TweetLayers are like sheets of images arranged one upon the other. It helps you to work efficiently with the images in the layers. The layers are transparent which makes the bottom layer and its images to be visible. The opacity of the layer can be reduced which makes the images in the layer to be transparent.
While creating a new document with white or colored background, the bottommost layer is know as background. No changes like opacity, blending options, etc can be done in it.
Layers - New – Layer
Layer from background
Group
Group from layer
Layer via copy
Layer - create a new layer above the selected layer.
- Layer > New > Layer(Shift+Ctrl+N)
Layer from background - convert the background of document to a layer which makes it more editable
- Layer > New > Layer from background
Duplicate – duplicate a group with entire set of layers and images nested in it.
- Layers > Duplicate group
Delete – remove a layer / group from the document.
- Layers > Delete > Group (to delete a group)
- From the dialog box,
- Select group and contents to delete group with its layers
- Select group only if want to delete the group folder and not the layers nested in it.
Group properties – can name and code a group folder with color which helps in locating the related layers in the layers palette.
- Layers > Group properties
- Layer style – Effects can be applied on a layer using layer style. The effects which have been created newly can be saved in library for future use. Any style applied to a layer can be copied to another layer. To do tat
- Select a layer to which a style has been applied.
- Right click and select copy layer style
- Select the targeted layer to which the style has to be copied
- Right click and select paste layer style. The style has been copied to the target layer.
New adjustment layer – This layer apply color and tonal adjustment to the images without changing its pixel value. Adjustments are not directly applied on the images so it can be discarded and restore the original image.
- Layer > New adjustment layer.
- Adjustments can be re-edited.
- Paint on the layer mask of the adjustment layer which result in applying the adjustment to a part of the image.
- Adjustment get applied on all layers below this adjustment layer.
Layer mask – This mask is used to hide/show a portion of the layer with brush /selection tool.
- Its resolution dependent mask.
- Layer mask is a grayscale image, area painted with black are hidden and white are visible and layer appear to be transparent with gray shades.
- Layer > Layer mask
Vector mask – Its resolution independent mask done with shape/ pen tool. Both layer and vector mask appear as a thumbnail at the right side of the layer thumbnail.
- Layer > Vector Mask > Reveal all.
Clipping Mask - Mask a layer with the content of the layer below it.
- Layer > Create clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G)
Smart Object – Layer which contain images which can be edited without affecting the quality of the image
- Layer > Smart Object
- Smart object can be duplicated to several layers. When any changes are done to the object, it get applied on all duplicated layers.
- Create a new document with an image in it.
- Select the layer > Layer > Convert to smart object
- Duplicate the smart object layer
- Double-click on a smart object layer to edit, a dialog box will open, click ok.
- The smart object opens in a separate window.
- Do all changes in it, save and close the window.
- The changes done in to tat single smart object get applied to all duplicated layers.
A. Convert an image to smart object. B. duplicate the smart object layer. C. edit a single smart object in a new document. D. Changes updated in other duplicated layers
Video layer – import a video / create a new blank video layer in a document
- Layer > Video layer > New video layer from file (open a video from a file)
- Layer > Video layer > New blank video layer (create a new blank layer for a video)
Rasterize layer – filters, blending options cannot be applied on vector images in photoshop. These editing can be done only after converting those vectors to flat, raster image.
- Layer > Rasterize > Select option which includes
- Type > Rasterize the text layer
- Shape > Rasterize a shape
- Vector mask > Rasterize a vector mask layer
- Smart object > Rasterize a layer with smart object
- Video > convert a video frame into image layer
- Layer > Rasterize all vector in the selected layers
Group layer – hold layers under one folder.
- Select the layers to be group.
- Layers > Group layers.
Arrange – move the selected layer to top or bottom.
- Layers > Arrange > Bring to front (Ctrl+Shift+]) – move the selected layer to the top of all layers.
- Layers > Arrange > Bring forward (Ctrl +]) – move the layer one step above.
- Layers > Arrange > Bring backward (Ctrl+[) – move the layer one step back.
- Layers > Arrange > Send to back (Ctrl+Shift+[)- move the layer down of all layers and place it above the background layer.
Merge – after the complete edition of images in photoshop all layers can be merged to single layer which reduce the file size. While merging the image in the top layer replace the image in the lower layer.
- Layers > Merge down (Ctrl+E) – merge the selected layer into a single layer.
- Layers > Merge visible (Ctrl+Shift+E) – merge all layers in the document to background layer.
Flatten – all layers can be stamped into background layer to reduce the file size of the document. The hidden layers get discarded while flatten the layers.
Matte – used to create a smooth edge known as halo around an image.
- Layer > Matting > Defringe – enter the number of pixels to be deleted around the image
- Layer > Matting > Remove white matte – remove the white edge around the image
- Layer > Matting > Remove black matte – remove the black edge around the image
