The status bar runs along the very bottom of the Photoshop screen. It can easily go unnoticed if you’re not looking for it, but it is worth while discussing it because of the information it contains.

 

 

At the far left of the status bar, you can see a box containing the value 100%. This is the current zoom level for the image that has been opened in Photoshop. If you wish, you can click on the box and directly enter a zoom level of your choice.

 

At the far right, you can read a tip on how to use the currently selected tool (zoom). Notice that next to the zoom field value of 100%, you can see the word Zoom. This is because zoom is the currently selected tool. If you select the pen tool from the tool box, the word next to the zoom field would read Pen, and the tip would relate to using the pen tool.

 

If you move your mouse pointer over the image that you are working with, the tip in the status bar will change, offering a brief description how to apply the currently selected tool to the image.

 

You should also notice a black right pointing triangle on the status bar. As usual, this indicates that a menu is available. If you click the triangle, a pop up menu will display several options allowing you to select what is displayed next to the Zoom field. Some of the choices include: Current tool (this is what the status bar shown above displays), Document Sizes, Document Dimensions, and Document Profile.