Photo-top Help

• Welcome to Photo-top
• Open an image or create a document
• Save and export
• Undo a mistake
• Zoom and move around
• Understanding layers
• Select an area
• Cut out: remove or replace the background
• Crop, straighten and resize
• Retouch: spots, blemishes, unwanted objects
• Improve colors and light
• Apply filters
• Paint and erase
• Add text
• Move, transform and combine images
• Shapes and drop shadows
• Essential keyboard shortcuts
• Report a problem

Welcome to Photo-top

Photo-top is an image editor: photo retouching, compositing, cut-outs, text and painting.

The window has four areas:

• the menu bar at the top (File, Edit, Image, Layer, Type, Select, Filter, View, Window, Help);
• the options bar below it: the settings of the current tool (size, opacity…);
• the toolbar on the left: click a tool to choose it. A small triangle means more tools are hidden there: press and hold to see them;
• the panels on the right: Color, Properties, Adjustments, Layers, History.

Tip: press ⌘ + F to search for any command or tool by name.

Open an image or create a document

• Open an image: File › Open… (⌘ + O), or drag the file onto the Photo-top window.
• Create a blank document: File › New… (⌘ + N). Choose the width, height and background.
• New from clipboard: copy an image in another app, then File › New from Clipboard.

Photo-top opens JPEG, PNG, HEIC (iPhone photos), WebP, TIFF, GIF and Photoshop PSD files, among others. Recent files are in File › Open Recent.

Save and export

• Save (⌘ + S) keeps your work with its layers, to continue later. PSD keeps the layers.
• Save As… (⌘ + ⇧ + S) saves under another name or format.
• Export As… (⌘ + ⌥ + ⇧ + W) makes a final image (JPEG, PNG, WebP…) to send or publish, with format, quality and size.
• Quick Export (File › Export) makes a PNG right away.

Tip: keep a layered PSD and export a JPEG copy for sharing.

Undo a mistake

• Undo: Edit › Undo (⌘ + Z). Press again to go further back.
• Redo: ⌘ + ⇧ + Z.
• The History panel (Window › History) lists every step: click one to go back to it.

Zoom and move around

• Zoom in / out: ⌘ + = and ⌘ + -, or the Zoom tool (Z).
• See the whole image: View › Fit on Screen (⌘ + 0).
• Actual size: View › 100% (⌘ + 1).
• Move around: hold the space bar and drag, or use the Hand tool (H). On a trackpad, scroll with two fingers and pinch to zoom.

Understanding layers

A document is a stack of layers, like transparent sheets: what is on a higher layer covers what is below.

In the Layers panel (F7):

• the eye shows or hides a layer;
• drag a layer to change the order;
• Opacity makes a layer more or less transparent;
• double-click the name to rename it.

Useful commands: New Layer ⌘ + ⇧ + N, Layer via Copy ⌘ + J, Merge Down and Flatten Image in the Layer menu.

Tip: work on a copy of the layer (⌘ + J) to keep the original.

Select an area

A selection limits changes to part of the image (shown with marching ants).

• Rectangle or ellipse: Rectangular Marquee tool (M).
• Freehand: Lasso tool (L).
• Area of one color: Magic Wand tool (W).
• Select All: ⌘ + A. Deselect: ⌘ + D. Inverse: ⌘ + ⇧ + I.
• Soften the edge: Select › Modify › Feather…

Hold ⇧ to add to the selection, ⌥ to subtract.

Cut out: remove or replace the background

1. Select › Subject: Photo-top finds the main person or object.
2. Fix it with the Quick Selection tool (W): paint to add, hold ⌥ to subtract.
3. Refine edges (hair, fur) with Select › Select and Mask… (⌘ + ⌥ + R).
4. Layer › Layer Mask › Reveal Selection: the background disappears without being erased.
5. For a transparent background, export as PNG.

To replace the sky: Select › Sky, then paste another sky into the selection.

Crop, straighten and resize

• Crop: Crop tool (C). Adjust the frame and press Return. The options bar offers ratios (square, 4:3, 16:9…).
• Straighten a horizon: with the Crop tool, choose Straighten in the options bar and draw along the horizon.
• Change the size in pixels: Image › Image Size… (⌘ + ⌥ + I). Keep the link on to keep the proportions.
• Add room around the image: Image › Canvas Size… (⌘ + ⌥ + C).
• Rotate or flip the photo: Image › Image Rotation.

Retouch: spots, blemishes, unwanted objects

• Spot Healing Brush (J): paint over a spot and it disappears.
• Remove tool (J): paint over an unwanted object and Photo-top fills the area. Best for small objects and distant people on a simple background (sky, wall, grass). For a large object in front of lines (pavement, railings, windows), finish the edges with the Clone Stamp.
• Clone Stamp (S): ⌥ + click to pick the source, then paint to copy it.
• Content-Aware Fill: select the object (generously), then Edit › Content-Aware Fill…
• Red Eye tool (J): click the eye.

Tip: retouch on a new empty layer or on a copy so you can go back.

Improve colors and light

In Image › Adjustments:

• Brightness/Contrast: the simplest place to start;
• Levels… (⌘ + L) and Curves… (⌘ + M): precise control of light;
• Exposure…: a photo too dark or too bright;
• Shadows/Highlights…: open up the dark areas of a backlit photo;
• Hue/Saturation… (⌘ + U) and Vibrance…: stronger or softer colors;
• Color Balance… (⌘ + B): fix a color cast;
• Desaturate (⌘ + ⇧ + U): quick black and white.

Tip: the Adjustments panel makes adjustment layers you can change at any time without harming the photo.

For camera RAW photos: Filter › Camera Raw Filter… (⌘ + ⇧ + A).

Apply filters

The Filter menu applies effects to the active layer (or the selection):

• Blur › Gaussian Blur…: soften;
• Sharpen › Unsharp Mask…: make a photo crisper;
• Noise › Reduce Noise…: grainy night photos;
• Liquify… (⌘ + ⇧ + X): reshape by hand;
• Lens Correction… (⌘ + ⇧ + R): distortion and vignetting.

Every filter shows a preview before you confirm.

Paint and erase

• Brush (B): set the size and hardness in the options bar.
• Change the brush size: [ and ].
• Eraser (E): erases to transparency (or to the background color on the Background).
• Colors: click the color squares at the bottom of the toolbar. D resets to black and white, X swaps them.
• Eyedropper (I): picks a color from the image.
• Gradient and Paint Bucket (G): fill an area.

Drawing tablets are supported (pen pressure).

Add text

1. Choose the Horizontal Type tool (T).
2. Click in the image and type. For a block of text that wraps, drag a box.
3. Commit with ⌘ + Return or the check mark in the options bar.

Font, size and color are in the options bar or the Character panel. The text stays editable: double-click it with the Type tool.

• Enlarge or rotate the text: Edit › Free Transform (⌘ + T).
• Text in an arc or a wave: Type › Warp Text…

Move, transform and combine images

• Move: Move tool (V), then drag. The arrow keys move by one pixel.
• Transform: Edit › Free Transform (⌘ + T). Drag the handles to resize, drag outside a corner to rotate, then Return.
• Flip: Edit › Transform › Flip Horizontal.
• Combine images: open both, copy (⌘ + C) in one and paste (⌘ + V) in the other: it arrives on a new layer.

Shapes and drop shadows

• Shapes: Rectangle tool (U) and its neighbours (Ellipse, Triangle, Polygon, Line, Custom Shape).
• Drop shadow, stroke, glow: Layer › Layer Style, or double-click the layer in the Layers panel.
• Outline a selection: Edit › Stroke…

Essential keyboard shortcuts

• Open ⌘ + O · Save ⌘ + S · Export ⌘ + ⌥ + ⇧ + W
• Undo ⌘ + Z · Redo ⌘ + ⇧ + Z
• Copy / Paste ⌘ + C / ⌘ + V · Layer via Copy ⌘ + J
• Select All ⌘ + A · Deselect ⌘ + D
• Free Transform ⌘ + T
• Levels ⌘ + L · Curves ⌘ + M · Hue/Saturation ⌘ + U
• Fit on Screen ⌘ + 0 · 100% ⌘ + 1
• Search for a command ⌘ + F · Help F1
• Tools: Move V, Marquee M, Lasso L, Quick Selection W, Crop C, Eyedropper I, Healing J, Brush B, Clone Stamp S, Eraser E, Gradient G, Type T, Shapes U, Hand H, Zoom Z

Report a problem

A problem or an idea? Help › Report an Issue… opens an email to [email protected].

Say what you were doing and what happened, and attach the image if you can. Help › System Info… gives the versions of Photo-top and your Mac.