No matter what you’re selling, images are a critical component of your marketing strategy. From website design and blog-featured images to custom graphics and paid ads, images are a reflection of your brand wherever people see them.
Being able to edit photos in Photoshop gives you the power to develop a unique look that you can keep consistent across all the images you use for your brand.
If you’re not familiar with Photoshop, there are plenty of online Photoshop classes that teach how to use it. We recommend looking for courses on reputable platforms with lots of good reviews.
With that in mind, here are the top ten online Photoshop classes we recommend.
1. Udemy
Udemy offers several different Photoshop classes for beginners, including one called “Photoshop CC: The Essentials of Photoshop In Just 2 hrs.” The creator of this video course is Adam Zollinger, a 3D graphic artist with over a decade of experience and numerous awards and a range of designs under his belt. He shares the basics of using Photoshop for those who want the quick overview in a short time.
Unlike other Photoshop classes available online, this online video course is only 2.5 hours long. It provides that overview insight to help you get started with Photoshop. The course includes information about navigating the software and how to use the tools, such as filters. It also contains free practice and professional project downloads to explore and work with.
This course is available for free. On Udemy, free courses include the video courses, but only paid courses include a certificate of completion and direct interaction with the instructor. If those features are important to you, you can explore Udemy paid Photoshop classes to find a variety of choices.
2. Skillshare
On Skillshare, you can take a class called “Adobe Photoshop CC – Essentials Training Course,” which is broken down into a series of 89 short lessons. With over 9 hours of content, participants can dive deep into the skills and tools they need to get the most out of Photoshop.
The course is led by Dan Scott, an Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) who has won awards for his Adobe teaching. It is advertised as being for beginners who have no previous experience with Photoshop, or even with photography or graphic design.
Through the series of modules, participants learn how to edit images using popular techniques and modern styles. You learn how to retouch mask images. as well as learn about more advanced Photoshop features.
There are a number of exercise files available for participants to follow along with the lessons and practice the techniques learned.
To access Skillshare classes, you need to sign up for a membership with yearly or monthly prices. Skillshare does offer a 7-day free trial, though, so you can check it out.
3. AGI Training
The American Graphics Institute provides online Photoshop classes in live formats for participants to receive an interactive experience, in addition to their in-person classes.
Their classes are broken into different types and intervals to cover a variety of needs. You can explore 2-day overview introductory classes, 4-day boot camp-style classes, and 1-day seminars.
The American Graphics Institute Photoshop classes can be taken as one-offs or in certificate series, such as Photoshop certification or graphic design certification. You can also choose topic-focused classes, such as photo retouching, fashion design, coloring correcting, or layers.
The instructors for these classes are vetted by the American Graphics Institute, and have written books and curriculums specialized to their expertise.
Reflecting the reputation of the school and certificate options, the classes tend to be on the pricey side, upward of $500 or $600.
4. Photoshop CAFE
If you’re looking for more specific Photoshop classes, Photoshop CAFE has a variety of online courses available. You can find classes about retouching for portraiture and fashion, painting animals, making movies, and digital photography.
Classes at Photoshop CAFE cost anywhere from $25 to $100, with some bundled classes costing over $200.
The instructors vary by the class, but as you browse their bios, their expertise in a wide range of industries is truly impressive. These are digital artists from around the world who bring knowledge and passion for Photoshop.
Photoshop CAFE’s classes are different from others offered online in that they are more like tutorial videos than interactive classes. Still, if there’s something specific you’ve been wanting to learn more about Photoshop or are interested in using it in a specific field like fashion or photography, these tutorials may be what you’re looking for.
5. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning, which used to be called Lynda, has Photoshop classes, including this “Photoshop Tips, Tricks, and Techniques” class. It’s available for $30, and comes with exercise files and a certificate of completion.
Advertised as being for both beginners and intermediate participants, this class covers all the tools and techniques you need to improve your images. It should help you with “post production workflow”—in other words, it’s supposed to help make your systems move faster and ultimately save you time.
For instance, the class description advertises that it covers popular topics like removing dark circles under eyes, but does so with techniques and tricks that are efficient and save you time.
The instructor is Richard Harrington, who is a digital video creator. His other LinkedIn classes include courses about cameras and other image-editing software.
6. CreativeLive
CreativeLive hosts a class called the “Adobe Photoshop CC: The Complete Guide,” which it advertises as one of its most popular courses. This class is available to members of the site for $13 per month, who can then access all their other classes, too, or you can just buy this class for $59.
This is not just an introductory class. It really is a guide for anyone, from beginners to experienced Photoshop users, to use the features and tools of Photoshop more effectively. It’s over 25 hours of content in 21 lessons. Participants can work at their own pace and have lifetime access to the videos.
Topics include layering, blending, filters, and color adjustments. Participants are also given access to 70 course material files for practicing and implementing.
7. Adobe
Adobe themselves offer classes for those who want to use their products better and more effectively. Of course, they want people to get the most out of Photoshop and use it to its fullest. You can find a series of detailed Photoshop tutorials on the Adobe website that walks you through different techniques you may be wanting to learn from the program. The most introductory option is called “Photoshop Get Started.”
This free series of videos walks you through getting to know Photoshop and its interface, interacting with and manipulating images, retouching and resizing images, applying filters and adding other images or shapes, and changing the quality of the image.
In addition to detailed videos, broken down by specific topics, the tutorial series also includes written descriptions and instructions with each video. You’ll see an overview of what each video sets out to teach you, as well as a reminder of how to do each technique taught in the video, in case you forget the details.
The presenter of these tutorials is Jan Kabili (you must sign in to see her LinkedIn profile). She’s an Adobe team member and Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Elements trainer who has written books on the topic and has years of experience working with and teaching Adobe software.
8. Phlearn
Phlearn is a platform for teaching creative skills in photography, lightroom and Photoshop. One of their signature courses is called “The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop,” covering all the basics you need to know when starting to use Photoshop.
This class is one of Phlearn’s pro classes, which means you need a subscription to their platform to access the content.
The membership costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and includes access to all their pro content, as well as exclusive access to presets and hundreds of other photography and image editing tools you can apply to designs. This is a unique element of Phlearn in what they provide to their subscribers.
“The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop” is hosted by Phlearn founder Aaron Nace. He started Phlearn to make creative skill learning more accessible for more people and is passionate about teaching these skills in fun, engaging ways.
The class covers all the basics of Photoshop, including how to open and navigate Photoshop for the first time and tools you’ll want to get started with. Then it moves into a lot of common topics, such as layering, masking, selection tools, image editing, photo retouching, and photo composting. There is a lot of focus on improving photography, including skin retouching and sharpening of images.
The course comes with 46 videos and over 13 hours of content, as well as 51 sample images, four sample Photoshop files, and a PDF guide.
9. Pluralsight
On Pluralsight, you can take “Photoshop CC Fundamentals.” This class focuses on bringing you the basic information you need to know to leverage the most recent version of Photoshop. It claims to provide the foundation necessary to build a solid understanding and ability to work with Photoshop, so you can continue to grow in your skills.
This class is taught by Matthew Pizzi, who is an Adobe Certified Instructor for over 15 years, and is the director of technology at Pluralsight.
The class covers introductory material that a beginner wants to know, like how to open a file, as well as basic tools like selecting and editing tools, and layering, masking, retouching, and cropping.
Like other teaching platforms, Pluralsight offers its classes through a subscription model. Memberships to Pluralsight start at $29 per month, with a 10-day free trial.
They set themselves apart from their competition by providing detailed opportunities for professionals working with Photoshop and other skills. They have paths and channels that help you build on the skills you’ve learned and see what you should be learning next. They also have skill assessments and interactive elements to help you learn more.
10. GoSkills
You can take a class called “Photoshop for Beginners” on GoSkills. Advertised as a basic foundation for those interested in Photoshop, the class covers the introductory information you need to start feeling comfortable using the program and getting your bearings as you explore the tools.
The class includes information about editing, designing, and text effects, in over 4 hours of videos content. The instructor is Howard Pinsky (you must log in to LinkedIn to access his profile), an Adobe Community Professional and online educator with over a decade of experience.
This class is available with a subscription model, for the membership plan of $29 per month or $199 per year. You can access the first 10 lessons for a 7-day free trial period to try out the course and see what you think before you invest in the whole class.
Conclusion
Are you ready to dive into all the features and tools of Photoshop to make the most of your photography and branding? There are lots of Photoshop classes available online to help you get started. Constantly improving your skills can help you up your online marketing game and stand out from your competition.
Remember that design should only be one aspect of online marketing. If you need help with developing a strategy that makes the most out of your new Photoshoot design skills, reach out to our agency. We also help with SEO and paid ads.
Which class are you going to check out first?
