Cruising with the Navigator Palette in Photoshop

Some Photoshop users don’t use the Navigator palette, which is a roadmap to your image document, nearly as often as they could, and there’s a simple reason for that: In its default size, the Navigator palette is just too darned small to be of use.

Most new Photoshop users see the tiny Navigator window and decide that working with such a small thumbnail image isn’t worth the bother. There’s a quick fix, and after you’ve seen exactly what the Navigator palette can do for you, it may become one of your favorite tools.
Here are the keys to using the Navigator palette:

-->Resize the Navigator palette: Before you begin working with the Navigator palette, grab the size box at the lower-right corner of the Navigator palette and drag it down and to the right to create a jumbo version with a much larger, more viewable thumbnail.

This works really well if you are using a second monitor, especially in Windows, since you can’t put another document window on the second monitor. Placing the jumbo-sized Navigator palette on the second monitor is the next best thing.

The Navigator palette is one palette that you probably won’t want to relegate to the Palette Well. It’s most useful when it is visible at all times. Position the Navigator palette to one side of your image so it’s ready for instant use.

-->View the thumbnail: The entire Navigator window shows the full document image, with an outline called a View box showing the amount of image visible in the document window at the current zoom level.

-->Change the view: Click anywhere in the thumbnail outside the View box to center the box at that position. The comparable view in your main document window changes to match.

-->Move the view: Click anywhere in the thumbnail inside the View box and then drag to move the box to a new position. The main document window changes to match the new view.

-->Zoom in or out: Click the Zoom In button (which has an icon of two large pyramids) or Zoom Out button (which has an icon of two smaller pyramids) to zoom in or out. Or drag the Zoom slider that resides between the two icons. The View box changes sizes as you zoom in or out, and Photoshop magnifies or reduces the view in the original document window to match, as well.

-->Specify an exact magnification: The lower-left corner of the Navigator palette has a Magnification box just like the one in the status bar. It shows the current magnification, and you can type in a new value to zoom to the exact magnification level you need.

If the View box color is too similar to a dominant color in your image, you can choose a new color for its outline by selecting Palette Options from the Navigator palette pop-up menu.