In this tutorial, you'll create a flyer for an event using Adobe Photoshop. If you are following along, download the Flyer template from the Tutorial page. You can use that template and the skills you learned here, to make flyers for all kinds of events, like fundraisers, parties, and more.

In Photoshop, choose File, Open, and navigate to the supplied template file. Select it and click Open. As you work on a project in Photoshop, it's a good idea to use layers, putting each object on its own layer so you can work on that object separately.

This document starts with one layer that's called the Background layer. To make a new layer, choose Layer, New, Layer. Name this layer "Salmon" since you'll be making a graphic on this layer that looks like a piece of salmon sushi.

In Photoshop, it's a really good idea to name your layers to stay organized.

Click OK, and a new layer is added to the Layers panel. To start the sushi graphic, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and drag in the image to make a selection. The area inside these dotted lines is called a selection, and a selection lets you isolate an area to work on. Now you'll fill that selection with an orange color. Make sure the Salmon layer is highlighted in the Layers panel, because you want the orange color to be on that layer.

In Photoshop, it's always a good idea to make sure you're working on the correct layer.

In the Swatches panel, select an Orange Color Swatch. That orange color appears in the color box over here at the bottom of the Tools panel. This is called the foreground color. Choose Edit, Fill. Select Foreground Color from the Contents menu, and click OK. Now choose Select, Deselect, to remove the selection.

It's always a good idea to deselect when you're done with a selection in Photoshop.

Now you'll make another layer for seaweed, using the same method. Choose Layer, New, Layer. Name the new layer "Seaweed" and click OK. With the Rectangular Marquee Tool still selected, make a selection that looks like this. Select black in the Swatches panel over here. With the Seaweed layer still selected in the Layers panel, choose Edit, Fill. Make sure Foreground Color is chosen, and click OK. Then choose Select, Deselect. Because the Seaweed's on its own layer, you can move it independently. Make sure the Seaweed layer is highlighted in the Layers panel. Select the Move Tool, and drag in the image to position the seaweed rectangle in the center. Magenta Smart Guides may appear to help you align the center.

Now we will add this text to our flyer. Select the Horizontal Type Tool. In the Tool Options bar up here, click the arrow to the right of the Font-Family menu, and choose a font. The samples on the right side of the menu give you an idea of what the font will look like. Now the fonts in your menu may be different than mine, so just pick any font you have. Click the arrow to the right of the Font Size menu up here in the Options bar, and choose a large size, so you can be sure to see the text on the image initially. As you can see up here, there are a lot of other options for formatting your type. In the Options bar, click the Color field to open the Color Picker dialog. Move the pointer over the light grey part of the image and click to sample that light grey. This is a good tip for choosing a text color that matches the color found on an image. Click OK in the Color Picker. Click on the Seaweed in your image, and in capital letters, type "SUSHI." Press Return or Enter, type "MAKING." Press Return or Enter, type "CLASS." Once more, press Return or Enter, and type "7 PM." Select the text by dragging over it. And up here in the Options bar, click the Center Text icon to center all the lines that are typed with each other. Select the Move Tool and move the text into position, using the Smart Guides that appear, to line it up at the center.

Okay, let's save what we've built so far. Choose File, Save As. In the Save As dialog box, change the name of the file. Save it in a Photoshop Format to keep all the layers you've added so you can back and edit them in the future. Then click Save to save the flyer. Then click OK.

The flyer we built so far is pretty simple, but you can take it further. Here is a version of this flyer with more details. Every element was made using skills you have learned in this tutorial.

I hope this example inspires you to go further with what you've learned to create more exciting flyers for your own events.