400
S
MART OBJECTS ARE A RADICAL
departure from the way we’ve treated
Photoshop layers before. In the past, distorting
a layer or group meant irrevocably changing it,
and we could expect more degradation of the
image each time we applied a further rotation
or other transformation to it.
Now, we can group multiple layers together
into new units that store the data for future
reference (the layers are actually saved in their
original state within the Photoshop file). This
means that not only can we apply as many
distortions as we like to layers without losing
their integrity, we can also change the original
Smart Object and then have that change
reflected in each instance of it on the page.
Each Smart Object can contain many
layers, although it appears to be just a single
layer in the Layers panel. You can distort,
transform, apply filters and scale a Smart
Object as much as you like without ever
damaging the original. The only thing you can’t
do is paint directly on it: to edit the contents,
double-click it and it will open in a new window
with all the layers intact.
Here, we’ll look at how to put this innovative
technology to work for us.
1
The image we’re going to use is shown on the left. Here,
I’ve added two extra layers: a background that’s larger
than the image, to make the frame; and a brownish stained
paper overlay, set to Hard Light mode, to add texture.
4
To make the shadow, first make a new layer behind the
Smart Object. Hold O A as you click the four corners
with the Lasso tool, then fill with black. This is the trick to
creating shadows of curled objects: if the shadow itself is
straight-edged, it accentuates the curling even more.
7
The best thing about applying Smart Filters is that,
like Adjustment Layers, they come with a Layer Mask
attached. This means we can paint out the effect where we
don’t want it: so the center of the image can remain crisp,
while only the front and rear edges are out of focus.
Working with Smart Objects
14
Advanced techniques
SHORTCUTS
MAC WIN BOTH
401
2
Select all three layers, and choose Layer > Smart Objects
> Convert to Smart Object. This groups all the layers into,
apparently, a single layer. We can now use Free Transform to
apply a simple perspective distortion, holding C L as we
drag each corner to move it independently.
5
Apply some Gaussian Blur to the shadow layer, and
reduce its opacity so it looks more convincing. This layer
isn’t part of the Smart Object set, but will appear beneath it.
8
This photograph of Alexander Fleming in his laboratory is
the same proportions as the original photo. Double click
the Smart Object and it will open as a separate .psb file; drag
the Fleming photograph into it, and move it so it’s aligned
with the original photo.
3
Without exiting Free Transform, press the Image Warp
button on the Options Bar. This adds the familiar nine-
segment grid overlay. By dragging the four corners up slightly,
we’re able to give a curling effect to the old photograph. Press
E to apply the Free Transform operation.
6
We can increase the realism by applying some Gaussian
Blur to the Smart Object itself – simply choose it as
normal from the Filter menu. It will behave as normal, except
that it will appear in the Layers Panel as a Smart Filter, nested
beneath the Smart Object layer.
9
All we have to do now is to press Cs Ls to save
the Smart Object file (or just close it, and hit OK when
prompted to save it first). And this is the result: the original
image is replaced by the new one, complete with both the
distortion and the Smart Filter blur applied earlier.
HOT TIP
We can use
Smart Objects
throughout
the Photoshop
workflow. If we’re
distorting a layer
with Image Warp
or Puppet Warp,
for instance,
converting it to
a Smart Object
first will allow
us to adjust the
distortion at any
point: selecting
the distortion
method will reveal
the original grid,
intact, just as we
left it after the
initial distortion.
We can also use
Smart Objects
if we’re going to
repeatedly scale
or rotate a layer, as
the original data is
stored within the
Smart Object.
How to Cheat in Photoshop CC
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.