. Let’s explore ten Photoshop hidden features that every designer ought to be aware of.

1. Content-Aware Fill Workspace

Although most people are familiar with the fundamentals of content-aware fill, Photoshop now provides a dedicated workspace. You can discover more precise controls for filling in undesirable objects and sampling regions by selecting Edit > Content-Aware Fill. Ideal for adjusting intricate textures or eliminating background distractions.

2. Select Subject with One Click

Photoshop employs artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify and choose the image’s primary subject under Select > Subject. It saves a great deal of time when isolating subjects and is extremely accurate, especially with intricate borders like hair.

3. Color Lookup Adjustment Layer

Want to create a dramatic effect without using intricate color grading? Try the adjustment layer for Color Lookup. It is an excellent application for making mood boards or stylizing pictures, and it allows you to add LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for fast color effects.

4. Brush Smoothing

Photoshop’s Brush Smoothing function aids in producing cleaner strokes if your hand isn’t the steadiest. Simply use the Brush Tool and change the smoothing percentage on the top toolbar. For illustrators and letterers, it’s revolutionary.

5. Layer Comps

Creating several iterations of the same layout design? You may save various visibility, location, and style settings for layers using Layer Comps. For comparing variants without generating distinct files, it’s ideal.

6. Match Font Tool

Unable to identify the typeface you found in an image? Make use of Type > Match Font. After analyzing the chosen text area, Photoshop will recommend related fonts that are either already on your computer or accessible through Adobe Fonts.

7. Quick Export as PNG

Right-click a layer and select Quick Export as PNG to save time. It’s perfect for social media managers or site designers who require transparent, quick asset exports.

8. Smart Objects for Non-Destructive Editing

To apply filters and transformations without causing any damage, convert layers to Smart Objects. You can always go back and make changes without sacrificing quality, which is crucial when working on intricate design tasks.

9. Symmetry Painting

You can paint in a mirrored manner along vertical, horizontal, or arbitrary axes by using the Brush Tool’s Symmetry Mode. It’s ideal for making symmetrical pictures, patterns, and mandalas..

10. Hidden Gradient Presets

To access Photoshop’s hidden gradient presets, click the gear icon in the Gradient Picker and select “Legacy Gradients.” These consist of imaginative and practical gradients for overlays, backdrops, and other applications.

Final Thoughts

If you know where to look, Photoshop has a ton of options that can help you do your work more creatively and efficiently. You’ll improve your design process and find new ways to realize your ideas by investigating these hidden tools. So feel free to experiment and include Photoshop’s hidden tools into your daily toolbox.

Top 5 Adobe Tools for Digital Artists in 2025

Adobe continues to provide some of the most potent tools for realizing your ideas, regardless of your level of experience as an illustrator, concept artist, or novice in the field of digital art. Adobe’s ecosystem is more intuitive, AI-powered, and seamless than ever in 2025. This year, let’s explore the top 5 Adobe technologies that any digital artist has to be familiar with.

1. Adobe Photoshop 2025 – The Classic, Reinvented

Not surprisingly, Photoshop is still the preferred tool for digital artists, but in 2025, it has advanced to a new level. Photoshop’s latest AI-powered tools, such as Neural Filters, Generative Fill, and automated backdrop replacement, make complicated adjustments simple. Artists can use both conventional brushes and AI improvements to sketch, paint, photo-bash, and develop their works. Illustrators, matte painters, and concept artists all find it ideal.

What makes it unique: Cloud-based projects and real-time collaboration have made collaborating easier than before.

2. Adobe Fresco – For Natural Drawing & Painting

Adobe Fresco is your digital playground if you enjoy drawing, painting, or producing emotive images. Designed with a natural feel in mind, Fresco delivers live brushes that reproduce oils and watercolors so convincingly, you might forget you’re working on a screen. You can create anywhere because it works well on iPads and other touch-screen devices.

Why it’s so popular with artists: Fresco is ideal for creative work while on the go because of its user-friendly design and smooth integration with Photoshop and Illustrator.

3. Adobe Illustrator – Vector Art, Redefined

Illustrator is still the best option for scalable artwork, clear lines, and sharp visuals. Adobe launched AI vector ideas in 2025 to assist artists in producing smooth vector forms more quickly. Illustrator’s precision tools are difficult to match, whether you’re creating intricate graphics, characters, or logos.

Bonus: By adding lighting and dimension to vector work, artists can bring static pictures to life with the enhanced 3D and Materials panel.

4. Adobe Substance 3D Painter – For Texture & 3D Art

Adobe’s Substance 3D Painter is the preferred tool for directly painting textures onto 3D objects, and 3D art is growing in popularity. With realistic materials, wear effects, and editable brushes, Substance 3D enables artists to bring surfaces to life for everything from digital sculptures to gaming characters. By 2025, hours of human labor will have been saved thanks to AI help that can now anticipate wear and tear patterns and recommend texture enhancements.

Why it’s strong: Perfect for 3D designers and concept artists who want to give their projects incredibly lifelike textures.

5. Adobe Express – Quick Creativity with AI

Need to swiftly create eye-catching visuals? Adobe Express has never been faster or smarter. It’s excellent for artists who wish to create material centered around their art, establish portfolios, or post their work on social networking. Express’s drag-and-drop features, intelligent templates, and AI-powered recommendations let you save time without sacrificing the quality of your images.

What’s new in 2025: Complete connection with Adobe Firefly to create backdrops and graphic components based on text suggestions.

Final Thoughts

The goal of Adobe’s suite for 2025 is to make digital art more intelligent, quick, and widely available. These five tools have a lot to offer, whether you’re creating 3D worlds, drawing characters, or simply trying to improve your creative process. Let your imagination go wild as you explore and try new things.

How to Work with Constant Contact: A Beginner’s Guide

One well-known email marketing tool that helps companies engage with their audience, create connections, and get results is Constant Contact. Whether you run a nonprofit organization or a small business, using Constant Contact can help you increase the efficacy of your campaigns and streamline your marketing. Here’s where to begin.

Set Up Your Account

Setting up your Constant Contact account is the first step. Visit their website to select a membership package that suits your needs or to join up for a free trial. To help the platform customize your experience, you will choose the kind of marketing you want to undertake and enter basic business information during setup.

Build and Manage Your Contact List

Concentrate on expanding your contact list as soon as your account is prepared. You can import your current contacts from Gmail, Excel files, and other sources using Constant Contact. Additionally, you can divide up your list according to factors like behavior, interests, or demography. You can make landing pages and sign-up forms for new contacts in order to generate leads via your website or social media accounts.

Create Engaging Campaigns

Making your first email campaign comes next after you have your list in place. Even for those without design skills, the platform’s drag-and-drop editor is simple to use. Starting with one of the numerous editable templates, you can add your brand’s colors, text, images, call-to-action buttons, and logo to make it uniquely yours. Every email you write is mobile-friendly, guaranteeing a seamless reading experience across all platforms.

Automate Your Marketing

Use automation features to increase the effectiveness of your email marketing. With Constant Contact, you can create email sequences that start when certain activities, like clicks or purchases, are taken, or you can set up welcome letters for new subscribers. This guarantees prompt communication with your audience and helps you sustain engagement with little work.

Analyze and Optimize Performance

Reviewing the results of your campaign is crucial after it has been sent. Open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and unsubscribes are among the comprehensive data offered by Constant Contact. You can learn what’s working and where you may make improvements with the aid of these metrics. To determine whether subject lines, photos, or material elicit the best reaction, you can also conduct A/B tests.

Expand Beyond Email

Conclusion

In conclusion, anyone wishing to develop their brand and preserve deep connections with their audience would find Constant Contact to be simple and incredibly successful. Every feature, from account setup and contact list management to campaign creation and performance analysis, is made to be both impactful and easy to use. Constant Contact offers the resources you need to be successful, regardless of your level of experience or desire to improve your marketing strategy.