Getting Started with Photoshop CS5 : Showing,Hiding and Working with Panels

Showing and Hiding Panels

Panels give you easy access to many task-specific commands and operations from color control to vector path information. By default, the main panel display is located along the right side of your window. You can use the Window menu or click a panel tab within a group to display it, and then select options on the panel or choose panel-specific commands from the Panel Options menu to perform actions. Instead of continually moving, resizing, or opening and closing windows, you can use the header bar with the panel tabs to collapse or expand individual panels within a window to save space.

Open and Close a Panel

Click the Window menu.

Click a panel name, such as Color, Layers, Navigator, Options, or Tools. Timesaver To close a panel, or a single tab, click the Options menu and then click Close Tab Group or Close (for a single tab). On the Mac, you can also click the Close button on the panel.

Collapse or Expand a Panel

To collapse or expand an open panel, click the dark gray area or double-click a title tab on the header bar of the panel.

Working with Panels

The movable panels are organized into groups, such as Color/ Swatches/Styles and History/Actions, to save screen space and help with workflow. You can also add or subtract specific panels within a group to customize your workspace. A panel appears with a header, which includes the tab titles and three options: the Collapse to Icons button, the Close button, and an Options menu. The Options menu provides you with panel commands. The entire set of panels includes a double arrow at the top you can use to collapse and expand the entire panel back and forth between icons and full panels.

Add a Panel

Select a panel by clicking on the named panel, or click the Window menu, and then click the panel name you want to display.

Drag the panel into another group.

Subtract a Panel

Select a panel by clicking on the named panel or click the Window menu, and then click the panel name you want to display.

Drag the panel out of the group.

Drop it onto the desktop (Mac) or Photoshop window (Win). Did You Know? You can dock and undock panels. You can dock and undock, or temporarily attach and detach, panels or panel groups in docking channels. A docking channel is a region located on the left and right side of the Photoshop window to which you can temporarily attach and detach panels. When you drag a panel over a dockable area, a blue line or outline appears.

Collapse and Expand the Panel Set Between Icons and Panels

• To collapse the panel set to icons with text, click the double arrow pointing right (Collapse to Icons) at the top of the panels.
  
  

  

• To expand the panel set from icons with text to full panels, click the double arrow pointing left (Expand Panels) at the top of the panels.
  
  
• To have an expanded panel icon automatically collapse or hide when you click away, right-click (Win) or Control-click (Mac) a panel, and then click Auto-Collapse Icon Panels or Auto-Show Hidden Panels.
  
  

  

Use the Panel Options Menu

Open or expand a panel.

Click the Options button on the right side of the panel header bar.

Click a command from the list (commands vary). Common commands include: Close. Closes the currently displayed tab in the panel. Close Tab Group. Closes all the tabs in the panel.