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Parallel Track↔ Recipes Library

Short, standalone answers to "how do I do that again?" Jump in any time, in any order. Every recipe assumes nothing and links back to the module that teaches the idea in depth, for when you want the why behind the how.

📚 How to Use This

  • Search or scan. Filter by keyword below, or browse the categories.
  • Follow the quick steps. Each recipe is the short version, enough to get it done.
  • Go deeper when you want. The 🔗 Deep dive link on each card opens the full lesson.

New here? The linear course path teaches these skills in order. Recipes are the reference you keep open alongside it.

Categories

No recipes match that search. Try a simpler word like "sky", "type", or "batch".

🩹 Fix & Prepare

Straighten a crooked horizon

When the horizon or a wall is visibly tilted.

  1. Grab the Crop tool (C).
  2. Click Straighten in the options bar, then drag a line along what should be level.
  3. Photoshop rotates and re-crops. Press Enter.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 0: Fix & Export One Photo

Crop to an exact size or ratio

When you need a specific shape (square, 16:9, a print size).

  1. Crop tool (C).
  2. In the options bar choose a Ratio, or type W × H × Resolution.
  3. Drag to frame it, then Enter.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 0: Fix & Export One Photo

Remove dust spots & specks

When little marks dot a sky or a wall.

  1. Add a new empty layer named retouch.
  2. Spot Healing Brush (J), set Sample: All Layers.
  3. At 100% zoom, single-click each spot.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 1.3: Cleaning Up

Remove a distracting object

When something (a sign, a bin, a photobomber) pulls the eye.

  1. Loosely select the object with a little margin.
  2. Generative Fill with an empty prompt, then Generate.
  3. Or use Edit ▸ Content-Aware Fill for a non-cloud option.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 6.1: Generative Fill

✂️ Select & Cut Out

Remove a background

When you want to isolate a subject or drop it onto a new scene.

  1. Select ▸ Subject for a first pass.
  2. Click Select and Mask, refine the edge, tick Decontaminate Colors.
  3. Output To: New Layer with Layer Mask.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 4.1: Cut It Out Cleanly

Cut out wispy hair or fur

When a normal selection chops the hairline into a helmet.

  1. Make your selection, then open Select and Mask.
  2. Use the Refine Edge Brush along the wispy edge only.
  3. Nudge Shift Edge slightly negative to kill the halo.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 4.1: Cut It Out Cleanly

Select (or grade) just the sky

When you want to darken, warm, or replace only the sky.

  1. Select ▸ Sky for an instant selection.
  2. Add an adjustment layer; the selection becomes its mask automatically.
  3. Grade away, sky only. (Or Edit ▸ Sky Replacement.)

🔗 Deep dive: Module 1.2: Selections That Hold Up

Turn a selection into a mask

When you have a good selection and want to keep it editable.

  1. With the selection active, pick the layer you want to mask.
  2. Click the Add Layer Mask button. The selection becomes white (revealed).
  3. Paint the mask later to refine: black hides, white reveals.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 1.1: The Layer Stack & Your First Mask

🎨 Color & Light

Fix a color cast

When whites look orange, blue, or green.

  1. Filter ▸ Camera Raw Filter (convert to a Smart Object first).
  2. Grab the White Balance eyedropper and click something neutral gray or white.
  3. Fine-tune Temperature and Tint.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 2.1: The Develop Step

Add punch with contrast

When a photo looks flat and hazy.

  1. Add a Curves adjustment layer.
  2. Pull the shadows point gently down, the highlights point gently up (an S-curve).
  3. Keep it subtle; small moves, big effect.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 2.2: Curves

Brighten just one area

When you want to lift a face or a subject, not the whole frame.

  1. Add a Curves layer and brighten it noticeably.
  2. Fill its mask black (Alt/⌥ + Backspace with black).
  3. Paint white with a soft brush over the area to reveal the lift.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 1.1: Your First Mask

Give it a cinematic grade

When you want a "teal and orange" film look.

  1. Add a Curves layer, switch the channel to Blue.
  2. Lift the shadow end (cool shadows), drop the highlight end (warm highlights).
  3. Move in tiny amounts; channel curves are strong.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 2.2: Curves

🧑‍🎨 Retouch

Whiten teeth or eyes

When teeth or the whites of the eyes look dull.

  1. Add a Curves layer, brighten slightly and desaturate a touch.
  2. Fill its mask black.
  3. Paint white over just the teeth or eye-whites. Keep it subtle.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 3.3: Dodge & Burn

Smooth skin without plastic

When skin tone is blotchy but you want to keep pores.

  1. Set up frequency separation: a blurred LOW (color) layer and a HIGH (texture) layer.
  2. Even the blotches on LOW with a soft brush or a small blur.
  3. Leave HIGH alone so texture stays sharp.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 3.2: Frequency Separation

Remove a blemish naturally

When there is a temporary spot you want gone.

  1. New retouch layer, Sample: All Layers.
  2. Spot Healing Brush: click the blemish (leave permanent freckles/moles).
  3. Lower the layer opacity slightly if it looks too perfect.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 3.1: Natural Skin

Sculpt a face with light

When a portrait looks flat and needs dimension.

  1. Alt/⌥-New Layer, mode Soft Light, fill 50% gray.
  2. Soft brush at ~10%: paint white to dodge highlights.
  3. Press X for black to burn the shadow planes.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 3.3: Dodge & Burn

🔠 Design & Type

Add a title that pops

When flat text needs to lift off the background.

  1. Set your text with the Type tool (T).
  2. Double-click the layer to open Layer Style.
  3. Add a Gradient Overlay and a subtle Drop Shadow.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 5.3: Layer Styles & the Poster

Curve text along a shape

When you want text arced over a title or around a badge.

  1. Draw a path with the Pen or a Shape tool.
  2. Hover the Type tool over the path until the cursor shows a wavy line.
  3. Click and type; drag with Path Selection to reposition.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 5.1: Type & Hierarchy

Fix messy, flat type

When a layout has no clear "read me first".

  1. Give each line a job: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, fine print.
  2. Size boldly to match (make the main line much bigger).
  3. One or two fonts, one accent color, generous spacing.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 5.1: Type & Hierarchy

Make a crisp, resizable graphic

When a logo or icon must stay sharp at any size.

  1. Use the Shape tools or the Pen in Shape mode.
  2. Set Fill and Stroke in the options bar.
  3. It scales forever without pixelating. Avoid rasterizing it.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 5.2: Shapes & the Pen

⚙️ AI, Speed & Export

Add something that was not there

When the scene needs an extra element (a boat, clouds, a prop).

  1. Select an empty area sized for what you want.
  2. Type a short, concrete prompt in the task bar.
  3. Generate, then cycle the variations.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 6.1: Generative Fill

Uncrop or reframe a photo

When a subject is cropped too tight or you need a different shape.

  1. Crop tool, set Fill: Generative Expand.
  2. Drag the handles outward, or pick a new Ratio.
  3. Enter, then Generate. Expand in small bites for big changes.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 6.2: Generative Expand

Watermark a whole folder

When you need the same treatment on many images.

  1. Record an Action: place the watermark, resize, save, close.
  2. File ▸ Automate ▸ Batch, choose the Action and a source folder.
  3. Run it. For a desktop shortcut, save it as a droplet.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 6.3: Actions, Batch & Droplets

Export for Instagram vs print

When the same image needs to go to screen and to a printer.

  1. Keep the layered .psd master.
  2. Screen: Export As JPG, sRGB, at the platform's pixel size.
  3. Print: Save a Copy as PDF, CMYK, 300 ppi (confirm with the printer).

🔗 Deep dive: Module 5.3: Layer Styles & the Poster

Resize without wrecking quality

When you will scale a layer up and down repeatedly.

  1. Right-click the layer, Convert to Smart Object.
  2. Scale it freely with Ctrl/⌘ + T; it re-renders crisp from the original.
  3. Filters on it become re-editable Smart Filters too.

🔗 Deep dive: Module 2.3: Smart Objects

🎓 Want the full story?

Recipes get it done; the course path teaches you why, so you can solve problems these recipes do not cover yet.