If you want to learn Photoshop online or by any other means for that matter, one of the most crucial and time saving tools is to customize your Photoshop keyboard shortcuts. If you have Photoshop CS or later, Adobe allows you to add customized keyboard shortcuts so you can quickly access your most commonly used items, such as filters.

Here are the steps to customize your Photoshop keyboard shortcuts. First, you want to open the edit menu and go to "keyboard shortcuts." This will bring up a dialog box called "Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus." As you can see, there are a multitude of items that you can assign shortcuts to.

Next, choose the set and shortcuts you want to use or make changes to. These are the first two drop down menus in the dialog box. Find the item you want to create a shortcut for (such as a filter or tool), click on it, then type in the shortcut. Finally, click accept and then the save button next to the "Set" drop down menu. That's it!

I would not recommend just going and setting up a Photoshop keyboard shortcut for every little thing, especially if you're just starting out. Learn the basics of Photoshop first, then as you use Photoshop more and more, you'll see a pattern of certain tools, filters, and options that you use more than others. Those are the ones you should create shortcuts for, as that will save you the most time in the end.

If you're not comfortable with the basics of Photoshop yet, then I suggest learning Photoshop online. There are probably hundreds of sites out there that provide free tutorials on various techniques for Photoshop. Unfortunately, it is a bit difficult trying to find the right videos in the right order so you can learn Photoshop step-by-step.

There are, however, various courses available for relatively cheap (probably $100 or less), that provide easy to follow video tutorials for you to learn Photoshop online. These videos go in order and help you to master Photoshop basics quickly. One of the best out there is Photoshop By Example, which provides you with over 50 training videos that you can follow along.

If you're looking for more information on Photoshop or how to learn Photoshop online, visit http://www.squidoo.com/learn-photoshop-online. There is information there to help you save money on Photoshop, as well as a comparison of different Photoshop training courses.

About the author

Deandre Contreras writes regularly about web design related topics. I hope you enjoy this article.