Photoshop Training
Best Practices For File Management

OVERVIEW
• Color Mode
• Resolution
• Cropping
• Resizing
• Layers

01 Color Modes
All images should be CMYK
To change color modes from RGB to CMYK,
use the menu bar.
Image > Mode > select “CMYK Color”.

02 Resolution
Converting to 300 dpi
Step 1: Menu Bar > Image > Image Size
Step 2: Uncheck “Resample Image”
Example 1
Step 3: ChangeResolution to 300

03 Cropping
If your creating a clipping path on
an image, crop the file down to actual
size to reduce file size
Command Click
on path
Step 1: “Command + Click” on path,
this will select the clipping path
Step 2: Menu Bar > Select> Inverse,
Then hit the “delete” key
Step 3: Menu Bar > Select> Inverse,
Step 4: Menu Bar > Image > Crop,
this will crop the image down to the
clipping path selection
Example 2

04Resizing
39.1 MB 1.2 MB
Not every photo needs to be resized, just extreme files
Most Adpro downloads are ok, but check glamour and beauty shots. Example 3

05 Layers
Any unused layers should be deleted
to decrease file size, and resaved as
an eps file.
Don’t destroy the original psd file
Example 4

06 Clipping Paths
Step 1 – Click on Pop-up menu in the upper right
hand corner, make a “new path”
Step 2 – Select Pen tool, make path
Step 3 – Click on Pop-up menu in the upper right
hand corner, choose ”Clipping Path”
Step 4 – Crop (Under “image” in the menu bar)
Step 5 – Save as EPS
Flatness
The lower the number the greater the number of
straight lines used to draw curves, and the more
accurate the curves will be.
Photoshop recommends 1-3 for 300 dpi art Example 5