- Optimizing Photoshop
- Setting General Preferences
- Modifying File Handling Preferences
- Working with Interface Preferences
- Working with Cursors Preferences
- Controlling Transparency & Gamut Preferences
- Working with Units & Rulers
- Working with Guides, Grid & Slices
- Selecting Plug-Ins
- Selecting Scratch Disks
- Allocating Memory & Image Cache
- Working with Type
- Managing Libraries with the Preset Manager
- Customizing the Workspace
- Defining Shortcut Keys
- Creating a Customized User Interface
- Using Drawing Tablets
Working with Units & Rulers
While changing the measurable units and rulers do not affect output quality, they do help to measure information in a document consistent with the specific output device. Ruler Units give you precise information on the width and height of the active document. The Column Size measurements provide information that Photoshop needs to create documents with columns, such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, etc. The New Document Preset Resolutions area lets you select specific resolution values when creating new documents. Insert the values you’ll use most often in the creation of a new Photoshop document.
Work with Units & Rulers Options
- Click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop (Mac) menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Units & Rulers.
- Select the Units options you want to use:
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Rulers. Sets a default measuring system for the Ruler bar.
For example, pixels would be most common for images displayed on a monitor, and picas or inches most common for output to press or printer. -
Type. Use to measure type with pixels, points, or millimeters.
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- Select the Column Size settings you want to use:
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Width. Choose a measurement system and numerical value for column width.
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Gutter. Choose a measurement system and numerical value for gutter (the space between the columns).
When you choose a measurement system (points, inches, or centimeters), Photoshop changes the value to correspond to the type of measurement system.
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- Select the New Document Preset Resolutions settings you want to use:
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Print Resolution. Select a print resolution and measurement value for default printing.
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Screen Resolution. Select a print resolution and measurement value for default screen display.
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- Click the PostScript or Traditional option measuring systems for Photoshop’s type tool (PostScript is the most widely used).
- Click OK.