Adobe Creative Cloud for Researchers Creating Figures and Working with AI tools

aub.ie/adobeccresearchers

Dr. Chelsy Hooper, AU Libraries, Instructional Technology Coordinator (hooperc@auburn.edu) lib.auburn.edu/irc

Access to Adobe Creative Cloud

All AU Employees have access to Adobe CC automatically: visit adobe.auburn.edu for more information and view the list of applications. Students have automatic access to Adobe Express and can request Adobe CC at no additional cost.

Adobe Creative Space Resources

Visit the AU Libraries’ I&RC Adobe Creative Space web page at aub.ie/ircadobe for Adobe learning and teaching resources including:

• Free Workshops, register at aub.ie/libraryworkshops
• Workshop video recordings available on-demand at aub.ie/ircinstruction for you to view and/or use in your classes
• Free Adobe learning resources such as Adobe Learn, and the Adobe Education Exchange with education-focused sessions and lesson ideas
• All employees have access to LinkedIn Learning via ElevatED in AU Access; many Adobe self-paced courses are available
• Adobe Consultants’ help desk schedule: available to help students, faculty, and staff learn and use the applications
• Adobe + AI website

Adobe CC Highlighted Resources for Research

• Adobe Stock images (Standard), access to some Adobe Stock video and audio through Adobe Express
• Adobe Express offers templates for infographics, posters and more in a drag-and-drop web interface
• Photoshop for image editing / proposal figures (300 dpi, custom sizing, resizing of images to 300dpi) view our Photoshop for Beginners video and Intermediate Photoshop video to learn how to create more content, use more tools
• Adobe Firefly (AI image generation, responsibly sourced and commercial-safe but cannot be copyrighted, is also embedded in apps such as Express, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• Illustrator for vector images, image trace; view our Illustrator for Beginners video, visit the Adobe help site for creating graphs in Illustrator, Adobe Stock also provides vector images you can download and edit in Illustrator
• Adobe Capture (mobile app) also can create vectors from pictures you take with your smartphone that you can edit in Illustrator
• Adobe Premiere Pro provides professional video editing
• Adobe Podcast for simple, web-based podcast recording and editing and AI audio enhancement
• Adobe Audition for professional audio recording and editing; resources on our Audio Studio page under Podcasting

Curated external resources on scientific applications of Photoshop

• Adobe Help Center on using Photoshop to measure (using selection tools and measuring the area by # of pixels)
• Using Photoshop to measure areas in a histological section: view video
• Measuring Google Earth in Photoshop: view video
• Photoshop for the scientist: visit YouTube channel
• Making scientific figures with Illustrator: view video
• Illustrator for scientists: view videos

Photography tips

• Make sure you have the rights to use any photos you take yourself (be aware of lab policies, proprietary information, approvals of human subjects, etc.)
• When taking your own photos for research, use Camera Raw setting in a DSLR camera for best editing capabilities later.
• If using a smartphone, use the main, front-facing camera (not the selfie camera) and take at the highest resolution possible.
• Do your best to ensure good lighting and framing (GIGO)

Steps to set up a Photoshop file for research publications at 300 dpi

Video and step-by-step instructions with additional information:

1. Launch Photoshop and create a new document: open Photoshop, go to New file or File, New
2. In the New Document window, where it says "untitled" name your file
3. In the New Document window, specify document dimensions: decide the physical size of your figure. Common sizes include the default Photoshop size of 7" w x 5" h as that would fit within an 8.5" x 11" document, allowing for margins, but you can enter custom size as well such as 48" x 36" for a conference poster
4. In the New Document window, set the resolution to 300 dpi
5. In the New Document window, choose the color mode; use RBG color if the journal accepts color images, or Grayscale if only monochrome is accepted. Choose 8-bit for standard usage unless your journal required higher bit depth.
6. In the New Document window, set the background contents: White for a plain background (recommended), Transparent for overlays/ logos/ transparent background, or a Background color as needed.
7. Review all the settings in the New Document window and click Create to open the new document.
8. Save the document as a .psd file to preserve the layers for editing. 
9. Create your figure. Import images, add vector shapes, text, labels, and annotations as needed for your research figure. If you add photographic or other images to your document, you will need to ensure these images are also 300 dpi first. Ensure all layers are correctly labeled and grouped if needed. For more details, view our Photoshop for Researchers video.
10. You can add metadata such as authorship to your image under File, File info.
11. When finished with your design, Save a copy in .psd format. Then, flatten the copy in Photoshop if needed.
12. To flatten an image in Photoshop, go to the Layer menu at the top of your screen and select Flatten Image. This action merges all visible layers into a single background layer, reducing file size and removing individual layer editing capabilities. It's recommended to save a copy of your work before flattening, as the process is destructive and discards hidden layers and transparency.
13. Save as / Export the image from the flattened copy, in the required format, typically .TIFF, .JPEG (high quality), .PNG, or .PDF. Choose the appropriate file format and verify that the resolution remains at 300dpi.
14. Zoom in the exported file to inspect for pixelation or blurriness.
15. Tip: Always double-check the image specifications required by your target journal or proposal (file size, dimensions, color mode, and format) and check the exported file specs before submitting (right click on the exported file, About file or Info).
16. These steps also generally apply to Illustrator as well. If photographic files are used, Photoshop is better suited. For line drawings/ illustrations, vector files, and text, Illustrator is better suited.

Just have an image already created that you need to convert to 300 dpi? Use Image Size in Photoshop to convert the image: view external video

Accessibility

General accessible image creation tips include:

• Do not use color as the sole indicator. For images like graphs, charts, or diagrams, color alone should not be the only way to convey information.
• Ensure high contrast. Use colors that are easily distinguishable from the background of the image. A classic combination like black or very dark gray lines on a light background or white/light gray lines on a dark background is highly effective. You can check the contrast using tools available at the AU Accessibility Resources web page as well as at color.adobe.com
• Use supplemental indicators. Instead of only using color, pair it with other visual cues like different line styles (solid, dashed, dotted), shapes, or patterns.
• Add text labels. For charts and graphs, the most accessible approach is to use clear text labels directly on or next to the annotation. For example, instead of a colored line with a separate legend, label the line itself.
• Use icons and symbols. For example, a checkmark icon can denote a successful action, while an "X" can show an error. You can find these under the Shape tool, Custom shapes.
• Provide alternative text descriptions when using the image in the publishing platform, such as in a Word document, PDF or a web page.
• More information is available on AU Accessibility Resources at aub.ie/a11y