Quickly "scrub" values in Photoshop dialogs.
Here is another one of those simple, universal time savers for Adobe Photoshop CS and CS2. It may be easier to show than it is to describe.
In almost any Photoshop dialog box you can quickly adjust values by clicking on the name of a value and dragging the cursor side-to-side to "scrub" to a larger or smaller value. A quick way to fine-tune any settings.
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Tip #1: When your cursor is above a name that can be scrubbed, the cursor icon will change to a hand with two arrows:
Tip #2: If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, once you click on the name you can adjust with the wheel. Plus, with a mouse that has horizontal scrolling, you can also adjust in larger increments than with the vertical scrolling. Cool!
Tip #3: Add the Shift-key while dragging (or using a scroll wheel) and Photoshop adjusts the values in larger increments.
This technique should work with almost any Photoshop CS or CS2 dialog that uses numerical data.
Source: This tip comes up occasionally during one-on-one Photoshop coaching sessions. The scroll wheel tip was contributed by Russ Alman with Alternative Business Solutions, specializing in Daylite based sales/marekting systems in the Olympia-Tacoma area. The Shift-Key tip comes from a comment by Alan Degasis. Thanks for contributing!
Comments
Hey, I tried this trick and discovered that there is more to this that makes it even more useful.
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, once you click on the name, you can adjust with the scroll wheel. And, with a mouse that has horizontal scrolling, you can also adjust in larger increments than with the vertical scrolling. Cool!
Russ
Posted by: Russ Alman | August 13, 2006 11:00 PM
Thanks Russ! I've included your tip in the main posting, and added your name to the source. -Craig
Posted by: Craig Swanson | August 13, 2006 11:41 PM
this is awesoome and not a moment too soon. Now if PS could finally do simple math equations in those numerical data it would make me really happy.
EG: Canvas size 100px + 50px. Many other apps can do this. Modern computers are giant calculators at heart, why is this so hard to implement?
-adam
Posted by: adam Mercado | August 17, 2006 08:30 AM
If you have an "old fashioned" scroll wheel, you can still make those "coarse" adjustments by holding down the Shift key while scrolling...
Posted by: Alan Degasis | August 17, 2006 08:47 AM
Alan, Thanks for the Shift-key tip! I just tested it, and it works even if you are just dragging the mouse. (I'm adding this as Tip #3). Thanks. -Craig
Posted by: Craig Swanson | August 17, 2006 10:35 AM