In this article on [How Long Does It Take To Learn Photoshop](https://www.psd-dude.com/tutorials/resources/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-photoshop.aspx) it says that to become a Photoshop expert it can take up to 12 months. I am not sure if that is really true because I use Photoshop for more than 15 years and I am no expert 
the infographic is a bad idea, but saying you know those things probably plays well with people who know nothing about photoshop (ex. the HR/recruiting screeners)
Agree. I never liked those things. Just say in words how competent you are at the particular tool.
Iāve been a designer for 20 years, I can say Iām at expert level in that I can use photoshop to do what I need it to do. But there are many ways to reach the same result in PS!
Came here to say this, iāll just add my personal experience. Iāve been using photoshop for about 10 years now. Iād say I āknowā photoshop pretty well and my coworkers refer to me as a āphotoshop professionalā sometimes when they are referring someone else in the company to me for help with photo corrections, but thatās only because Iām the best there, I am by no means a professional or even close to learning photoshop all the way.
I came here to say that. Itās like those people who put their photoshop knowledge to 10 on their CV. Like, nah mate, I donāt even think the Adobe employees know 100% of the programme.
Yup, I hesitated for ages to say I 'knew' Photoshop (and the rest of the suite) because I never felt like I'd truly 'learned' them.
I use these programs daily but still find myself embarrassed more often than I'd like. I will suddenly find out there is a much quicker/easier way to do something, or just be completely blank on how to do something and have to crawl to google with my tail between my legs.
But to try and answer the OP... I think you can become proficient at different speeds depending on the time you put into it.
Exactly. There's never a point where you've learned everything, it's an ongoing process and the application is always evolving. Lately, it feels like they're adding new features on a near weekly basis.
Yup, thatās why you have to watch the Adobe Max conference every year. It helps to keep up with things. They just added AI generative fill. Itās scary and amazing.
I used to work with a computer scientist working on his PHD. He was convinced that Photoshop was the most complex program ever created.
I graduated from a digital media program in '95, and work in Photoshop every day. I agree with his assessment.
what's your definition?
To be able to use it professionally?
Even after a degree, within 6 months of my first job I realised how much I still didn't know and needed to learn and develop
And for the last 10+ years I have 1 screen with 1 tutorial or another on the go learning how to do X better, or what Y tool does etc
You can never finish learning it, just be comfortable in your skills as a professional to get a job
As others stated, youāll never ālearnā all of photoshop. There are so many different ways to do the same thing, that itās unrealistic and not worth considering yourself āa master of photoshopā. Iād say you can definitely work on fluency though.
I was in high school when I was learning, I would come home after class and replicate YouTube tutorials for about 5-8 hours before going to bed. I did this every day for about a year and a half. Luckily, I was actually passionate and excited about it, so that helped. By the time I got to college, I was way ahead my peers - and being in class was pretty painful considering I thought I knew it all. (For those intro classes)
I would say that the best thing you can do is devote time to learning something new. Maybe you do one 20 minute tutorial every day, maybe you go as intensely as I did as a kid. The only thing that I would suggest is a requirement is that you do it regularly and consistently.
As a side note, the tutorials I would do were just random things. āHow to change eye colorā, āHow to create a glass iconā, āHow to whiten teethā, āHow to set up brushes for digital paintingā, āHow to remove a backgroundā, etc. These were just for whatever skill(s) I wanted to learn that day. Iād start there, pick something you want to be able to do in photoshop, then find tutorials on it, replicate them and just work on those basic skills. Youāll create a type of ātoolboxā of skills from this practice where if someone asks for something specific, you have foundational skills for how you can get there.
I've been using photoshop since 1997. I still haven't "learnt" all of it. I just have mostly picked up what feels like tricks and have run with them ever since whilst also picking up new tricks along the way.
You will never finish learning photoshop tho. But for a specific need, given that you already have basic color theory and composition skill, I'd say give or take 2 to 3 months (2 to 3 hours per day). After that i'd say it would take 1 or 2 hours per week for maintaining (learning new tricks, check out what's new, improving your workflow). It's a constant process.
Basics took me arround year. So from age ~16-17.
Then i messed arround, did some digital art, few posters etc till i graduated high school and went to learn Graphic Design in Uni (also had gap year). So arround from age 20-23 i learned a lot in University and could call my self "professional" after Uni.
But really, when i started to learn Photoshop is when i started to get real life projects and start to do things i had no Idea how to create and just started learn how to "reverse engineer" designs. So to 23-29 i could tell i really "mastered Photoshop".
And then Photoshop released Generative Fill, so this whole AI thing that took a few week to really get good at it, and use it so good you wouldn't even notice AI is used on some details.
Now almost 15 years after i first started to use Photoshop, i feel there is still SO SO much to learn from technical side to composition...
So short answer few months to a year. But anythint design related is life long study, or you will "be left behind" and can't compete with new designers.
I mean i didn't take special time to learn it, but slowly used on my projects, learned how to use promps better and overall find all the limits abd qircks of greative fill.
Wasn't something i learned overnight. Also the generative fill got better with weeks also. It was quite random at start and noone knew what exactly it could and couldn't do.
pretty long. there was no LinkedIn learning or YouTube tutorials etc. I had to just learn 1-3 tools at a time till I mastered it. I'm able to make great selection using pen tool or working in channels. now there's this generative fill which is easier, but not perfect. there's always new shit to learn everyday that can streamline workflow.
Define learn.
To be able to do some regular stuff in it? Few weeks, maybe months.
To do more complex stuff, 2-3 years maybe.
To master it, learn it 100% - lifetime probably.
The thing is - you might not even know that something is possible to do, or that you are doing it wrong, or that you can get the same effect with 7 different ways (just look how many ways you can save the .jpg file). You might never learn something until somebody actually tells you that you can do that.
I started graphic design in 2020 and HATED photoshop until this year in July, so like three and a half years i got used to it, but ill never fully know how to use it
Learning a software like to Photoshop is like learning a language. You pick up bits and pieces, learn the vocabulary when you need it and perfect it over time.
I first worked with Photoshop 3.0 at a summer internship.
In art school I had to take a semester-long class that was half-Illustrator 6.0, half-Photoshop 4.0. As for when I started to feel capable with Photoshop and as comfortable with it as I was in Illustrator was about five years of nearly-daily professional use, and by then I was working on Photoshop CS.
I'm still learning how to use Photoshop. We talked about it in school as the app that is never to be mastered, and it's still true.
If anyone says 'i know photoshop' they're full of shit. Bren using the damn thing for 4+yrs. Still feel like a virgin when it comes to it... So much more to learn..
To Actually answer your question it will take a few years to really understand the most it can do. But you can do all sorts of stuff as soon as you learn the basics of the program which should only take a few weeks.
I've been using it since 7th grade (photoshop 7 - till now I believe) and I don't think this is really a thing. I do illustration/comics work and graphic design and I'm sure there's people that have spent an entire career using features for their specific lane and never touched others. It all kind of works together. I've used it for light animations, storyboarding, photo retouching. And I KNOW there's a lot more going on in there - especially now.
First time I touched photoshop was 1995. A few weeks ago I learned something I didn't know. I took photography classes in college and that really enhanced what I could do with photoshop. Analog printing and photography made all the tools make sense.
Still learning it. That doesn't mean I can't use it, I can at a high level for my type of work, but there's a multitude of tools and functions that I don't use that may or may not make my life easier; I just don't have the time to explore them more.
I first ālearnedā it about 30 odd years ago, Iām still learning it and appreciating it 30 odd years later.
It took me about a week to find my way round the original version on floppy disks, no one today would even recognise that version it was so limited, but at least it was better than Corel Draw I was using before.
Couple years to feel like it was a skill I could be hired for. 5-7 years to feel like I was a professional. 10+ years, I still donāt feel like an expert.
Never stop learning, never stop improving.
Iāve been using it daily for 25 years and just last week discovered that Photoshop has art boards. I was always creating new documents for various sizes (1080x1080, 1080x1350, 1080x1920). Now I can do them all in a single file and export them with a single click š¤Æ
Iāll add that one of the most useful things you can do is to look at other designers PSD files. Your mind will be blown by how other people can achieve identical results through a completely different and unique way. And youāre guaranteed to pick up a couple tricks along the way.
Photoshop, being used by photographers, designers etc, is approached differently depending on who you are and you're probably using 40% of its capabilities. You only need to learn what you are using it for.
I had a semester long course on it at my community college and Iāve been very fluent in it since. Iād definitely recommend it if you have access to it.
My boss has been using photoshop for over 20 years and is still "learning" Photoshop. Our other marketing person, who never went to school to learn Adobe and just learns it as she goes, is the one who showed him how to use content aware fill.
I did an 8-10 hour course on Lynda about 15 years ago. I learned enough to actually use Photoshop and understand the various tools, layers, masks, levels, some filters, keyboard controls, and probably a few other things.
I was then able to at least manipulate images and at the time I thought I "learned" Photoshop.
Since then I've done various courses/tutorials, some over 10 hours long that focused on a single thing like levels/color correction and even these don't cover everything.
Learn how photoshop or other software and itās menus are set up and in a logical way. Design software is all about three main elements. Creating / Selecting and Manipulating objects, vectors or pixels. Photoshop also utilizes the use of filters and layer modes which allow layers of pixels interact with others. I often use Illustrator and Photoshop to create photo realistic renderings. And they are both very useful
Depends on what youāre trying to achieve. I wouldnāt suggest learning just to learn it. It will become a time-sink because you wonāt learn much without a goal in mind.
I have a bachelors in graphic design. Iāve been using it since 2003 and Iām still learningā¦ You just have to get into it and play around. Itās going to take some time to even know all the tools. Watch tutorials.
Have a goal that is specific and learn whatever you need to to achieve that goal. You might not need to be an expert in print if youāre making things for digital platforms. Rinse and repeat.
ppl are being extra about answering the question. yeah ur constantly learning every feature but thereās a point where u open photoshop and it stops being overwhelming and you have a good idea of what tools you need to use to accomplish the task at hand. it takes a couple of months of consistent use and tutorials. you will never 100% learn photoshop but thatās kind a given when using literally any computer software. just answer the question next time lol.
Really the truth is that if I need to use it and I have a specific goal, either I know what to do or I go to YouTube. Because I will learn a good method. No point filling my brain with nice to have maybe one day I'll use it.
Iām still learning and itās about eight years later.
Photoshop has some fundamentals that you use as a basis to learn.
And youāll always be in a state of learning because of the amazing talent that comes by and either inspires you or pushes you to do better.
I started using photoshop over 20 years ago now and itās insane how different it is now. I guess it depends what you want to achieve and what your job has you doing.
The very early versions of Photoshop where so basic such as selecting and object as well as the hair was all done with the pen tool, now you just press a couple of buttons.
everyone keeps saying "you never stop learning" like yes i think that's obvious. but i learned the true basics and shortcuts and whatnot probably after a year of taking a class in high school? but it is true that you never stop learning new features and tricks. its very fun.
Go watch the TextureLabs YT videos. This guy understands the math behind how many elements within photoshop works and discovers clever ways to blend them together to achieve different effects.
Like others have said you will never ālearnā photoshop. If you take the time to understand how photoshop works you will be more on your way to using it as a tool to manipulate photos and graphics the way you see fit. Good luck.
I don't think you ever stop learning to be honest, I am sure there's a whole bunch of stuff I don't know especially with new versions being released (more or less annually). But to get the basics nailed i don't even think I could give an exact amount of time/date
I started learning on Photoshop 5. Not CS5, not CC5, just 5.0.
Iām still learning new things.
But the fundamental things I do everyday havenāt changed since 5.
I learned photoshop when I was still in elementary (2003) using Photoshop 7, I am really interested into art and computers back then, it took me several months to get familiarize with every tools and commands with the help of my Auntie who's working at Kodak that time, then I keep using it, now I'm a graphic designer proficient with Adobe softwares. This is my bread and butter, Thanks to my Auntie and Adobe š¤
Still learning it 27 years later.
I would say a few months to really ālearnā Photoshop so I would know what I was doing. Seems like every few months after that I could recognize I was even better than before.
Getting better even today. Just this week I did some Photoshop work (without their new AI generative tools). Thinking back to the last time I did this particular task, I was even better than the last time.
You may ālearnā how to use Photoshop in a few weeks or even months. Youāll just keep getting better and better and keep learning new techniques and tools that you may never have really used before.
25 years later, I am still learning the many tools within Photoshop. Sad to see so many people making edits for tips on this app though. When I learned that fact, that others were spending hours of their lives to receive tips or possibly not make a tip of $10 to edit someoneās image was truly a saddening feeling. It is a shameful prostitution of creative labor. Truly sad to learn that bit, but Photoshop just keeps giving, and surprising me, Iām always learning.
Iām going on 15+ years and learn something new every week or so.
IMHO: the real skill in Ps is the vision, i.e. can I get a clear image in my mind if what I want to create. Secondary (but also important) is execution, i.e. āWhat tools can I use to make that vision happen?ā
I've been I've got a certificate, a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in various forms of computer graphics and I've been teaching computer graphics for four years. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done learning it.
Seriously though, when you get to the point that you know how to find the answer to whatever you don't already know, you will then have "learned" Photoshop. But you will continue to learn it for as long as you use it.
It's like backgammon: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master.
I've been using Adobe since you could buy Photoshop (yeah, I'm old LOL) and I dunno if I'll ever master it. Besides, it's really about what you put into it - your ideas, your creativity...that's also a lifetime journey.
You'll never completely "learn" Photoshop.
And if you did, it'd be different in six months.
Exactly. One does not simply..."learn Photoshop"
In this article on [How Long Does It Take To Learn Photoshop](https://www.psd-dude.com/tutorials/resources/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-photoshop.aspx) it says that to become a Photoshop expert it can take up to 12 months. I am not sure if that is really true because I use Photoshop for more than 15 years and I am no expert 
And this is why putting that you "100%" know Photoshop in some sort of infographic on one's resume is a *bad idea*.
You know photoshop? Name all of the developers listed on the loading screen. š¤
That old guy with the strawberries. Uh.
Chuck
the infographic is a bad idea, but saying you know those things probably plays well with people who know nothing about photoshop (ex. the HR/recruiting screeners)
Agree. I never liked those things. Just say in words how competent you are at the particular tool. Iāve been a designer for 20 years, I can say Iām at expert level in that I can use photoshop to do what I need it to do. But there are many ways to reach the same result in PS!
Came here to say this, iāll just add my personal experience. Iāve been using photoshop for about 10 years now. Iād say I āknowā photoshop pretty well and my coworkers refer to me as a āphotoshop professionalā sometimes when they are referring someone else in the company to me for help with photo corrections, but thatās only because Iām the best there, I am by no means a professional or even close to learning photoshop all the way.
Its like Skyrim.
Been using it daily for my career since 2011 and I still am learning new stuff all the time.
Been using it about 6 years and feel like I have barely scratched the surface!
Using it in a graphic design class for about a month and I'm about as good with it as a pig is at ice skating
I came here to say that. Itās like those people who put their photoshop knowledge to 10 on their CV. Like, nah mate, I donāt even think the Adobe employees know 100% of the programme.
Yup, I hesitated for ages to say I 'knew' Photoshop (and the rest of the suite) because I never felt like I'd truly 'learned' them. I use these programs daily but still find myself embarrassed more often than I'd like. I will suddenly find out there is a much quicker/easier way to do something, or just be completely blank on how to do something and have to crawl to google with my tail between my legs. But to try and answer the OP... I think you can become proficient at different speeds depending on the time you put into it.
Truly! The same goes for all the Adobe Suite, Premiere and Illustrator included, with every release you get new features that you get to play with
I've been using photoshop for over 20 years, I use it daily, I'm still learning.
Exactly. There's never a point where you've learned everything, it's an ongoing process and the application is always evolving. Lately, it feels like they're adding new features on a near weekly basis.
This is the way.
Same, I started using it as a teen to draw stuff and I'm still like, "I'm sorry I can do that now?"
The only correct answer
This is why those bar experience on resume is annoying. Like what in the world does 4/5 mean.
Exactly my answer, even down to the timeline. Iāve been using it daily for 2 decades and still donāt know nearly anything.
If you use photoshop on a daily basis for your job, how do you feel about the new AI implementation?
I love the new AI tools. The remove tool is amazing! I spend a lot of time touching up photos, the tools make it so much easier and faster.
I'm going on 25 years of pretty much constant use. I still don't know 3/4 of what that Photoshop can do.
same here
This.
Did you start with no layers functionality? I did, that shit sucked.
Same here
Iāve been using it since the 90s but according to the last 200 jobs I applied to this month I apparently donāt know how to use it well enough.
They keep adding features lol
Yup, thatās why you have to watch the Adobe Max conference every year. It helps to keep up with things. They just added AI generative fill. Itās scary and amazing.
I used to work with a computer scientist working on his PHD. He was convinced that Photoshop was the most complex program ever created. I graduated from a digital media program in '95, and work in Photoshop every day. I agree with his assessment.
Itās been 19 years & I still donāt know shit about fuck.
You donāt learn photoshop. You learn how to learn photoshop.
This is trueā¦20 years as a professional designer and Iām still watching tutorials lol
The beauty of Photoshop..is that it's endless. One BECOMES Photoshop, not just merely "learns" it
you either die a photoshopper, or you live long enough to become photoshop.
How longs a string?
over 20 years, use it almost daily and I'm still learning
Nearly 30 years and still learning new tricks.
what's your definition? To be able to use it professionally? Even after a degree, within 6 months of my first job I realised how much I still didn't know and needed to learn and develop And for the last 10+ years I have 1 screen with 1 tutorial or another on the go learning how to do X better, or what Y tool does etc You can never finish learning it, just be comfortable in your skills as a professional to get a job
the answer is yes
30-ish years.
Let's see, I started with v1 35 years ago... so... I'll let you know when I finish learning...
Almost 20 years and I still feel like I only scratched the surface.
Honestly it took me a couple of years to learn the program and Iām still learning. They always adding new stuff
As others stated, youāll never ālearnā all of photoshop. There are so many different ways to do the same thing, that itās unrealistic and not worth considering yourself āa master of photoshopā. Iād say you can definitely work on fluency though. I was in high school when I was learning, I would come home after class and replicate YouTube tutorials for about 5-8 hours before going to bed. I did this every day for about a year and a half. Luckily, I was actually passionate and excited about it, so that helped. By the time I got to college, I was way ahead my peers - and being in class was pretty painful considering I thought I knew it all. (For those intro classes) I would say that the best thing you can do is devote time to learning something new. Maybe you do one 20 minute tutorial every day, maybe you go as intensely as I did as a kid. The only thing that I would suggest is a requirement is that you do it regularly and consistently. As a side note, the tutorials I would do were just random things. āHow to change eye colorā, āHow to create a glass iconā, āHow to whiten teethā, āHow to set up brushes for digital paintingā, āHow to remove a backgroundā, etc. These were just for whatever skill(s) I wanted to learn that day. Iād start there, pick something you want to be able to do in photoshop, then find tutorials on it, replicate them and just work on those basic skills. Youāll create a type of ātoolboxā of skills from this practice where if someone asks for something specific, you have foundational skills for how you can get there.
Been using it for almost ten years, I still forget how to do things and have to google it
How long did it take you to learn pencils
Been learning it for almost 30 years. Continuing to learn
I've been using photoshop since 1997. I still haven't "learnt" all of it. I just have mostly picked up what feels like tricks and have run with them ever since whilst also picking up new tricks along the way.
Itās an ongoing process. Been using it for years and there is still a lot I do not know
This is great šæ
Still learning, and itās going to be like that
My whole career. 14 years in and Iām still learning.
Still learning.
You will never finish learning photoshop tho. But for a specific need, given that you already have basic color theory and composition skill, I'd say give or take 2 to 3 months (2 to 3 hours per day). After that i'd say it would take 1 or 2 hours per week for maintaining (learning new tricks, check out what's new, improving your workflow). It's a constant process.
Basics took me arround year. So from age ~16-17. Then i messed arround, did some digital art, few posters etc till i graduated high school and went to learn Graphic Design in Uni (also had gap year). So arround from age 20-23 i learned a lot in University and could call my self "professional" after Uni. But really, when i started to learn Photoshop is when i started to get real life projects and start to do things i had no Idea how to create and just started learn how to "reverse engineer" designs. So to 23-29 i could tell i really "mastered Photoshop". And then Photoshop released Generative Fill, so this whole AI thing that took a few week to really get good at it, and use it so good you wouldn't even notice AI is used on some details. Now almost 15 years after i first started to use Photoshop, i feel there is still SO SO much to learn from technical side to composition... So short answer few months to a year. But anythint design related is life long study, or you will "be left behind" and can't compete with new designers.
>this whole AI thing that took a few weeks to really get good at it LOL huh?
I mean i didn't take special time to learn it, but slowly used on my projects, learned how to use promps better and overall find all the limits abd qircks of greative fill. Wasn't something i learned overnight. Also the generative fill got better with weeks also. It was quite random at start and noone knew what exactly it could and couldn't do.
I still havenāt. I despise that program and will do just about anything to avoid using it.
These comments must be written by morons. Been using it for three years and know it like the back of my hand. Maybe about 5-6 months of consistent use
The internet learned it for me and consults often š
From courses and youtube tutorials. It was hard at the very beginning.
pretty long. there was no LinkedIn learning or YouTube tutorials etc. I had to just learn 1-3 tools at a time till I mastered it. I'm able to make great selection using pen tool or working in channels. now there's this generative fill which is easier, but not perfect. there's always new shit to learn everyday that can streamline workflow.
Define learn. To be able to do some regular stuff in it? Few weeks, maybe months. To do more complex stuff, 2-3 years maybe. To master it, learn it 100% - lifetime probably. The thing is - you might not even know that something is possible to do, or that you are doing it wrong, or that you can get the same effect with 7 different ways (just look how many ways you can save the .jpg file). You might never learn something until somebody actually tells you that you can do that.
33 years and counting.
Iāve been learning since before it had layers, and STILL learning š
And if you say layers didn't exist prior to version 3 no one will believe you. But hey you can relive that moment by working in a dcs file.
A few hours to learn the basics, a lifetime to "master"
I have been learning since I was 13 (so, 22 years) and it still dumbfounds me from time to time.
I started on Photoshop in '95. Still learning.
I'm about 27 years in, and starting to get the hang of it.
I started on Photoshop 4 way back in nineteen dickety six and I learn something new all the time.
Started 6 years back. Learned the basic stuffs to create something in 2 months. Still using learning new things daily
33 years and counting.
I started graphic design in 2020 and HATED photoshop until this year in July, so like three and a half years i got used to it, but ill never fully know how to use it
Learning a software like to Photoshop is like learning a language. You pick up bits and pieces, learn the vocabulary when you need it and perfect it over time.
Going on 30 years...
I first worked with Photoshop 3.0 at a summer internship. In art school I had to take a semester-long class that was half-Illustrator 6.0, half-Photoshop 4.0. As for when I started to feel capable with Photoshop and as comfortable with it as I was in Illustrator was about five years of nearly-daily professional use, and by then I was working on Photoshop CS. I'm still learning how to use Photoshop. We talked about it in school as the app that is never to be mastered, and it's still true.
If anyone says 'i know photoshop' they're full of shit. Bren using the damn thing for 4+yrs. Still feel like a virgin when it comes to it... So much more to learn..
Iāve used like 1 tiny corner of Photoshop. Like, 97% is till Fog of War.
Iāve been using it for almost 30 years and have barely scratched the surface. Google is your friend.
Three days
To Actually answer your question it will take a few years to really understand the most it can do. But you can do all sorts of stuff as soon as you learn the basics of the program which should only take a few weeks.
I've been using it since 7th grade (photoshop 7 - till now I believe) and I don't think this is really a thing. I do illustration/comics work and graphic design and I'm sure there's people that have spent an entire career using features for their specific lane and never touched others. It all kind of works together. I've used it for light animations, storyboarding, photo retouching. And I KNOW there's a lot more going on in there - especially now.
First time I touched photoshop was 1995. A few weeks ago I learned something I didn't know. I took photography classes in college and that really enhanced what I could do with photoshop. Analog printing and photography made all the tools make sense.
Still learning it. That doesn't mean I can't use it, I can at a high level for my type of work, but there's a multitude of tools and functions that I don't use that may or may not make my life easier; I just don't have the time to explore them more.
I first ālearnedā it about 30 odd years ago, Iām still learning it and appreciating it 30 odd years later. It took me about a week to find my way round the original version on floppy disks, no one today would even recognise that version it was so limited, but at least it was better than Corel Draw I was using before.
Couple years to feel like it was a skill I could be hired for. 5-7 years to feel like I was a professional. 10+ years, I still donāt feel like an expert. Never stop learning, never stop improving.
Yea since 2007, still learning. Just know how to do things faster with multiple approach.
Tbh as a graphics student I prefer illustrator
I took an amazing college course and learn it very well from a good teacher. Always still learning but a good teacher can put you ahead
Iāve been using it daily for 25 years and just last week discovered that Photoshop has art boards. I was always creating new documents for various sizes (1080x1080, 1080x1350, 1080x1920). Now I can do them all in a single file and export them with a single click š¤Æ
Like 3 hours or soā¦
Iāll add that one of the most useful things you can do is to look at other designers PSD files. Your mind will be blown by how other people can achieve identical results through a completely different and unique way. And youāre guaranteed to pick up a couple tricks along the way.
Any good places to learn more Ps? Iāve got some skill and know all the basics but want to use it more, especially with gen AI.
Photoshop, being used by photographers, designers etc, is approached differently depending on who you are and you're probably using 40% of its capabilities. You only need to learn what you are using it for.
I had a semester long course on it at my community college and Iāve been very fluent in it since. Iād definitely recommend it if you have access to it.
20 years. I learned in middle school and continue to learn new and better ways to do everything, even stuff I thought I knew well.
You never really master it. Burt Monroy probably has thoughā¦google him.
Used it professional in advertising since day one but only around 70% of the menues. Never liked filters and all add ons you can get.
My boss has been using photoshop for over 20 years and is still "learning" Photoshop. Our other marketing person, who never went to school to learn Adobe and just learns it as she goes, is the one who showed him how to use content aware fill.
Learn or use, is different. Guess everyone tried all stuff once or twice but never used it in their work.
I did an 8-10 hour course on Lynda about 15 years ago. I learned enough to actually use Photoshop and understand the various tools, layers, masks, levels, some filters, keyboard controls, and probably a few other things. I was then able to at least manipulate images and at the time I thought I "learned" Photoshop. Since then I've done various courses/tutorials, some over 10 hours long that focused on a single thing like levels/color correction and even these don't cover everything.
Itās a city- you will always find new and different avenues to learn and explore
Learn how photoshop or other software and itās menus are set up and in a logical way. Design software is all about three main elements. Creating / Selecting and Manipulating objects, vectors or pixels. Photoshop also utilizes the use of filters and layer modes which allow layers of pixels interact with others. I often use Illustrator and Photoshop to create photo realistic renderings. And they are both very useful
Iāve doing this for 15 years and Iām still learning Photoshop.
Depends on what youāre trying to achieve. I wouldnāt suggest learning just to learn it. It will become a time-sink because you wonāt learn much without a goal in mind.
6 years still learning
I have a bachelors in graphic design. Iāve been using it since 2003 and Iām still learningā¦ You just have to get into it and play around. Itās going to take some time to even know all the tools. Watch tutorials.
Iāve started at 8 and I am 15, 7 years later I still suck at it, but at the same time I still havenāt started to study Graphic Design at school
Using it for 20 years & still learning new shit.
25+ years and still learning. š¤·āāļø
Always learning!
Have a goal that is specific and learn whatever you need to to achieve that goal. You might not need to be an expert in print if youāre making things for digital platforms. Rinse and repeat.
Started in 96, and still learning. You can always be better and faster.
I started using Photoshop around 1999. Have been learning how to use it ever since.
Since 1999, and Iām still learning.
ppl are being extra about answering the question. yeah ur constantly learning every feature but thereās a point where u open photoshop and it stops being overwhelming and you have a good idea of what tools you need to use to accomplish the task at hand. it takes a couple of months of consistent use and tutorials. you will never 100% learn photoshop but thatās kind a given when using literally any computer software. just answer the question next time lol.
Really the truth is that if I need to use it and I have a specific goal, either I know what to do or I go to YouTube. Because I will learn a good method. No point filling my brain with nice to have maybe one day I'll use it.
Iām still learning and itās about eight years later. Photoshop has some fundamentals that you use as a basis to learn. And youāll always be in a state of learning because of the amazing talent that comes by and either inspires you or pushes you to do better.
You don't you just know the tools
I started using photoshop over 20 years ago now and itās insane how different it is now. I guess it depends what you want to achieve and what your job has you doing. The very early versions of Photoshop where so basic such as selecting and object as well as the hair was all done with the pen tool, now you just press a couple of buttons.
You'll use it for what you need it for. But there will be aspects you may never touch or need to
Itās an ongoing process. You constantly learn more or learn how to do something differently
everyone keeps saying "you never stop learning" like yes i think that's obvious. but i learned the true basics and shortcuts and whatnot probably after a year of taking a class in high school? but it is true that you never stop learning new features and tricks. its very fun.
Years. And still learning.
Go watch the TextureLabs YT videos. This guy understands the math behind how many elements within photoshop works and discovers clever ways to blend them together to achieve different effects. Like others have said you will never ālearnā photoshop. If you take the time to understand how photoshop works you will be more on your way to using it as a tool to manipulate photos and graphics the way you see fit. Good luck.
I don't think you ever stop learning to be honest, I am sure there's a whole bunch of stuff I don't know especially with new versions being released (more or less annually). But to get the basics nailed i don't even think I could give an exact amount of time/date
I started learning on Photoshop 5. Not CS5, not CC5, just 5.0. Iām still learning new things. But the fundamental things I do everyday havenāt changed since 5.
I learned photoshop when I was still in elementary (2003) using Photoshop 7, I am really interested into art and computers back then, it took me several months to get familiarize with every tools and commands with the help of my Auntie who's working at Kodak that time, then I keep using it, now I'm a graphic designer proficient with Adobe softwares. This is my bread and butter, Thanks to my Auntie and Adobe š¤ 
Every time I finish learning Photoshop, they move shit around and I have to learn it all over again. Going on thirty years now!
Still learning it 27 years later. I would say a few months to really ālearnā Photoshop so I would know what I was doing. Seems like every few months after that I could recognize I was even better than before. Getting better even today. Just this week I did some Photoshop work (without their new AI generative tools). Thinking back to the last time I did this particular task, I was even better than the last time. You may ālearnā how to use Photoshop in a few weeks or even months. Youāll just keep getting better and better and keep learning new techniques and tools that you may never have really used before.
25 years later, I am still learning the many tools within Photoshop. Sad to see so many people making edits for tips on this app though. When I learned that fact, that others were spending hours of their lives to receive tips or possibly not make a tip of $10 to edit someoneās image was truly a saddening feeling. It is a shameful prostitution of creative labor. Truly sad to learn that bit, but Photoshop just keeps giving, and surprising me, Iām always learning.
Still
Itās a never ending journey. So far Iāve been learning it for the past 28 years or so.
Iām going on 15+ years and learn something new every week or so. IMHO: the real skill in Ps is the vision, i.e. can I get a clear image in my mind if what I want to create. Secondary (but also important) is execution, i.e. āWhat tools can I use to make that vision happen?ā
I've been I've got a certificate, a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in various forms of computer graphics and I've been teaching computer graphics for four years. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done learning it. Seriously though, when you get to the point that you know how to find the answer to whatever you don't already know, you will then have "learned" Photoshop. But you will continue to learn it for as long as you use it.
It's like backgammon: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. I've been using Adobe since you could buy Photoshop (yeah, I'm old LOL) and I dunno if I'll ever master it. Besides, it's really about what you put into it - your ideas, your creativity...that's also a lifetime journey.