With a summer class, you can become confident in your Photoshop skills and prepare for a high-paying career in a variety of different creative fields.
Key Takeaways
- Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo and image editing programs in the world and is used in many different creative careers.
- By learning Photoshop, you’ll be gaining an in-demand skill that can be used in many different types of jobs including photography, graphic design, digital design, and web design.
- Noble Desktop offers a Graphic Design Summer Program and a Digital Design Summer Program for high schoolers, both of which cover Photoshop.
- You’ll find many other Photoshop class options for both high school students and adults, including both in-person and online courses.
- No matter how old you are, summer can be a great time to learn new Photoshop skills or improve the ones you have.
Photoshop is an Adobe application that is used for retouching photos and editing images. It was developed in 1987 and first released to the public in 1990. It quickly became one of the most popular applications in the Adobe suite and one of the most widely used photo editing programs in the world. In a 2015 blog entry, Adobe explains who the main users of this application are. It says, “Photoshop has a huge variety of customers, including both professional and hobbyists. Its primary user base, though, consists of professional designers and professional photographers, followed by video editors and special effects artists.”
One thing that makes Photoshop so popular is that it has many different tools, which give users a wide range of different editing options. It has lots of beginner tools, like preset layers, filters, and brushes, but it also has many different tools that are designed for expert users who want complete control over editing their work. Since its 1990 release, this application has continued to evolve, with new tools and features being added every year. For example, in 1994 it introduced layers, a popular feature that allows users to edit specific parts of an image without affecting other parts. Photoshop is available through a monthly subscription fee. You can either subscribe to Photoshop only, or you can choose a subscription that includes multiple Adobe applications.
For High School Students and Teenagers
In-Person Classes
One of the most difficult parts of learning graphic design skills is how much practice and iteration is required to master the craft. Some students find it difficult to iterate on designs without direct feedback and while online courses provide this, some students prefer learning in a dedicated classroom environment where colleagues and instructors can look over their work directly. Students who want this dedicated learning experience can enroll in NextGen Bootcamp’s Graphic Design Summer Program NYC. Students who can commute to NextGen’s Manhattan campus will be able to take advantage of their state-of-the-art computer labs while learning Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign from expert instructors. Students will be able to work alongside a cohort of like-minded students and easily collaborate with them on detailed graphic design projects.
The Cooper Union is located in New York City, where it offers a number of in-person Summer Art Intensive Courses, including Graphic Design and Drawing. In this class, students learn about the history of graphic design, typography, symbolism, conceptualization, and graphic imagery. They will learn about collage, drawing, and digital photography, and will learn to use Adobe Photoshop, as well as Illustrator and InDesign. There will be lectures, demonstrations, and exercises for students to work on.
This class is offered by the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at Drexel University, which is located in Philadelphia. It is hands-on and studio-based and is open to high school students. In addition to classwork, there will be virtual studio tours, online field trips, and guest speakers. Students will learn about the design process, create work for a portfolio, and participate in design critiques. They will receive a certificate upon completion.
Parson’s School of Design offers a number of youth and pre-college programs, which run in person in New York City. It also offers some online courses. Design Studio is for students who are interested in design. Students learn about design methodology, and then apply it to a number of different projects of their own. They will learn the fundamentals of drawing and will also learn to use Photoshop and other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite. There are also guest lectures throughout the course.
Live Online Classes
Graphic Design Summer Program Live Online
This live online summer program is offered by NextGen Bootcamp, which is based in New York York City. NextGen Bootcamp offers in-person classes in New York City, but it also offers live online classes that you can take from anywhere in the country. The Graphic Design Summer Program is designed for high school and college students who are interested in design. Live online means that the class includes the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructor in real time. In this class, you’ll learn graphic design skills, and will master several industry-standard design apps. You'll learn about the elements of design, and graphic design concepts and processes. In addition, you’ll learn to use Adobe Photoshop to create graphics and edit photos, InDesign for layouts, and Illustrator for vector graphics. You will also work on a graphic design portfolio. This class comes with a certificate of completion.
Another NextGen Bootcamp option is the Digital Design Summer Program. This class covers the foundations of graphic design and UI/UX design. You’ll learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to edit photos and create graphics. You’ll also learn to use Illustrator for creating logos and images, and InDesign for print and web layouts. The class also covers the basics of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and you’ll learn how to use Figma to build clickable prototypes for applications that you can then test and refine. Finally, you’ll work on building a portfolio. At the end of the class, you’ll receive a certificate of completion
SMFA Graphic Design Bootcamp
This is a virtual pre-college program offered through Tufts University. It provides foundational graphic design skills that can be applied to a variety of careers including marketing, communications, photo editing, or other types of graphic arts. Students will learn about the creative process and will gain the tools that they need to start making their own designs. Tufts University’s pre-college programs give students the chance to experience a rigorous academic environment at a higher education institution.
Design Media Arts Summer Institute Program
This program is designed for 9th- through 12th-grade students and runs virtually. It is offered by the Department of Design Media Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles. Students will learn about design methods for a variety of different media. The course covers 2D image design, design for the Internet, 3D worldbuilding, and motion design. Students will also work on a final multimedia project.
FSAD 1140 Fashion Computer-Aided Design
This summer program is offered online by Cornell University and is part of its Precollege Studies Program. It is designed for students who are interested in fashion design. Students will learn to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to work on a variety of types of designs including textile design, technical flat drawing design, 3D virtual fashion design, and digitized fashion illustration. They will learn creative drawing skills and the various tools offered by these two applications. They will also learn how to communicate their design ideas.
S1 Visual Communication Design
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago offers a number of online pre-college summer programs for high school students, including Visual Communication Design. This class covers graphic design principles and skills. Students will learn to use traditional materials like sketchbooks, but they will also learn to use digital design tools including Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. They will use high-quality digital printers to output work, and will create work for a portfolio.
For College Students and Adults
Live Online Classes
Noble Desktop is a coding and design school based in New York City. It runs in-person Photoshop classes at its Manhattan campus, as well as live online classes that can be taken from any location. The Photoshop Bootcamp is a multi-day class that covers basic and intermediate Photoshop features. In this class, you’ll learn how to edit photos and create graphics. Covered skills include adjusting color and contrast, removing unwanted elements, making selections to work with specific parts of an image, and saving images in proper formats. You’ll also learn about masks, layers, filters, and type. You’ll earn a certificate of completion at the end of the course. Noble Desktop is licensed by the New York State Education Department.
Another Noble Desktop Photoshop option is the Photoshop Masterclass. In this comprehensive class, you’ll learn beginner through advanced skills. In the first part of the class, instructors cover Photoshop basics like working with selection tools, layers, filters, and blend modes. You’ll also learn about color correction, masking, and creating composites. The second part of the course is focused on advanced skills such as blending modes, the Pen tool, and generative AI features. The goal of this class is to give students the skills they need to work on many different types of Photoshop projects.
Photoshop Certification Program
Noble Desktop also offers a Photoshop class that is specifically designed for students who want to become a certified Adobe Photoshop expert. The certification program includes two Photoshop classes, where instructors cover basic through advanced Photoshop skills. In addition, you get six hours of private tutoring to make sure you are fully prepared for the exam. The course concludes with you taking the Adobe Certified Professional exam for Photoshop. The class fee includes exam proctoring and a free retake if necessary.
Adobe Photoshop 101
Ledet Training is an Adobe Authorized Training Center, and also offers a number of live online Photoshop classes. Adobe Photoshop 101 covers Photoshop fundamentals like the interface and how to set up a professional image editing system. Students learn about photo retouching, layers, working with masks, channels, and typography. Ledet also offers an advanced Photoshop class that covers more complex skills. It also runs a class called Photoshop Training for Photographers, which is focused on the Photoshop skills that are used by Photographers. Students learn to manage and correct color, make selections and adjustments, sharpen, retouch, and print. Instructors also cover tips and tricks for achieving professional-quality photos.
Adobe Photoshop Level I
Another option is to take a class through the Manhattan Edit Workshop, a New York City-based school that was founded in 2002. Adobe Photoshop Level I introduces students to the workspace, and covers basic photo corrections, working with selections, layer basics, and quick fixes. Instructors also cover typographic design and vector drawing techniques. Students learn how to save files correctly. The school also offers a class called Photoshop Level II, where students learn how to work with Adobe Bridge. They also learn about Camera RAW, advanced compositing, smart objects, vanishing points, and adjustment layers and filters. Other covered skills are layer comps, actions and scripts, painting with the mixer brush, and producing and printing consistent color.
Photoshop Training: Bootcamp
Lumenbrite Digital Design Training also offers live online Photoshop classes. This school is based in Austin, Texas. This bootcamp is a combination of Lumenbrite’s two essential Photoshop skills classes, and takes a number of days to complete. It takes students to an intermediate level of Photoshop mastery. Students learn about retouching, working with layers, repairing, masks, color management, typography, and advanced image manipulation. They also learn about Photoshop’s animation and video features.
Photoshop in a Day
This live online Photoshop class runs through Los Angeles-based headTrix. It is a short class that is taught by an Adobe Certified Instructor and covers many different Photoshop skills. Students learn to create a new file, crop and resize photos, manipulate images, work with layers, and add text to images. Other covered skills include creating effects with layer styles, using filters, and optimizing images for the web.
Photoshop Part 1
CTS Computer Training Source, Inc. also offers live online classes. Photoshop Part 1 is a class designed for beginners who don’t have any Photoshop experience. Students who take this class will learn how to organize and customize the Photoshop workspace, and will also learn some basic design principles. Covered topics include adjusting images, refining images, and working with selections and layers. Students also learn how to manage files, which includes formatting, saving, and exporting.
Photoshop Fundamentals
Another place to learn Photoshop in a live online format is Training Connection. This school is based in Los Angeles. Photoshop Fundamentals is a multi-day class where students work on real-world projects and learn to use Photoshop. They learn to fix images, remove things, and add simple text and effects. The class also covers basic creative social media design, and designing a creative print cover. Students also learn about adjustment layers and FX, more advanced selection techniques, Pen tool fundamentals, and working with presets. Students who take this class receive a training manual and a certificate of course completion. They also have the option of a free class repeat.
Why Summer is the Perfect Time to Learn Photoshop
Summer is a great time for people of all ages to learn new skills or improve their existing skills. Many young people, in particular, choose to take a summer class while they are taking a break from their regular school schedule. A Photoshop class can be a great way to fill the summer months. It can give you valuable skills and knowledge that will help you thrive in college. It can also be a good way to start building the skills that you’ll need for your future career. If you’re not sure what type of career you plan to pursue, a summer class can also be a way to start exploring different career options and get a better understanding of what you might want to study in the future and what kind of training you think will be valuable to you.
In an article titled, “Summer Learning Programs: What, Why and How,” College Board discusses some of the benefits of summer classes. It says:
Many students choose to take part in special summer learning programs to:
- Explore their interests
- Develop new skills
- Get hands-on experience that a classroom doesn't offer
- Meet other students with similar interests
- Get a taste of college life
- Try out college classes
- Earn college credit, if available
In addition, says College Board, summer classes can help prevent loss of skills during the summer, and can show colleges that you’re serious about learning.
Reasons to Learn Photoshop
Knowing how to use Photoshop can be valuable if you plan to work in any kind of creative profession. Photographers use it to edit their photos in a variety of ways. For instance, you can make simple edits like adjusting color and contrast and removing blemishes. You can also make more advanced edits like integrating new figures or replacing backgrounds. Photoshop is also a popular tool for many types of designers, such as Graphic Designers, Digital Designers, and Web Designers. They use it to create and edit many different types of visual content, like content for marketing, websites, and apps.
Lots of creative design-related jobs have strong future job prospects. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a U.S. government agency that publishes reports about many different jobs, predicts that over the next ten years, web development and digital design jobs will grow by 16 percent, which is much faster than the average job growth rate of only 3 percent. Many of these jobs also pay relatively well. A Digital Designer earns $81,000 to $94,000 per year on average, a Web Designer earns about $53,000 to $63,000, and a Graphic Designer earns approximately $56,000 to $59,000.
There is also a lot of evidence that getting certified in something like Photoshop can improve your chances of finding a job and may lead to a higher salary. In an article titled “The Value of Certification,” certification provider Certiport explains, “Certifications . . . are a credible, third-party assessment of one’s skill and knowledge for a given subject.” As a result, it maintains that certification can increase your earning power, improve your reputation, and enhance your credibility. It reports, “91% of hiring managers report certification is an important criterion for hiring.” In addition, it finds that certification can lead to a higher average salary and increase the chance of receiving a raise. Finally, it also finds that certification can be beneficial to high school students. It reports that according to research, high school students who are certified are likely to have a higher grade point average than those who are not, and are more likely to graduate.
What You’ll Learn in a Photoshop Class
Every Photoshop class is different, but there are some fundamental skills that you’re likely to learn in any class. One is composition. This means combining a number of different elements in order to produce a design. Composition is important because it determines how your design looks and feels to your audience. You’ll also learn to work with layers, which are an important part of Photoshop. Layers allow you to make edits to one part of an image without altering the whole image. Another skill that is likely to be covered in a Photoshop class is adding and modifying text. With a Creative Cloud subscription, you’ll gain access to thousands of different fonts, and when you take a Photoshop class you can learn how to manipulate those fonts in many different ways. In addition to these skills, you’re also likely to learn how to use Photoshop’s Brush tool, which you can use to paint freehand, creating unique digital art.
How to Choose the Right Summer Photoshop Course
When you start looking at summer Photoshop classes, you may find a number of different options, and you may wonder how to choose the class that is right for you. Before you commit to a class, it's a good idea to do a bit of research so that you can find one that fits your needs and goals. Photoshop classes vary in cost, how long they take to complete, how difficult they are, and the age group that they are intended for. It's a good idea to thoroughly read course descriptions and request more information if necessary. It can also be helpful to find reviews written by former students.