Learn how to create a new file as a canvas in an easy and straightforward manner. This article gives detailed instructions on how to configure the file, change the width and height, units of measurement, resolution, color mode, and how to adjust the canvas size.
Key Insights
- The article demonstrates how to create a new file as a canvas. It starts by providing instructions to change the title of the file to 'canvas', and then covers changing the width, height, and units of measurement of the canvas to pixels.
- The content also discusses how to adjust resolution by selecting PPI or pixels per inch. It suggests reducing the resolution to 72 PPI for web or draft image creation, and maintaining it at 300 for high-resolution images.
- Moreover, the article provides tips on how to change the canvas size post creation, and use control keys to undo and redo mistakes made during the configuration process. The control z key is particularly emphasized as a useful shortcut for undoing mistakes.
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In this video we'll quickly go over how to create a new file as a canvas. Let's start by going to file, new, and here we have the opportunity to create a canvas.
Let's go over some of the details of how we can configure this file. First, we'll double click the title and we'll simply type canvas. Next, we have the ability to change not only the width and height, but the units of measurement by selecting inches and we'll change this to pixels.
Let's also change our width by double clicking and typing 1000. We'll change our height to 1000 as well. In order to maintain a canvas type file, we won't select artboards as we'll be covering artboards in the future.
Next, our resolution refers to the PPI or pixels per inch. Depending on how high this number is, the higher resolution and more clarity and pixels within our image. When creating an image for the web or for a draft, we might reduce our resolution down to 72 PPI or pixels per inch.
However, for many photos and high resolution images, we'll leave it at 300. In addition, we can also change our color mode and our background contents. We'll click create.
Since this file will just be used for demonstration purposes, we won't need to save it. But, we do want to go over how to change our canvas size if we determine that we need to change it once we have initially created it. To do this, we'll go to image, canvas size, and with canvas size selected, we can adjust our width and our height.
We can also change the units of measurement to pixels. And for example, we can change this to 2000. And using tab twice, we'll also change our height to 2000.
And click okay. If we zoom out using CTRL MINUS (-) on the keyboard, we'll see that we still have a square canvas. However, looking at our document properties, we'll see it's roughly twice the size.
Next, let's go over one helpful trick that may be helpful for mistakes. Let's say we've created a square with the rectangle tool. And holding shift, we'll simply create a square.
And next, let's move this square using the move tool. And move it over to the right. However, in this situation, let's pretend that moving it there was an accident.
We could try and click and drag it back to the original space. Or, we can use control z on the keyboard to undo this mistake. In addition, if we want to redo something we've previously undone, we can hit control shift z on the keyboard to redo it.
As we're making multiple changes throughout these videos, remembering that we can undo mistakes with control z can be helpful. We'll continue on in the next video. See you there.