Should I learn Photoshop?

[mikehende]

Hello, just asking some advice from you Pros here please if you will?

I am a 57 year old male [Computer technician]  in NY and have been doing both Computer repairs and web design which is totally competitive so not all that many jobs and have been paying people to create logos and banners for me but now thinking why not learn to do it myself so I can get some extra income? Some questions I would like to ask advice/opinions on would include:

1] Is Photoshop skills still in demand so it be worthwhile for me to invest time and money into it?

2] If yes, I am thinking of taking a course like this, would that work?

https://www.udemy.com/photoshoptraining/

3] Maybe I should have asked this question first, is there any specific area of imaging that will be in demand for a long time, if so, what would that be and which software and skills would be best for me to learn please? Thanks guys.

[Abambo]

My answer to point 2): I’ve watched the first minutes of the course and found some problems with the accuracy of the information at the very basic level. So it may be worth, but at least at the beginning it does not meet my quality requirements. And to say that someone talking about Ps CS4, CS5 aso at a time where CC was available is not that serious. A course on CS4 will be usable in recent Ps versions with some differences in how the program achieves what. So that is not an exclusion reason. But hearing someone talking about CS4 as the 4th version of Ps tells me, that the guy did not even read Wikipedia. That would be my exclusion reason and the advice not to trust getting a good course.

On 1 and 3): Ps (and Adobe skills in design in general) are mandatory. for someone considering doing busines in the world of graphic art and prepess. In addition Adobe is very strong in Video tools and Web applications. If you ask the one skill you would need, except the fact that still you should have some talent in design, I would toggle between Ps and Illustrator. Indesign is an important nice to have, knowing web design and having prepress skill would open you to very much of what is going oncurrently. And please do not neglet that mobile computing is high in demand, so designing for those devices is crucial for success.

[mikehende]

Thank you very much for the help/advice. Yes, Indesign which I just looked at here:

See what you can create with InDesign |

is definitely something I can use for web design. I am thinking though since Indesign seems to have most of what I would be able to use on webpages, why would I need Ps please? Would that be for simply editing images?

Also, since drawing is not my forte how would Illustrator help me? Thanks.

[Abambo]

Indesign is not for webdesign. It’s used for dtp.

[mikehende]

Sorry I don;t know what "dtp" means? From the link I gathered Indesign is used to also create Interactive online docs which can be used on a website. That is something that has been requested here and there.

Would you be able to advise on this please?

Also, since drawing is not my forte how would Illustrator help me? Thanks.

[Abambo]

desk top publishing - making magazines, folders and other prints. Id has also some interactive features. If you want more infos, I would suggest to ask that question in the Indesign forum.

[mikehende]

Thanks. So to sum up, which is the lowest version of Ps I should get and will that work for image editing and logo and banner creation like combining different images to make one image or would I need something else please?

[Abambo]

logo creation is done in Illustrator.

And Photoshop is available on subscription basis. The Photographers plan is the cheapest possibility to access Ps.

And I forgot: with the subscription, you can access also former versions of Photoshop, down to version CS 6. That, however, makes mostly only sense, if your OS does not support the newer version.

[Nancy OShea]

InDesign for web pages?  Ummm...  not the responsive web that I work with.  InDesign is ideal for print projects -- everything from brochures & business cards to posters and eBooks.  But I can't honestly recommend using it for web development.

I use Dreamweaver to code responsive web sites and apps.  

Muse is the other Adobe web authoring app that's aimed mainly at designers who don't want to look at code.  Muse is too limited for the things I do but many designers like using it.

I use Photoshop for raster images - JPG, PNG and the occasional animated GIF.  I also use PS to generate quick compos of web pages or apps before I build them in Dreamweaver.  PS also allows me to quickly  generate  1x, 2x & 3x images for better viewing on Hi-DPI or Retina displays. 

I use Illustrator for print and to create logos, icons, text headings and  other vector graphics.  I can export them to SVGs  for use on the web.  SVG can be re-scaled up or down and still retain sharp, crisp details.   You can't do that with JPGs or PNGs.  

Go to Lynda.com /  LinkedIn  for training videos.  They are peer reviewed for quality and accuracy.  You have to pay a subscription fee but you get what you pay for.

[Peru Bob]

Lynda.com is a good source for tutorials of all kinds:

Lynda: Online Courses, Classes, Training, Tutorials

They have a free trial.

[Dean_Utian]

Other advice provided is good but will add one more perspective.

Definitely worth learning Photoshop if you're doing any type of digital image work. Besides using it to create graphics, things like resizing, cropping, colour adjustment, etc are valuable things for you to be able to do yourself.

In terms of taking over designing logos or banners, that is a skill in itself. Simply knowing the program won't mean the ability to come up with great graphic design. However, if you're already doing it by hand for instance and then getting someone else to digitise it, then definitely knowing the tool to get it done yourself would be quicker and more profitable. If the you're getting someone to design logos from scratch, and that person is highly skilled, he/she may do it quicker and more efficiently than you.

In terms of what software / skill will serve you you for the longest period, my advice is not to invest all your time into one program as it can change. In terms of skills, like what has been said before - pick something you enjoy doing, you have confidence in and will therefore get the most satisfaction. That will get the best results. Options are:

- Illustration for logos and other vector graphics - Illustrator

- Video - Premiere (editing), AfterEffects (post-production)

- Desktop publishing - InDesign

- Web & HTML5 - Dreamweaver, Muse, etc... (and non-Adobe programs)

- Web programming.......

etc....

[Abambo]

For the web, I found it very useful, knowing how to set-up and maintain a Wordpress site. Muse is very interesting for smaller websites. You can design quite interesting sites here. Dreamweaver is for html pros.

[mikehende]

Thanks for the info guys, I will get the monthly creative cloud package which will give access to everything.

Seems there is a ton of people doing logos, image editing  and video. I am still trying to figure out which is the most in-demand service a person can provide using these tools, any ideas please?

[Abambo]

The complete package is good value for the money. I use on a dayly basis 3 products: Ps/Lr, Illustrator and Indesign.

I’m also doing web design with Muse and Dreamweaver.

And I’m using Premiere and Audition and After effects for video when needed.

I suppose that coders for the web are looked for (Dreamweaver/Wordpress etc), when you are not a great designer. In that same range, you could look into PhoneGap too. As you are doing Webdesign, look to get basic knowledge of the web tools then look around and peak into the other tools in the package. In case of trouble, the forums are great. For learning, I recommend the Adobe offers, they are free and paid services like lynda.com/linkedin learning. Youtube is great too, but sou need to find the serious participants and pieces.

[josephlavine]

The answer to this question really depends on one's unique situation, even within the parameters you outline.  Knowledge is generally a good thing and will  allow you to better serve your clients, which in turn helps a career.  A great aspect about Adobe software is there are similarities in structure across most applications making your learning curve quick.

As others have suggested, Lynda.com is a great resource.

Best of luck. 

[MelissaLA88]

Would it hurt to learn Photoshop? Absolutely not! I say, go for it! However, if you're looking to create logos and banners, you may also want to consider learning Illustrator. Nancy OShea gave a great overview of how she uses Photoshop, Illustrator, and more.

There are a ton of free resources to start out with. I would start with a simple Google search or check out YouTube. Lynda.com is also great, but does require a subscription.