Learn More About Photoshop Classes in Boston
Created in 1987 by American brothers Thomas and John Knoll, Photoshop was sold for distribution to Adobe Systems Incorporated in 1988 and quickly became the most prominent design software in the world. Designed as a subset of Illustrator, it exceeded expectations to become Adobe's highest-selling product and a byword for graphic design work and projects. The sheer number of jobs and markets that use this powerful tool is staggering to behold.
Not surprisingly, Boston’s tech sector includes many jobs that require Adobe Photoshop. As a major technology and economic hub on the Atlantic Coast, Boston’s diverse and exciting career options provide fascinating work opportunities. If you’re interested in visual design and enjoy working with computers, it’s a smart idea to try out Photoshop training to learn more about this software. You might be surprised at how much you can do with a Photoshop education.
What Can You Do with Photoshop Training?
While learning Photoshop in Boston can help you start a fun graphic design career, there’s far more to this software than meets the eye. For example, let’s say you already have a pretty good job and aren’t interested in changing it up. Why should you learn Photoshop, then? Well, you could try a side hustle (i.e., a smaller-scale job you do for extra money) designing and selling items like flyers, posters, and more on platforms like Etsy or eBay.
Even if you’re not interested in this type of job, learning Photoshop can help you with many projects. Let’s say you have a large family who always turns to you for things like wedding announcements and other unique projects. Mastering Photoshop will improve your skills and help you produce more attractive and engaging work for your family. Furthermore, you could use Photoshop to touch up your family’s pics and make them more attractive before printing.
What Will I Learn in a Photoshop Class?
As the top photo-editing and image design software in the world, Adobe Photoshop requires learning and mastering multiple skills. While you can probably sit down with Photoshop and start doing some basic work, understanding these techniques ensures you create great work. These include hard and soft skills that can advance your career and improve your experience. Note: these are just some of the things you will learn in your Boston Photoshop course.
Image Editing
Most people use Photoshop to edit digital pictures, including cutting out images they don’t want, changing their aspect ratios, and making them clearer and more attractive. Understanding important editing techniques (such as cropping and using the pen tool and healing brush) can help you produce better work and enhance your Photoshop mastery to the next level. Mastering all these skills can help you progress to better and more exciting jobs with Photoshop.
Layering
Photoshop’s biggest innovation was integrating layers into each image, allowing you to target specific elements and edit them individually. This is a significant feature, and mastering this technique can help you create more attractive and engaging work. For example, adding a top-layer image lets you edit it specifically while leaving other areas untouched.
Color Balance
Photoshop’s color tool lets you change your photos’ appearance by increasing or decreasing certain color saturations in your photos. For example, you could add more blue and yellow to beach photos to make them more vivid and attractive. Use this tool cautiously, as even minor changes can significantly impact your images.
Contrast, Brightness, and Sharpness
Adjusting contrast, brightness, and sharpness in your photos can help make them clearer and more attractive. For example, brightening darker images can give them a more striking look and minimize shadows and other distractions. Better contrast and sharpness help eliminate murky and blurry shots, making your pictures look sharper.
Organization
Do you know what concept unifies and underlies all your work in Photoshop? Proper image organization and layout. Knowing how to create excellent shot layouts in Photoshop helps arrange image flow and makes your photos more appealing. You can use these skills in other areas of your life too.
How Hard is It to Learn Photoshop?
There’s a learning curve with Photoshop that will take just about anyone some time to master. While you can probably jump into experimenting with this software quickly and learn its basic operation, true expertise comes with time. That’s because Photoshop is a deep and complex program that requires hands-on work to master.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Photoshop?
The trickiest part of learning Photoshop is editing and tweaking photos without making the changes too obvious to the viewer. Great photo editing is subtle and supports the photo instead of detracting from it. For example, many users mistakenly add too much color saturation to their pictures, making them look artificial or strange. Getting this right can be challenging.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Photoshop?
Learning the basic tools in Photoshop should take no more than 2-3 months, depending on your motivation, inherent skills, and willingness to practice. Some people might jump into Photoshop and feel comfortable using it after a few days, while others will need more time. It might even take six months or a year to fully master its many tools.
Should I Learn Photoshop in Person or Online?
In-person courses offer unique advantages such as the ability to learn alongside others and interact directly with your instructor. In this way, they help you thrive and master Photoshop with ease. However, geographical limitations can make them more difficult to access, and they often cost more because they provide your materials. Online courses allow you to take classes whenever and wherever you want and cost less, but they come with fewer opportunities for interaction with instructors.
Can I Learn Photoshop Free Online?
You’ve probably seen YouTube channels and free seminars on Photoshop that sound intriguing. Are they worth your time? Absolutely, as they can help you master important skills or troubleshoot common problems. Can you learn everything about Photoshop using these resources? No, because they are not designed for that. Instead, they are great for supplemental learning.
What Should I Learn Alongside Photoshop?
When learning Photoshop, it’s a good idea to practice with other Adobe software to improve your skills. For example, you could learn InDesign, Illustrator, Captivate, Lightroom, Acrobat, and other powerful tools to broaden your knowledge. While learning skills like UI Design and Typography may seem like a stretch when mastering Photoshop, there’s no harm in acquiring them.
Industries That Use Photoshop
Boston’s tech market has exploded in recent years, and while it’s still not quite on the same level as NYC and even Chicago, growth isn’t far behind. With a large and ever-expanding design sector, Boston is the perfect place to start your career with Photoshop. In short, many industries will need your skills with this powerful photo editing tool.
Graphic and Digital Design
Though you’ll need to know other skills in the graphic and digital design market, Photoshop is a great addition to your resume when applying for positions. Boston firms like RainCastle Communications, Trust Deep Branding, Walker Sands, Demoflick, Atelier LKS, and Breakaway hire designers with Photoshop skills and other unique abilities.
Advertising and Marketing
Marketing and advertising companies require Photoshop experts to create attractive banners, ads, side panels, and videos for their clients. To begin your career in Boston, you can try working with firms like 3 Media Web, MarketReach Inc., Ladybugs Interactive Agency, LittleFire, Cleveland Design, Magnitude Consulting, AndPlus, and Sleep | Walk | Films.
Photography
Photographers use Photoshop heavily to edit their photos and make them more appealing and interesting. You can either start your own company (a common route for those who want to work solo and make good money) or join companies like Alternative Angles Photography, OJRT Photography, and Beaupix.
Event Planning
Working for (or starting) an event planning company may require mastering Photoshop to edit pictures for your clients. For example, you may work with wedding planners to create undeniably beautiful shots that the married couple will love. However, you could also work with fundraising teams and other types of non-profits documenting and marketing their events.
Photoshop Job Titles and Salaries
Boston’s many fascinating industries include many jobs that utilize Photoshop almost daily. These careers include great salaries, fun roles, and duties that make them worth trying out. In each of the sections below, you’ll learn what each has to offer, as well as your potential salaries.
Graphic Designer
When you work as a Graphic Designer, you’ll likely use Photoshop to create attractive photos that communicate important information and inspire your viewers. Though the US market average is $59,000, Boston is one of the highest-paying markets for this career, paying a median of $108,000 or 80% more than the national average, which is a huge increase.
Designer
Designers can work in multiple industries and may use Photoshop in various ways. For example, a photo Designer might create digital assets or even integrate hand-drawn sketches and photos onto a computer for various projects. The average Designer makes about $73,000, while Boston designers make $75,000. That’s a slight increase of 1.61%: not bad at all.
Visual Designer
Here’s another job role that might seem confusing: Visual Designer. In this role, you’ll create banners, navigation tools, graphics, menus, and banner ads (among other things) for use online in various markets. Visual designers make about $81,000 a year on average, though higher-earning jobs in Washington, D.C. (not far from Boston) make $98,000 or so.
Digital Designer
As one of the highest-paid Photoshop-adjacent careers, a Digital Designer can earn an average of $94,000 in this market, though other areas (such as Fairfax and Washington, D.C.) may earn as much as $165,000 in this field! Expect to use Photoshop and other tools to make graphics, animations, and visual effects for web-based projects, films, and even television ads.
Photoshop Classes Near Me
Boston’s an educational mecca (after all, it’s very close to Harvard and many other schools), meaning you should have no difficulty finding a Photoshop class that appeals to you. These are just a few of the most popular in-person options available in the area, though many schools also provide online courses if you’re interested, including award-winning NYC classes.
Adobe Photoshop 101
Available from Ledet Training in several different programs, this intro-level course provides hands-on lessons on Adobe’s popular photo editing tool. Taking just two days and costing $899, this class prepares you for Adobe Photoshop 201 and other more advanced courses.
Adobe Photoshop CC
Offered by New Horizons in Waltham, MA, Adobe Photoshop CC is a two-part program that includes a two-day $790 intro course and a follow-up class with the same time frame and cost. You’ll learn to use Photoshop to produce attractive digital artwork quickly and efficiently.
Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp
General Assembly is a large training team that provides courses in many parts of the country, including Boston. Its Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp is a seven-hour class that costs $250 and gets you more than ready to use this software. Online and in-person courses are available.
Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp
Noble Desktop provides an 18-hour, $975 class that covers all of your basic Photoshop needs. If you’re interested in learning this software, it’s a great course that can ensure you learn about photo editing and graphic production. Note: it’s only available online in Boston.
Photoshop Corporate Training
Noble Desktop provides in-depth Photoshop training that includes the same level of attention that their other classes. With discount booking vouchers and other benefits, their courses are beneficial. Email corporate@nobledesktop.com to learn more about these courses.