$30–40/hr · Mercor · Hourly, 40 hours a week
A designer or retoucher who uses Photoshop daily on Windows and helps AI systems understand professional image-editing workflows.
What you would do
- Document typical editing tasks from your own design work, showing Photoshop techniques and decision-making
- Critique AI-generated edits and composites, pointing out technical flaws or unrealistic outcomes
- Complete practical assignments that test specific Photoshop skills like selection, color grading, or layer manipulation
- Provide feedback on how well AI understands the constraints and best practices of professional retouching
- Capture high-resolution screen recordings and screenshots demonstrating real workflow scenarios
Who they want
- Active Photoshop user with consistent experience on Windows systems
- Access to a high-resolution monitor or dual-monitor setup meeting display specifications
- Familiarity with raster editing, compositing, or digital retouching fundamentals
- Ability to articulate design decisions and software limitations clearly
- Comfortable working independently and describing technical workflows in detail
Main skills
What the interview asks about
1.Complex selection and masking
Proper masking separates foreground from background, essential for professional composites that AI models must learn to produce correctly.
For example: “Describe your process for isolating a subject with irregular edges like hair, and explain when you'd choose Refine Edge versus manual painting techniques.”
2.Layer management strategy
Organizing layers and groups determines how efficiently others can modify your work, reflecting real professional practices that AI should understand.
For example: “You inherit a PSD file with fifty flattened layers that someone else needs to modify tomorrow. How would you restructure this to preserve editability?”
3.Color and tone workflow
Consistent color grading across client deliverables requires understanding color spaces, correction order, and non-destructive adjustment techniques.
For example: “A client's photograph looks washed out on a correctly calibrated monitor but vibrant on an uncalibrated laptop. How do you approach color correction?”
4.File format trade-offs
Knowing when to deliver PSD versus flattened formats, and handling cross-platform compatibility, is essential for real-world design handoffs.
For example: “You need to deliver editable source files to a team using different Photoshop versions and operating systems. What formats and settings do you use?”
A task you may get
Open a layered PSD file with a portrait and background. Apply non-destructive color adjustments, reposition the subject using Smart Objects, and export a flattened composite.
How to prepare
- Review your most recent Photoshop projects to identify three techniques you use regularly and be ready to demonstrate them.
- Check your display resolution and verify it meets the 2.5 megapixel minimum for high-quality screenshots.
- Familiarize yourself with Photoshop's current menu structure and shortcut keys on Windows so you can navigate efficiently under time pressure.
- Prepare two examples of retouching or composite work you're proud of, noting the technical challenges you overcame.
The facts
- Pay
- $30–40/hr
- Hours
- Hourly, 40 hours a week
- Where
- Remote
- Field
- Arts & Design
- Posted
- 9/13/2026
- Places left
- 10
We wrote this page from the public Mercor listing. It may be out of date, so read the full posting before you apply.