Before creating a new design in Photoshop, you need to create a document. A new Photoshop document provides a canvas where you can add images, text, shapes, colors, and other design elements.
A new document is a blank Photoshop workspace created with specific dimensions and settings.
You can use this document to create a poster, social media post, banner, thumbnail, advertisement, or other design.
To create a new document, open Photoshop and choose File → New.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N on Windows.
Photoshop will open the New Document dialog where you can select or enter document settings.
The New Document dialog box contains settings that control the size and basic properties of your new document.
The exact appearance of the dialog can vary between Photoshop versions, but the important document settings remain similar.
Photoshop provides presets for common types of documents.
Presets can help you quickly start a project for purposes such as:
You can also create a document using custom dimensions.
Width determines the horizontal size of the document.
For example, you might create a document with a width of 1200 pixels.
The unit can be changed depending on the type of project.
Height determines the vertical size of the document.
For example, you might create a document with a height of 800 pixels.
Width and height together determine the overall dimensions of the canvas.
Photoshop allows you to work with different measurement units.
Common units include:
Pixels are commonly used for digital and screen-based designs, while physical units such as inches or centimeters are useful for many print projects.
Orientation determines whether the document is wider or taller.
The two common orientations are:
Choose the orientation according to your design requirements.
Portrait orientation has a greater height than width.
It is useful for designs such as posters, documents, portraits, and many vertical social media designs.
Landscape orientation has a greater width than height.
It is useful for banners, horizontal graphics, presentations, and many wide designs.
Resolution describes the amount of image detail represented in a digital image.
When creating a new document, Photoshop allows you to specify a resolution value according to the intended use of the design.
Designs created primarily for screens are usually planned around their pixel dimensions.
Examples include websites, mobile graphics, social media posts, and digital banners.
The required settings depend on the final platform and purpose.
Print projects require appropriate physical dimensions and resolution settings.
The correct resolution depends on the printing process and requirements of the final output.
Always check the printer or project requirements before starting an important print document.
Color mode determines how colors are represented in a document.
Common color modes include RGB and CMYK.
RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue.
It is commonly used for images and graphics that will be viewed on screens such as computers, phones, and televisions.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black).
It is commonly associated with print production.
If a project is intended for professional printing, follow the color requirements provided by the printing service.
A new document can be created with different starting background options depending on the Photoshop version and document setup.
Common choices may include a white background, a background color, or a transparent background.
A white background provides a simple starting point for many designs.
It can be useful for posters, documents, simple graphics, and other designs where a white canvas is required.
A transparent background means that the document does not start with a solid visible background.
Transparency is useful when creating graphics such as logos or other objects that need to be placed over different backgrounds.
Suppose you want to create a digital poster.
A basic setup could include:
The exact dimensions should be selected according to where the poster will be displayed.
For a social media graphic, first determine the required dimensions of the target platform or design.
Then create a new document using those dimensions and select an appropriate color mode for the final use.
A business card is generally a print-oriented design.
Before creating it, determine the required physical dimensions, bleed requirements, color mode, and resolution from the printing provider.
Some document properties can be modified after the document has been created.
However, it is better to plan the important dimensions and intended output before starting a project.
This helps prevent unnecessary resizing or quality problems later.
Width and height determine the shape of the document.
For example:
These are simple examples for understanding document proportions.
A square document has equal width and height.
For example, a document of 1000 × 1000 pixels is square.
Square layouts can be useful for many digital graphics.
It is a good practice to give your project a meaningful name when saving it.
For example, instead of using a generic name, you can use:
Soopro_Advertisement_01
Meaningful filenames make projects easier to find and manage.
Open Photoshop and create three new documents with different dimensions.
Beginners commonly make these mistakes:
A basic workflow for creating a new document is:
Creating a new document is the first practical step for many Photoshop projects.
Before clicking Create, consider the document dimensions, measurement units, orientation, resolution, color mode, and background.
In the next lesson, we will learn how to Open and Save Files in Photoshop.
Question: Which shortcut is commonly used to create a new document in Photoshop on Windows?