Artboards, Units, Rulers, Guides & Grids

1. Artboards

• When creating a new file, you can select the "Artboard" checkbox to enable artboards;
• Artboards are ideal for working on multiple design versions within a single document, helping keep your work organized. Especially when designing mobile apps, websites, etc.;
• The area around the artboard is infinite, allowing you to zoom out and utilize space around the artboard;
• Artboards don't have a traditional background layer. The first layer is always transparent;
• Images placed inside an artboard are clipped to its boundaries. Moving an image outside an artboard removes it from the artboard group;
• Artboards have their own groups in the Layers panel. You can lock images to stay within an artboard preventing them from moving outside the artboard;
• You can also rename artboards for better organization and use alignment tools to arrange elements within the artboard;
• With the Artboard Tool, you can resize artboards, change their orientation (portrait or landscape), and add new artboards by clicking the plus icon or by clicking and dragging to create a custom-sized artboard;
• Duplicate artboards by selecting one and pressing Ctrl/Cmd + J or holding Alt/Option while clicking the plus icon;
• You can isolate an artboard to focus on its content by selecting "Artboard" from the drop-down menu in the Layers panel that says "Kind" or by right-clicking and choosing to isolate layers.

2. Units

In Photoshop, units are used to measure dimensions, such as the size of images, canvas, or elements within a design. Understanding these units is essential for creating precise and high-quality work, especially when preparing projects for different mediums, like print or digital screens. Here's a breakdown of the units commonly used in Photoshop:

• Pixels (px): pixels are the standard unit for digital work, such as web design, screen graphics, and any project intended for display on monitors, phones, or other digital devices;
• Inches (in): inches are a physical unit of measurement, commonly used in the United States for print media. Inches are typically used for print projects, like brochures, posters, or any printed material where you need to specify the physical dimensions. A standard letter-sized document in the U.S. is 8.5x11 inches;
• Centimeters (cm): centimeters are another physical unit of measurement, part of the metric system. Centimeters are often used for print projects outside of the United States, or in cases where the metric system is preferred. A common A4 paper size is 21x29.7 centimeters;
• Millimeters (mm): millimeters are a smaller metric unit of measurement, often used for precision in printing. Millimeters are used for smaller, detailed print work, such as business cards or detailed design elements;
• Points (pt): points are a unit of measurement used in typography, where 1 point equals 1/72 of an inch. Points are primarily used for setting font sizes or spacing in printed text. A typical body text size in a printed document might be 12 points;
• Picas: picas are another unit of measurement in typography, where 1 pica equals 12 points or 1/6 of an inch. Picas are often used in layout design, such as newspapers or magazines, to measure column width or the overall layout. A standard newspaper column might be 15 picas wide;
• Percentage (%): percentage is a relative unit used to scale objects based on their original size. Percentages are useful when you want to resize elements proportionally without worrying about specific dimensions.

To change units, go to Edit > Preferences > Units & Rulers (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Units & Rulers (Mac) to change the default units for rulers, type, and other measurements.

3. Guides, Ruler & Grids

• Use Ctrl/Cmd + R or go to View > Rulers to toggle rulers on and off;
• Drag from the horizontal or vertical rulers to create guides on the canvas;
• Right-click on a guide to edit its color, position, or orientation (horizontal/vertical). You can also lock, clear, or clear all guides from the canvas;
• Hold Alt/Option while dragging a guide to switch its orientation between horizontal and vertical;
• Right-click on the ruler to change the units (e.g., pixels, inches, centimeters);
• To create a custom guide layout, go to View > Guides > New Guide Layout to set up multiple guides at once. You can customize the number of columns, rows, and margins;
• Choose presets or create custom layouts by adjusting the number of guides and their spacing. You can also change the color of the guides for better visibility;
• In the New Guide Layout dialog, you can clear all existing guides or add new ones on top of the current setup;
• To show grids, go to View > Show > Grid to toggle the grid on and off;
• Customize grid appearance by going to Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grid, and Slices. You can change the grid color, line spacing, and number of subdivisions;
• Grids can be set in various units like pixels, inches, centimeters, millimeters, etc., depending on your project needs;
• Guides and grids snap to each other for precise alignment, making it easier to maintain consistent spacing and layout.

Guides and grids are important tools for maintaining accurate measurements and layouts in your Photoshop projects, helping you stay organized and ensuring your design elements are aligned properly.