Blogging can be a profitable career. By equipping yourself with excellent writing skills, your blog can be a success. And if you add some extra, your blog can do even better.
The best extra would be Photoshop skills. Photoshop editing is more than just retouching photos. It is the creative way of using and reusing photos and images so they fit your blog’s different themes better.
Aside from that, there are other unexpected benefits that you can get by simply knowing how to use Photoshop.
Benefits of Having Good Photoshop Skills
1. You can save more money.
Many bloggers and web developers spend a lot of money on hiring designers. If you know how to edit and design images yourself, you can save money by designing your own graphics.
You will also save time because you won’t have to spend hours and days looking for the right designer.
2. You can make more money.
If have outstanding Photoshop skills, you can make money from it. You can accept photo editing projects or design unique graphics that you can sell.
The project doesn’t have to be big; you’ll find that your special skills can help you when you need some extra money.
3. You can be extra creative.
By acquiring Photoshop skills, you’ll gain a new creative outlet. You can express your creativity in many ways by designing images according to what you feel.
Also, you’ll be able to meet your own demands or criteria for design.
4. You can prepare for the future.
If you are a blogger who wishes to write and publish your own book, you’ll want to brush up on your Photoshop skills.
Designing your book covers can be costly when you hire someone else to do it. But if you know how to design them yourself, you’ll be able to save money.
The money you save can be invested in more important things such as professional editing and proofreading.
5. You can expand your business.
You can take on other business opportunities with your Photoshop skills. From shirt design and web design to photo art and graphic art, you can start any creative business with your Photoshop know-how.
By getting familiar with Photoshop skills, it makes it easy for you to come up with your own marketing material. Visual marketing can help you expand your business and generate sales.
Try to keep up with changing trends in the industry and create marketing material to advertise your product or even build your email list.
Photoshop can let you design different ads within minutes to helps you grow your business. Good quality photos of your products affect the number of sales you can make.
6. Photoshop skills allow you to boost your multimedia content
As a blogger, your online presence is crucial to those who follow you. By having Photoshop skills, you can expand your online presence and make your brand consistent.
You are free to create innovative graphics, videos, images, and even animated GIFS to include them in your social media platforms.
Photoshop allows you to come up with unique cover photos that you can use to promote your product or in landing pages without hiring a designer.
7. You get access to professional resources
Photoshop gives you access to numerous talented designs and resources online.
By equipping yourself with Photoshop skills, you get access to templates, textures, product mock-ups, patterns, graphics and illustrations which all come from talented photographers and designers.
This can help you take your blogging skills to the next level.
Developing Your Photoshop Skills
There are many ways you can learn and improve your Photoshop skills. Let’s start with the basics:
1. Watch videos on Photoshop tutorials.
There are many websites out there that publish free videos on Photoshop tutorials.
By watching these vids, you’ll orient yourself better with the different Photoshop tools. You’ll also learn valuable tips and tricks for easy editing.
2. Experiment with your own photos.
Experience is the best teacher. There is no better way of learning Photoshop than by editing your own photos.
Start with something small. Try cropping off unwanted elements from the photo or blurring the background. Then, slowly experiment with the colors and textures.
3. Imitate other designs.
Another experimental way of learning Photoshop is by imitating others’ designs. Start with a similar photo and try to achieve the same effects. Do this just for fun and experience; don’t try to steal their work by taking credit for it.
4. Enroll in Photoshop classes.
If you want an organized way to learn Photoshop, try to find Photoshop classes and workshops near you.
Some design and tech schools offer special classes on Photoshop and graphic design. These classes are usually offered for a limited time, but there are also online classes that you can check out.
5. Follow blogs and websites about Photoshop.
Find blogs or websites that focus on Photoshop designs and techniques. By following these sites, you can get news and updates on the latest software and techniques.
This will help you become more familiar with the ins and outs of Photoshop editing and designing.
6. Learn the basics
Photoshop is a diverse subject that has numerous possibilities. As a blogger looking to acquire Photoshop skills, you need to begin with the fundamentals.
Aim at understanding the basics before trying to gain advanced knowledge. Lay a good foundation on Photoshop knowledge so that you don’t experience challenges later.
You can start with understanding the basics of Photoshop when it comes to tools, shortcuts, and interface.
Understand how these items work before you can proceed with topics like web components, typography and learning how to manipulate photos.
7. Get feedback from participating in Groups
After learning Photoshop tutorials through enrolling in a class, you need to find groups that designers join. Such groups can help you get constructive criticism from the people who have been in the industry longer than you have.
Flickr groups for designers are a good place to start. Try sharing your work with the rest of the designers who are also looking to boost their skills.
Together, you can brainstorm ideas that can help you improve your overall blog. If you participate in designers groups, you can learn a lot from others through their feedback.
8. Get inspiration by subscribing to online galleries
Different artists often display their exceptional work in online galleries. As you aim at creating good results by learning Photoshop skills, you need some inspiration.
By going through online galleries, you can get motivation as you experiment using your own photos.
You need to subscribe to them so that you obtain constant updates and never miss out on inspiration. Some of the popular online galleries you might across include CSS Mania, CSS Elite and CSS drive.
Choose an online gallery that is in line with the type of design you need to help you in your blogging career.
