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01/10/2006 11:50:45 AM · #1 |
I sense that layers are a powerful tool. Only problem is, I'm clueless on how to use them. I've read the tutorials here, and I think they were a bit over my head. What I want to know is, firstly, what are the uses for layers? I've heard adjustments mentioned, and others have said something about stacking layers and erasing elements from different ones for effects. Yeah... Could someone out there explain how to use these correctly, or at least point me in the direction of a good reference?
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01/10/2006 11:56:11 AM · #2 |
Here are some free lessons
Photoshop layers
Other free Photoshop lessons just scroll down
Other Photoshop lessons
you'll be suprised how many free lessons or info there is on photoshop layers there is on the internet just google photoshop layers if you need more help or just ask away in the forums here... sure we can help here.
Message edited by author 2006-01-10 12:01:00.
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01/10/2006 11:58:14 AM · #3 |
Try checking out the Photoshop Basics Mentorship Lessons For an introduction to layers. Scroll through the thread noticing the longish lessons in sequence, the long posts with bold type in them.
R.
Message edited by author 2006-01-10 11:58:33. |
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01/10/2006 12:11:27 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by OdysseyF22:
I sense that layers are a powerful tool. Only problem is, I'm clueless on how to use them. I've read the tutorials here, and I think they were a bit over my head. What I want to know is, firstly, what are the uses for layers? I've heard adjustments mentioned, and others have said something about stacking layers and erasing elements from different ones for effects. Yeah... Could someone out there explain how to use these correctly, or at least point me in the direction of a good reference? |
To be more specific to your question, at the level of knowledge you seem to be at based on your own statement, I'd say the primary purpose of layers is that they allow you to do "non-destructive" editing. Neophytes in photoshop usually open an image, go to image/adjustments, and then adjust levels, contrast, hue/sat, whatever, then save the image. This is "destructive" editing; once you save it and close it you can't go back.
A more sophisticated user will open the image, immediately save-as a new filename, and then do each of those adjustments on a new layer, an "adjustment layer". You can create one by going to layers/new adjustment layer and choosing the sort you need from the fly-out list.
Let's say you decide to do a hue/saturation adjustment layer. You go through the above, and you now have a new layer imposed on top of the BG layer in the layers palette, and a dialogue box opens up where you make your adjustments to, let's say, the color and saturation of the sky. When you click OK, the dialogue box goes away and the layer is established. In the layers palette you can toggle the layer visible/invisible by clicking the eyeball icon, so you can see the effect of your work. You can make the layer less opaque, right down to full transparency, so you can moderate its effects. You can change the layer "mode" so that the effect is applied in different ways. And you can click on the little icon in the layer palette itself and reopen the original dialogue box so you can change the effect settings.
You make one of these for each of your adjustments, and you have complete reversibility; your image can be returned to its original state simply by tossing all the layers, or an intermediate state by tossing some but not others, and the image actually exists in a totally amorphous state because you can fade some or all of the layers as well to fine-tune things. For example, a change in the levels layer will often require a corresponding change in hue/saturation to make things "look right".
For sharpening, one of the best ways to work is to "duplicate BG layer" and do your sharpening on that; then you can fade it until it looks just right, especially if you oversharpen a little to begin with. This is NOT basic-editing legal, however, as a duplicate layer contains pixels and this is a no-no.
That's a layers primer for you; if you stick with "adjustment" layers and keep the layer mode in "normal", you can't run afoul of the rules and your workflow becomes less stressful and more flexible.
Robt. |
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01/10/2006 12:16:21 PM · #5 |
| Excellent post Bear! I appreciate it, and it wasn't my question |
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