Photoshop Certifications and Certificates

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate your skills in Photoshop, you might be overwhelmed by the different certifications and certificate programs available. You might also have a lot of questions, such as will a certificate help you get a job? Is there a difference between a certificate and a certification? How do I prepare for these credentials? This article aims to provide answers to these questions so you can efficiently choose the right path towards a Photoshop certification. Keep reading to find out more.

What is Photoshop?

Photoshop is a software program available as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. Its primary functions include editing, enhancing, and creating digital images from scratch. The program has a wide range of impressive capabilities. Creative professionals across nearly every industry can use Photoshop to design anything from graphics for social media, logos, and the interface of an entire website!

You can use Photoshop to adjust lighting and colors and to create a single image from your favorite components of existing photos. The program comes loaded with plenty of retouching tools, enabling you to remove anything you feel makes your image less than perfect. If you’re scanning a physical photo into the program, you can edit it to remove stains, tears, and wrinkles. Photoshop also contains rudimentary animation capabilities, meaning users can create GIFs with the program as well.

Read more about what Photoshop is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Photoshop?

Photoshop is the industry standard software for photo editing. The program can make virtually any adjustment you can think of, and you can add or remove almost anything you want to create your perfect final image. For example, photographers who work with large groups will often use Photoshop to make a composite of several images; this way, they can combine the best photo of each individual into one picture.

But Photoshop is used for so much more than enhancing images! Graphic Designers frequently use the program to design logos and advertisements for their clients. Because the program allows users to combine multiple images, designers in any industry can use Photoshop to quickly demonstrate how a proposed design would appear on a product. This helps their clients get a clear picture of the final product and quickly make changes, saving both time and money.

It’s also commonly used in web design. Although you can’t code a website in Photoshop, you can use it to create mockups of interfaces, backgrounds, and graphics that designers will add to a website later. Photoshop also contains powerful image compression tools, ensuring the images on a website are clear rather than pixelated. Web Designers can also use the program to build the layout of a website, though other tools are more capable of creating a responsive design.

Certifications vs. Certificates: What’s the Difference?

Understandably, certification and certificate are often used interchangeably in a professional context. However, they refer to different things, and a different process is required to attain each. A certification is generally obtained after sitting for an exam that is administered by a third party. They are designed for professionals who want to demonstrate mastery of a particular skill and are often required for specific jobs. Before students can sit for a certification, they usually need to have a certain amount of experience.

Certificates are completion-based programs that even beginners can enroll in. While not typically required for employment, certificate programs can help prepare students for their certification exams. They provide students with a great deal of hands-on practice with a particular skill, and completing these programs makes a solid addition to any resume.

Top Certifications & Certificates for Photoshop

Noble Desktop offers a few different certificate programs that include helping beginners learn Photoshop. These programs are ideal for those who want to prepare for their Photoshop certification. They also include individual career mentorship sessions and assist students with developing their portfolios, which is another crucial aspect of landing your dream job. As an added bonus, Noble’s certificates offer a free retake option where students retake the program within one year at no additional cost.

Noble Desktop offers a Graphic Design Certificate that teaches Photoshop and two other popular Adobe programs– Illustrator and InDesign. Throughout this course, students complete hands-on projects as they learn to create graphics like cover art and logos. For those interested in learning to design web and mobile interfaces, the UI Design Certificate could be a great fit. Here, students are taught to implement the principles of design as they develop beautiful interfaces using Figma and several different Adobe programs.

There is a Photoshop certification through Adobe as well– the Adobe Certified Professional program. This 50-minute exam tests professionals in core concepts related to Photoshop and visual design. The exam is designed to measure the ability to quickly navigate the interface, select the appropriate tools for a project, and deliver quality results in a timely manner. To succeed on this exam, Adobe recommends at least two years of hands-on experience with Photoshop before the test. Because Adobe programs are regularly updated, these credentials need to be renewed every two years.

Should I Get Certified in Photoshop?

Whether you should invest the necessary time and money required to get certified in Photoshop depends on the career you want to pursue. If you’re already employed at a job you enjoy and you’re considering getting certified to boost your resume, it may not be necessary. However, you can always talk to a mentor or a supervisor to see if it would help you get a pay increase or a promotion.

If you’re hoping to find a new career, getting certified might be more beneficial since it could help set you apart from the competition. For instance, if you and another candidate have similar qualifications and equally strong portfolios, an Adobe certification might be the one thing that pushes you ahead. A certification is also a good choice if you hope to freelance. It shows potential clients that you have relevant experience and provides some assurance that you will complete your work to a high standard.

How to Get Certified in Photoshop

There are several paths you can take to obtain certification in Photoshop. However, most people follow some combination of the steps listed below:

• Practice! Since Adobe recommends two years of experience before sitting for the exam, you’ll want to spend a lot of time getting familiar with the program. For extra practice, you can follow along with YouTube tutorials or look for freelance design work on sites like UpWork.
• Once you feel confident that you have the required experience, it’s time to start studying. Take advantage of free study guides and sample exam questions on Adobe’s website. You can also enroll in a class to help you master the basics, like Noble Desktop’s Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp.
• Register for the exam! Adobe exams are offered through official Certiport testing centers. The exam contains 30 questions that must be answered in 50 minutes. If you don’t pass the first time, you must wait 24 hours before retaking the exam. Those who don’t pass the second time must wait five days.

Learn Photoshop with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a range of Photoshop classes that are sure to meet a variety of scheduling needs and learning styles. Whether students attend in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus or virtually from anywhere in the world, they’ll learn from expert instructors in small groups. All Noble courses also include a free retake option within one year, giving students additional opportunities to hone their skills at no additional charge.

For students who only have a few days to spare, the Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp is an excellent way to move from beginner to intermediate in just three days. This course guides students through various projects that each target a specific skill within Photoshop. By the end of the bootcamp, students will be able to complete tasks like adjusting colors, creating a composite image, and removing components of an image to make the end result more appealing.

Photoshop is also covered in a few of Noble Desktop’s more intensive certificate programs. There is a Graphic Design Certificate that teaches Photoshop and two other Adobe programs– Illustrator and InDesign. If you are curious about using Photoshop to design web and mobile interfaces, the UI Design Certificate might be a great fit. You’ll incorporate several design principles to create stunning and accessible interfaces using Figma and multiple Adobe programs. Participants in these programs will add their coursework into a portfolio they can show off to potential employers.

Key Insights

• Photoshop is a digital editing software program loaded with many functions and tools. It is used by creative professionals across multiple industries.
• Certificates and certifications are two different things:
• An academic institution typically provides a certificate, and though they can help demonstrate proficiency, they are not usually required for employment.
• Third-party organizations offer a certification after a person successfully passes an exam; many jobs require a certification.
• A certification in Photoshop is likely not required for most jobs, but it could help you stand out in the pool of applicants if you’re starting a new career.
• Certifications are beneficial for freelancers since they show potential clients that you’re experienced and take your job seriously.
• You can learn Photoshop comprehensively with live, instructor-led training at Noble Desktop.