An introduction to Layers    


LAYER PALETTE   
Click on the eye on the left to hide or show the layer. (drag to select multiple layers.)
    The layer must be highlighted to work on that layer. Notice the top layer is highlighted (looks blue)
and a brush appears to the right of the eye, indicating that it's active.
  

CREATING A LAYER
1. To view the layers palette, on the menu bar,
     go to Window, show layers.
2. When you create a document, it only has one layer.
3. Create a new layer in different ways.

  a. drag an existing layer to the middle icon on the bottom of the Layers Palette. This creates a duplicate of that layer.
  b. Click the arrow on the top right side of the layers menu and choose "new Layer"
  c. Click the arrow on the top right side and choose "duplicate layer"
  d. copy and paste something into the document. It is     placed on a new layer
e. create text using the text tool, and that creates a new layer.

4. WORKING WITH LAYERS
When you're on a layer, whatever you do on that layer doesn't effect any other layer.
You can erase something without distubing the other layers. Eraser tool: (Remember to open the brushes menu, from the window menu, and select the size brush that meets your needs for erasing. Just drag across the area that you want erased to remove that spot.
5. To select, or highlight, something on a layer, just hold down the control key and click on the layer on the layers palette that you want selected. You'll notice it has "marching ants" around it. Then you can modify the item. You can't change anything until you have it selected.
6. To change the color of the fill of an item that you have selected:
     go to edit: fill, and choose whether you want the color to be the foreground or background color, then click ok.
7.      To change the color of the outline of text or any item:
go to edit: stroke, and choose whether you want the color to be the foreground or background, and click ok.
8.      To change the size of something on a layer, select the layer, then go to edit, transform, make sure that constrain proportions is checked, then set the percentage that you want it changed. You can also rotate it if you choose. Then click ok. This works great to scale something you've pasted onto the document to fit the size of the document you're working in.
9.      Since you can only work on one layer at a time, there will be times when you may wish to combine two layers so that you can work on both of them at once. Use the option "merge down" from the dropdown box on the layers palette for this. This combines the two layers. You must be on one of the layers (have it selected) for it to work.
10.      When you finish with a file, the layers need to be flattened in order that you save it as a Tiff file, which is what you need for printing. (You also have the option of "save a copy" without flattening them, if you choose). To flatten the layers, from the pop out menu on the layers palette, choose "flatten image", or go to the menu bar at the top of your screen and to the layer palette, and choose "flatten image". Once you flatten the layers and close the file, it can't be undone. For this reason, if I think I will need to make changes in individual layers, I save it in two formats, the Photoshop format of psd, and the Tiff format, for printing, or for the web, in the Gif or jpg format.
11 Change the opacity of the layer, so that it's lighter by adjusting the percentage in the opacity window on the Layer's menu.Type in a percentage, or slide the scale. This allows you to create a dimmed image which is helpful in creating backgrounds, or a shadow under text, etc.
   
 
  back to tutorial