5. Working with Layers

To be successful with Adobe Photoshop, the single most important item you will need is control. You need control over color, control over the elements of the design, even control over what order design elements appear. If control is what you crave, then Layers, more than any other single Photoshop feature helps you gain control. Layers give you the ability to separate individual elements of your design, and then let you control how those elements appear. You can think of layers as transparency sheets one on top of the other. You can blend the elements of two or more layers, and even create layers to adjust and control contrast, brightness, and color balance. You can group layers together to help organize and manage your design.

Layers are the digital designers canvas, and they are just as real as a stretched canvas is to a natural media designer. The strokes you apply to a real canvas, using a brush, appear as strokes in a Photoshop layer when you use any of the painting tools. The natural artist uses oils, and watercolors; the Photoshop artist uses electronic inks. The Layers palette gives us the ability to view the image almost as if we were actually painting or designing. However, we don’t work in the world of natural media, and our canvas—the Layers palette—goes far beyond anything possible in the “real” world.

In Photoshop, multiple layers are how you control the information within a document. There are times when you will create several layers, each with a piece of the document design. The multiple layers give you the ability to adjust and move each element. Eventually, during the course of the design, the multiple layers are no longer necessary. You don’t want to link them together, or even place them within a folder; you’ll want to combine them into a single unit. Once again, Photoshop comes to the rescue by giving you several options for combining layers without flattening the entire document.

Understanding the Layers Palette

PS 2.4

With the Layers palette, you can control elements of a Photoshop design by assigning separate layers to each individual object. In addition, Layer effects control the application of everything from drop shadows to gradient overlays, and adjustment layers let you control color overlays and image corrections. To access the Layers palette, select the Layers palette or, if the Layers palette is not visible, click the Windows menu, and then click Layers.

Blending Modes. Select this option to change how two or more layers interact or “blend” together.

Opacity. Select a value from 0 to 100 percent to change the opacity of the active layer.

Fill. Select a value from 0 to 100 percent to change the opacity of the active layer without changing the opacity of any applied layer styles.

Lock options. Click the Lock Transparent Pixels, Lock Image Pixels, Lock Position, or Lock All button.

Link Layers. Hold down the Shift key and click to select two or more layers, and then click this button to link the layers.

Add Layer Style. Click this button, and then select from the available layer styles.

Add Layer Mask. Click this button to apply a layer mask to the active layer, click this a second time to add a vector mask to the active layer.

Create New Fill Or Adjustment Layer. Click this button, and then select from the available fill or adjustment layers.

Create New Group. Click this button to create a new set. A set is a folder where you can drag, store, and organize layers.

Create New Layer. Click this button to create a new layer in the active document.

Delete Layer. Click this button to delete the active layer.

Layers Options. Click this button to access a menu of layer specific commands.

Defining Layer Designations and Attributes

PS 2.4

Not only does Photoshop give you the ability to generate layers, it gives you the ability to generate layers with different designations. The designation of a layer determines the type of information the layer contains. For example, type layers hold editable text, and a mask layer holds image masks. The ability to control the designation of a layer helps to organize the different elements that typically make up a Photoshop image.

Background. The Background is a unique type of layer element (technically, it’s not called the Background layer; just the Background). Backgrounds are always positioned at the bottom of the layer stack and they cannot be moved. In addition, the Background does not support transparency.

Layer. Clicking the Create New Layer button creates Photoshop layers. New layers are always inserted directly above the active layer. Traditional layers support all of Photoshop’s drawing and shape tools, opacity and fill and blending mode options, but do not support type. Traditional layers can be moved up and down in the layer stack by dragging.

Type. To create a Type layer, select one of Photoshop’s Type tools, click in the active document and begin typing. Photoshop automatically creates the Type layer directly above the active layer in the Layers palette.

Mask. Masks are applied to a layer by clicking the Add Layer Mask button on the Layers palette. Masks serve a function; they create transparent areas in the visible image. Use masks to remove elements of an image without physically erasing them.

Shape. Shape layers control vector data by the use of a vector mask. You can create a shape layer in one of several ways: Select the Pen tool from the toolbox, click the Shape Layer button (located on the Options bar, and then begin drawing, or select any of Photoshop’s shape tools using the Shape layer option.

Adjustment. Adjustment layers let you control everything from contrast to color. To create an Adjustment layer, click the Create New Fill Or Adjustment Layer button, and then select from the available options. The adjustment layer is placed directly above the active layer, and controls the information in all the underlying layers.

Creating a New Layer

PS 3.1

Layers give you control over the design elements of your document, so Adobe’s Photoshop makes sure you have plenty of them. You have the ability to create up to 8,000 layers. While that may be more layers than you would ever use in one single document, it guarantees that you have the creative options to carry your designs to any level you desire. To create a new layer, you must first have an open document. A new image in Photoshop has a single layer. If you have more than one document open, make sure the active image is the one you want to add a layer. You can quickly add a layer using a menu or button or add a layer and select options using a dialog box. You can select options to name the layer, designate it as a clipping group, or even change its color Blending mode, and Opacity.

Add Layers to an Active Document

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click New Layer.

Timesaver

Click the Create New Layer button on the Layers palette to quickly add a layer.

The new layer is inserted directly above the active layer.

Did You Know?

You can move a layer in the stacking order. Press the Ctrl (Win) or (Mac) key, and then use the Left/Right Bracket keys ([ ]). The Left Bracket key moves the layer down and the Right Bracket moves the layer up.

You can hide all layers except the clipping mask layer and the layer it is clipped to. Press the Alt (Win) or (Mac) key, and then click the layer’s visibility icon.

Add Layers and Select Options

Select the Layers palette.

Hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click the Create New Layer button to open the New Layer dialog box.

Select the layer options you want:

Name. Enter the name of the layer into the Name box.
Use Previous Layer To Create Clipping Mask. Select this check box to use the image information in the previous layer to mask the elements of the new layer.
Color. This option lets you color-code your layers. Click the Color list arrow, and then select from the available colors.
Mode. Click the Mode list arrow, and then select from the available blending modes.
Opacity. This option controls the visibility of the new layer. Select a value from 0 to 100 percent.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can control what layers the adjustment is applied. To confine the effects of an adjustment layer to the layer immediately below, hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click on the visible line separating the adjustment layer from the next lower layer.

For Your Information: Selecting Layer Options

When you create a new layer in Photoshop, the size of the file does not increase. It’s only when you begin painting, or adding information to the layer that the size of the Photoshop document will begin to grow. For example, creating a blank layer in a document with a file size of 10 MB does nothing to increase the size of the file. However, opening a 10 MB file, and creating a copy of the original document layer, will create a file size of 20 MB. Layers are great creative tools, but you only want to use them when you need them. Remember, performance is directly related to the size of the active document file, and the bigger the file size, the slower Photoshop performs.

Selecting Layers

PS 3.1

Photoshop lets you select multiple layers either in the Layers palette, or directly in the document window, using the Move tool. Say, for example, you want to quickly move two or more layers but you don’t want to spend the time linking, and then unlinking, you could quickly select the layers, and then perform the move. Or, perhaps you want to delete several layers and you don’t delete them one at a time. The ability to select multiple layers gives you the ability to exert more control over Photoshop, and that control quickly changes into creative energy. A single selected layer is called the active layer.

Select Layers

Open a multiple layered document.

Select multiple layers in the Layers palette using the following options:

Contiguous Layers. Click on the first layer, and then Shift+click the last layer to select first, last, and all layer in-between.
Non-Contiguous Layers. Click on a layer, hold down the Ctrl (Win) or (Mac) key, and then click on another layer.

Select layers in the document window using the following options:

Single and Multiple Layers. Select the Move tool, select the Auto Select Layer check box in the Options bar, and then click on an object in the document window. The layer holding that object is selected. To add or subtract layers from the selection, Shift+click (or drag).

Timesaver

Select the Move tool, hold down the Ctrl (Win) or (Mac) key, and then click on an object. Hold down the Shift+Ctrl (Win) or Shift+ (Mac), and click on another object to add that object’s layer to the selection.

To deselect all layers, click the Select menu, and then click Deselect Layers.

Creating a Layer Group

PS 3.1

Layer groups help to bring organization to large multi-layered documents. Photoshop layer groups give you control over all the layers within the group. For example, multiple layers within a group can all be hidden or locked with one click of a button. In addition, if you click on the Group name, you can transform or move all the layer objects within the set as one unit. To further help organize your Layers palette, Photoshop lets you create nested groups. Nested groups are groups that are held within another groups. When you nest groups, you control all of the groups by clicking on the main group’s name, or control the individual groups by selecting the nested group name.

Create a Layer Group or Nested Layer Group

Open a document.

Select the Layers palette.

If the document contains a layer group, click the triangle to expand the group, and then select one of the layers within the group to create a nested group.

Click the Create New Group button on the Layers palette, or press Ctrl+G (Win) or +G (Mac).

Photoshop creates a layer group.

Timesaver

To quickly create a Layer Group, hold down the Shift key and click the layers you want in the group, click the Layers Options button, and then click the New Group from Layers.

To add layers to the group, drag layers from the Layers palette onto the folder icon of the group.

To remove layers from the group, drag them from the group back into the Layers palette.

Creating a Selection from a Layer

Photoshop’s traditional layers are basically sheets of transparent acetate or clear plastic. Once created they support all of Photoshop’s painting tools, as well shape and gradient tools. While traditional layers may start out as transparent pieces of plastic, they don’t remain that way for long. In fact, a layer can, over time, be a complicated mix of non-transparent (the image), and transparent areas. It’s also possible you might want to make a selection out of that complicated image. Photoshop knows this and gives you an easy way to convert an image on a layer into a selection.

Create a Selection from a Layer

Click the Layers palette.

Hold down the Ctrl (Win) or (Mac) key, and then click on the image thumbnail of the layer you want converted into a selection. Be sure you click on the image thumbnail, not the layer name like previous versions.

The visible portions of the image on the layer are converted into a selection.

Important

Since Photoshop creates the selection based on the image information, there must be transparent and non-transparent areas within the image or the command selects the entire layer as if you had clicked the Select menu, and then clicked All.

Creating a Layer from a Selection

On the previous page, you learned how to create a selection based on the image information within a layer. In addition to creating a selection from a layer, Photoshop gives you the ability to instantly create a layer from a selection. Creating layers from selections opens up all kinds of opportunities for generating special effects. For example, selecting an object from one layer, and then making a layer with that selection, or making a selection of a portion of a image, creating the layer, and applying a layer style to the copy. The possibilities are endless, and the fun of using Photoshop is exploring those possibilities.

Create a Layer from a Selection

Select the Layers palette.

Click on the layer containing the information you want to convert into a layer.

Select an area of an image using any of Photoshop’s selection tools.

Press Ctrl+J (Win) or press +J (Mac) to make a copy.

Photoshop converts the selected area into a new layer, and places that layer directly above the active layer.

Did You Know?

You can make a copy of all elements within a layer. Select the layer in the Layers palette, and then click Ctrl+J (Win), +J (Mac). Since there are no selections, Photoshop creates a copy of the entire layer.

You can make copies of layer objects without selection. To make a copy of a layer that contains an object, select the layer in the Layers palette, select the Move tool, hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click and drag (in the document window).

Converting a Background into a Layer

The Background serves a unique function in Photoshop. Since some layout programs do not support Photoshop’s multiple layers, and transparency; in a process called flattening, a final image must sometimes be converted into a background. When an image is flattened, all of the documents layers are compressed into a single element in the Layers palette designated as the Background. That means no more layers, no more transparency, and no more control. Backgrounds are a necessary evil because Photoshop does not stand alone, and it’s sometimes necessary to move images from Photoshop into other applications. However, there are times you start with an image that’s on a background—images from a digital camera, scanned images, or images from a photo CD—and you want to apply transparency, blending modes, or other adjustments that cannot be applied to a background. In that case you will need to convert the Background into a Photoshop traditional layer.

Convert a Background

Select the Layers palette.

Double-click on the Background to open the New Layer dialog box.

Rename the layer in the Name box (leave the other options at their default values).

Click OK.

The Background is converted into a traditional layer.

Convert a Multi-Layered Document into a Background

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Flatten Image.

The multi-layer document is compressed into a single-layer Background.

Did You Know?

You can create a composite image of a multi-layered document without flattening the image. Create and select a new layer, and then hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key. Now, go to the Layers palette, click the Layers Options button, and then click Merge Visible. Photoshop creates a composite of all the visible layers in the new layer. You now have the control and flexibility of a multiple-layered document, along with a separate composite layer and control gives you the confidence to be more creative.

Controlling Image Information Using the Layers Palette

PS 3.6

When you work on multi-layered documents, it’s important to understand the ways Photoshop gives you to control image information. For example, working on a document that contains 20 layers is a difficult proposition. Fortunately, Photoshop gives you control over the document, everything from layer names to locking pixel information is available in Photoshop’s bag of image-control tricks. When linking two layers together, you can move or resize the layers at the same time, thus saving valuable time. Let’s explore some of the ways you can control image information on the Layers palette.

Control Image Information

Select the Layers palette, and then use one of the following options:

Layer Name. To name a layer, double-click on the current layer name, type a new name, and then press Enter (Win) or Return (Mac).
Show/Hide. To temporally hide or show a layer (make its contents invisible or visible in the document window), click the Eyeball button, located in the Show/Hide box.
Linking. To link two or more layers, hold the Shift key and click the layers you want to link, and then click the Link Layers button (located at the bottom left of the Layers palette). The link icon indicates the layers are linked. Linking lets you move or resize the layers as a unit.
Locking. The four available locking options are Lock Transparent Pixels, Lock Image Pixels, Lock Position, and Lock All.
Stacking Order. To change the position of a layer in the stack, drag the layer up or down. A dark line appears as a visual cue to indicate the new layer location.

Moving Layers Between Documents

PS 3.6

Photoshop documents typically contain multiple layers. One Web survey concluded that the Photoshop designer creates documents with an average of 14 layers. Controlling layers is an important aspect of design, because the more control you maintain, the more organized you are, and the better your designs will be. But what about controlling layers across multiple documents? For example, you’re working on a Photoshop design, and you need access to some additional image information. The only problem is that the additional information is located in another Photoshop document. Photoshop gives you the ability to move layers between open documents.

Move Layers Between Documents

Open the documents in which you want to move layers.

To have more than one document in view, click the Window menu, point to Arrange, and then click Tile or Cascade.

Click on the document containing the layer you want to move.

Drag the layer from the Layers palette into the window of the receiving document.

Photoshop creates a new layer with a copy of the image information from the other document.

Did You Know?

You can control the position of the moved layer. Hold down the Shift key while dragging the layer into the other document. Photoshop aligns the new layer to the center of the receiving document.

You can move selected portions of a layer. Select the area you want to move, click the Move tool, and then drag the selected area directly from the document window into the window of the receiving document.

Using Merge Layer Options

PS 3.6

The Merge Down option lets you merge one selected layer into the layer directly below. Merged layers take on the characteristics of the layer they are being merged into. For example, merging a layer into a layer that uses the Darken blending mode. The two merged layers will still use Darken, or if you merge a layer into the background, the merged layer becomes a part of the background. The Merge Visible option gives you the ability with one click to merge all of the layers that have the Show option enabled.

Merge Down

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Merge Down.

The selected layers merge into the next layer down.

When you use the Merge Down command, the top layer will take on the name and characteristics of the bottom layer.

Timesaver

Press Ctrl+E (Win) or +E (Mac) to merge layers down.

Merge Visible

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Show option for all layers you want to merge.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Merge Visible.

All layers with the Show option enabled are merged together.

Timesaver

Press Alt (Win) or Option (Mac), click the Layer menu, and then click Merge Visible to merge all visible layers into a new layer.

Linking and Unlinking Layers

If you’re currently looking at the Layers palette, and wondered where the linking button is, don’t worry; it’s not missing, it’s just been moved. Linking multiple layers is a snap, simply select one or more layers and then click the Link Layers button at the bottom of the Layers palette. You can link two or more layers or groups. Unlike selected multiple layers, linked layers retain their relationship (stay together) until you unlink them, which allows you to move or resize the layers as a unit.

Link Layers

Open a multiple layered document.

Select the Layers palette.

Select two or more layers.

Click the Link Layers button, located at the bottom of the Layers palette.

The selected layers are now linked. A link icon appears next to the linked layers.

Unlink Layers

Open a multiple layered document that contains links.

Select the Layers palette.

Select a layer that contains the link icon.

Timesaver

To unlink several linked layers, select them before continuing.

Click the Link Layers button, located at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Timesaver

To temporarily disable a linked layer, Shift+click the link icon for the linked. A red X appears. Shift+click the link icon to enable it.

Working with Layer Blending Modes

PS 2.5.

Layer Blending Modes are one of the most creative areas in the Layers palette. With blending modes you can instruct Photoshop to mix the image information between two or more layers. For example, the Multiply blending mode instructs Photoshop to mix the image information of two or more layers together. Blending modes give you control over Photoshop images up and over that what you would expect to find in the real world.

Mix Layer Information with Blending Modes

Open a multiple layered document.

Select the Layers palette.

Select a layer.

Since blending modes work downward, select the layer directly above the layer you want to blend.

Click the Blending Mode list arrow, and then select a blending mode.

Photoshop uses the selected blending mode to visually blend the image through all the layers below the blending mode layer.

Did You Know?

You can control the number of layers a blending mode is applied. Hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click on the visible line separating the adjustment layer from the next lower layer.

Duplicating a Layer

PS 3.6.

There are times when you will need a copy of a Photoshop layer. Duplicating a layer is a simple process which creates a pixel-to-pixel copy of the selected layer. Once the copied layer is created, it becomes a separate image within the document. You can then begin to make any additions to the new layer. Duplicating a layer gives you the ability to control each layer separately and to create any desired effect.

Duplicate a Layer

Select the Layers palette.

Select the layer you want to duplicate.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Duplicate Layer.

Enter a name for the new layer.

To place the layer in another open document, click the Document list arrow, and then select a document.

Click OK.

Did You Know?

You can duplicate a layer with the Create New Layer button. Drag the layer over the Create New Layer button and Photoshop creates an exact copy of the layer and appends the word copy at the end of the original layer name.

Deleting Layers

PS 3.6

Photoshop lets you add layers to a document (up to 8,000), and it lets you delete layers. Remember that once you’ve deleted a layer, and saved the document, there is no way to recover the deleted layer. However, while the document is open, there is always the chance of recovering the deleted layer through the History palette.

Delete Layers

Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer you want to delete.

Hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click the Delete Layer button.

Did You Know?

You can delete a layer from the layers palette using the drag motion. Click the layer you want to delete, and then drag it to the Delete Layer button.

Delete Linked Layers

Select the Layers palette, and then hold down the Shift key and click on the layers you want to delete.

Hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click the Delete Layer button.

Photoshop deletes all the linked layers.

Did You Know?

You can delete hidden layers from the layers palette. Click the Layers Options button, and then click Delete Hidden Layers.

Changing Layer Properties

PS 3.7

The Layer Properties dialog box gives you control over the layer’s name and its identifying color, two very important control items. For example, if you’re working on a 20 layer document, and you’re not naming the layers, after a while you’ll loose track of what each layer contains. When you name the layers, you have a visual identifier of the information contained with that specific layer (assuming you name the layer correctly). In addition, you can use the colorize option to apply a color to a specific group of layers—coloring all the type layers red, for example. Layer properties may not seem like much, but they go a long way to helping you organize a complex, multi-layered document.

Change Layer Properties

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Layer Properties.

Timesaver

Hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key and double-click a layer name to open Layer Properties.

Change the name of the layer.

Click the Color list arrow, and then click a layer color.

Click OK.

Working with the Layer Comps Palette

PS 3.2

Layer Comps are an image or snapshot of the current state of the Layers palette. When you create a layer comp, you’re recording layer visibility, a layer’s position within the document, and any layer styles applied to the image. Making changes to the layers in your document and updating the Layer Comps palette create comps. Any time you want to view a layer comp you can apply them to the existing image by selecting the appropriate comp from the Layer Comps palette. Layer comps give you the advantage of creating different versions of your document, and saving them with your document. In addition, they give you the option of printing the document using different layer comps.

Work with the Layer Comps Palette

Open a document.

Click the Window menu, and then click Layers Comps to open the Layer Comps palette.

Click the Create New Layer Comp button to create a snapshot of the current state of the image.

Select check boxes to adjust a layer’s visibility, position, or appearance (layer style).

Click OK.

Click the Create New Layer Comp button to create another snapshot of the current state of the image.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 to create as many layer comps as you need.

Click the left and right arrows to cycle through the current layer comps.

Click the Update Layer Comp button to update the selected layer comp to the current state of the image.

Click the Layer Comp icon to change the active image to the selected layer comp state.

To remove a layer comp, click the Delete Layer Comp button.

Exporting Layers as Files

Photoshop gives you the option of exporting and saving layers as individual files using a variety of formats. With Photoshop the formats include PSD, BMP, JPEG, PDF, Targa, and TIFF. When exporting layers to files, one format is applied to all exported layers. The Export Layers To Files script command gives you the ability to create individual graphic files from the individual layers and select options specific to the file format you want.

Export Layers to Files

Open a document.

Click the File menu, point to Scripts, and then click Export Layers To Files.

To specify a destination for the files, click Browse, and then select a folder location.

Enter the name you want at the beginning of the files.

To export only visible layers, click the Visible Layers Only check box.

Click the File Type list arrow, and then select an output option: PSD, BMP, JPEG, PDF, Targa, and TIFF.

To embed a color profile, select the Include ICC Profile check box.

Specify the options you want that relate with the selected file format.

Click Run.

Upon completion, click OK.

The files are named with the prefix you specified and numbers in sequential order.

Setting Layers Palette Options

Photoshop doesn’t have a lot of options for controlling the palette; in fact, there is only one—changing the size of the thumbnail. Thumbnail size options come in three sizes, or you can select to have no thumbnail shown. When you change the size of the thumbnail, you’re instructing Photoshop to spend more, or less processing time on the display of the image. The larger the thumbnail, the easier it is to see, but the longer it takes for Photoshop to draw the images in the Layers palette. If you’re experiencing performance issues with Photoshop, and you’re using a large thumbnail, you might consider downsizing the thumbnail image.

Set Layers Palette Options

Select the Layers palette.

Click the Layers Options button, and then click Palette Options.

Click a thumbnail size or the None option.

Click the Layer Bounds or Entire Document option.

Select the Use Default Masks On Adjustments check box to automatically insert a mask when creating a new Adjustment layer.

Click OK.

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