Working with layers
in Photoshop

Note: Please copy the images at www.practicalsupportstudies.blogspot.com to your computer, as we will use them to practice with in today's class.

Layers in Photoshop

Layers are a powerful feature in Photoshop which allow you to keep the elements of an image separate, so that you can work on one part without disturbing the other parts. Layers work a bit like a stack of acetates, each having one part of the picture on it.

You can edit the material on any layer independently of the other layers, and can change the order of the layers to move items in front of or behind each other.

When you create a document with layers, it must be saved in the PSD format. PSD stands for "Photoshop Document". This format preserves the independence of the layers, allowing you to come back later and continue editing. However, a PSD file can only be opened in Photoshop, and cannot be displayed on the Internet or viewed as a thumbnail in Windows.

To make your image file more accessible, you need to convert it to JPEG or GIF format. JPEG is the normal format for photographic images, while GIF is the normal format for line art or graphic images which contain blocks of solid colour. Another file format you may be required to produce is TIFF, which is a high-resolution format suitable for printing.

When you convert a file from PSD to JPEG or GIF, the layers will be lost. Effectively, the image will be flattened onto a single layer, and it will no longer be possible to edit material on different layers separately. It is wise to keep the PSD version too, in case your finished JPEG turns out not to be exactly what you wanted.

Working with layers

Although you can work with layers using the Layers menu, most people find it easiest to use the Layers Window (called the Layers Palette in previous versions of Photoshop). To make sure the Layers Window is open on your desktop, in the Window menu, see that Layers has a tick beside it. If it doesn’t, select it. This will open the Layers Window on your desktop.

Parts of the Layers Window

• Layers
• Layer sets
• Layers menu
• Shortcut buttons

Things you commonly want to do with layers

• Create a layer - When you need to create a layer, and when one will be provided automatically
• Duplicate an existing layer
• Delete a layer
• Change the order of layers
• Move layers into a layer set
• Merge two layers
• Name a layer
• Hide a layer
• Link two or more layers together

Text layers

If you want to add text to an image, you do so by selecting the Text tool from the Toolbar. As soon as you click the mouse on the image with the Text tool selected, a new layer is automatically created for the text in the Layers Window. When you have typed in your text, you will see that the new layer has automatically named itself with the text you just typed in.

All text layers have a capital T in their thumbnail in the Layers Window, to allow you to identify them quickly. To select the text in a text layer for editing, double-click on the thumbnail for that layer in the Layers Window, and the text will be selected.