Zoom tool is the one which we are going to use to Zoom in and out of the image. So you can zoom in and see more details of the image.
Select the tool. Its the magnifying glass in the Tool bar As shown below.
Now with the zoom tool selected, move your mouse cursor over the image, and you will see a magnifying glass cursor with a + Sign on it. + Sign indicates that the document is going to zoom in when you click. Now Click on the region which you would like to zoom in. Click again and again to zoom in further and further. You can zoom in at a limit and at the end you will get a blank magnifying glass as your cursor. Now you have zoomed in and you need to zoom back. Look at the options bar at the top you will see a magnifying glass with negative sign. Location is shown below.
Select it and repeat the procedure which I told you. This will zoom out the document. Another way is to shift between zoom in and out is Hold Alt+Click for PC and Hold Option+Click for Mac.
You can also selected the desired area which you want to zoom in. Select the zoom+ tool and then click and drag on the image to make an outlined window on the region which you want to see closely, then release the mouse button, it will zoom in the area you selected.
Now you see other options in Options bar as shown below.
Check the Checkbox ‘Resize Windows to Fit’, and then zoom out you will notice that as the image get smaller the document window is also resized to it, same is the case with Zoom in.
Now the next option ‘Ignore palettes’. Check its checkbox. and then zoom in the document. You will notice that the document windows goes underneath the Palettes. Wondering what are palettes, remember the name I used boxes which were showed as default to the right when you opened Photoshop. Your palettes will be blocking your image. If you want to see the big view and want the palettes to disappear, then press TAB button on the keyboard. This will hide all the palettes options bar, tool bar and whatever you have. Press TAB again to show all the palettes and tools.
The keyboard shortcut to zoom in and out of the image is. Ctrl+’+’ to zoom in , it means you will press and hold ctrl and then press + key on your keyboard. and for Zoom Out Ctrl+’-’ . For Macintosh replace the Ctrl key with the ‘Command’ Key.
There is another shortcut which is VERY simple to zoom in and out. If you have a Mouse with a roller on it, then Move your roller UP to zoom out and DOWN to zoom in.
NOTE: You don’t need to select the Zoom tool in the Tool bar to use these shortcuts. You can zoom in and out also when you have selected other tools in the Tool Box.
Now there are three options left for Zoom Tool which are outlined below.
Now you see Three buttons named ‘Actual Pixels’, ‘Fit on Screen’, ‘Print Size’.
By Clicking the Actual Pixels button will zoom in or out to your Image by 100%. It is a very handy tool you are going to use all the time.
If you Click on ‘Fit on Screen’ button, it will fit your document window and image to the screen. It will automatically adjust the size of your image to the document window.
Next is ‘Print Size’. If you click it, it will zoom in or out to the size the Photoshop believes is right to print.
Now, one thing more. If you Double click on the Zoom tool in the Tool bar, the image will be resized to 100%. Just a really good shortcut.