Photoshop Elements >
Layers > 2 - All About Layers
When a layer is active, you can make changes to the layer.
A layer becomes active when you click the layer, and it becomes
highlighted.
Do rename layers as you go along.
Then, if you need to fine tune a correction, you can quickly
find the right layer.
There are several ways you can rename a layer.
Let's say you want to rename a layer called Layer 1.
Double Click the Current Name in the Layer
Put the cursor on the name of the layer, Layer 1.
Double click.
Layer 1 is highlighted.
Enter the new name and then click elsewhere on the layer.
Double Click the Layer
Double click on the Layer 1 layer where there's just color.
A window will appear, with Layer 1 highlighted.
Enter the new name, and click OK.
Right Click the Layer
Right click on the layer, and select Rename Layer.
A window will appear, with Layer 1 highlighted.
Enter the new name, and click OK.
Layer Menu
You can also go to the Layer menu at the top of your screen.
Go to Layer > Rename Layer.
A window will appear, with Layer 1 highlighted.
Enter the new name, and click OK.
Windows
To delete a layer, click the layer where it's only color, hold,
and drag it onto the trash
can icon.
Mac
To delete a layer, click the layer where it's only color, hold,
and drag it onto the trash
can icon—not the trash icon in the Dock on the edge of your
screen.
You can hide a layer by clicking on the eye icon for the layer.
The eye icon is located on the left end of a layer.
When you can see the eye icon, the layer is visible.
When you click the eye icon—it disappears—and the layer is no
longer visible.
Clicking the eye icon, on and off, is useful when you want to
compare how a photograph looks with and without the affect of a
layer.
Eye Icon Tips
Drag
You can drag through the eye icon column to change the visibility
of many layers at the same time.
Alt
To display just one layer, press and hold Alt, and click the
eye icon for the layer.
All of the other layers will become hidden.
To reverse the action, press and hold Alt, and click the eye
icon for the layer.
If you save your photograph as a JPEG, the layers are not saved.
To save the layers, save the photograph using the Photoshop file
format called PSD.
This is done by default.
Then, if you need a JPEG, save the photograph again as a JPEG.
You can change the opacity of a layer.
The Opacity box is at the top of the layers stack, to the right of the Blending Mode box.
It probably has 100% inside.
As you reduce the opacity from 100%, the layer becomes increasingly
translucent.
The layers below will be seen through the layer with reduced
opacity.
Opacity has two main uses.
1) Blending layers together
2) Reducing an effect
For example, let's say you used a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
to increase the saturation of a color.
You can reduce this effect by lowering the opacity of the Hue/Saturation
adjustment layer.
Adjustment layers are special for three reasons.
They:
1) Don't contain any pixels.
2) Contain mathematics.
3) "Broadcast" changes to the layers with pixels below.
There are two adjustment layers that you'll use often.
The Levels adjustment layer is used to broadcast a contrast change
to the layer containing your photograph
The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer is used to transmit a color
change.
Advantages of Adjustment Layers
After using an adjustment layer, you can:
• Return to the adjustment layer to refine your editing at any
time.
• Create a mask.
A mask blocks the broadcast of the adjustment layer's mathematics
in parts of the photograph.
You paint a mask with the Brush tool.
Black paint blocks 100% of the affect of the adjustment layer.
Shades of gray let some of the affect through to the pixels layers
below.
White paint lets all of the affect through.,
• Reduce the affect of the adjustment layer by lowering its opacity.
More
To learn about the Levels adjustment layer, go to
Levels.
Linking v. Grouping Layers
You can link layers, and you can group them.
There's a difference between linking and grouping.
Linking
3 Things
When you link layers together, they can do three things simultaneously.
1) Linked layers can be moved as a group up-and-down the layers
stack.
Click one of the linked layers, hold, and drag.
2) You can reposition the contents of linked layers simultaneously
with the Move tool.
For example, let's say you're doing a collage.
You have seven clouds, each on its own layer.
You want to move all seven clouds at the same time.
Link the seven cloud layers, and then move the clouds in unison
with the Move tool.
3) You can use the rotate and the various transform commands
simultaneously on the contents of linked layers.
Go to Transform.
How to Link Layers
To link layers, press Ctrl and click each layer.
Then, click the chain icon.
6.0 & 7.0
The chain icon is at the top of the Layers palette.
8.0
The chain icon is at the bottom of the Layers palette.
How to Unlink Layers
To unlink, select one of the linked layers and click the chain
icon.
When you group layers together, the grouped layers influence
each other, and no other layers.
For example, let's say there's a Levels adjustment layer.
And, there are two layers below it.
There's a layer with clouds.
The second layer is mountains.
|
Levels (Affects all
of the layers below)
|
|
Clouds
|
|
Mountains
|
The Levels adjustment layer is affecting the clouds and mountains
layers.
However, if you group the Levels adjustment layer with the cloud
layer, the Levels will only affect the clouds.
The mountains layer won't be affected.
Note the tiny black arrow below.
The arrow shows that the Levels layer is grouped with the
Clouds layer.
|
↓ Levels (Affects
only the Clouds layer)
|
|
Clouds
|
|
Mountains
|
Use one of the following three methods.
Method #1
|
1) Click the top layer to be grouped.
2) Press Ctrl + g.
|
1) Click the top layer in the group.
2) Press Shift + Ctrl + g.
|
Method #2
|
1) Press and hold Alt.
2) Place the cursor between the top layer to be grouped,
and the layer below.
3) Click when the cursor changes to the grouping icon
(double circles).
|
1) Press Alt.
2) Place the cursor between the grouped layers.
3) Click when the cursor changes to the grouping icon
(double circles).
|
Method #3
Pre 8.0
|
1) Click the top layer to be grouped.
2) Go to Layer > Group with Previous
|
1) Click the top layer in the group.
2) Go to Layer > Ungroup
|
8.0
|
1) Click the top layer to be grouped.
2) Go to Layer > Create Clipping Group).
|
1) Click the top layer in the group.
2) Go to Layer > Release Clipping Group
|
Tiny Arrow
A tiny arrow appears in the top layer when its grouped
with the layer below.
Clipping Masks
For more about complex grouping, go to
Layer Groups & Clipping Masks.
When you merge layers, they're combined.
For example, if you're doing a collage of a landscape, you could
merge all of the layers that contain clouds.
Merging layers reduces the size of the file, which will speed
up subsequent editing actions.
Be cautious, because the merged layers are permanently merged
once you close the photograph.
There are several ways to merge layers.
Method #1
Highlight the layers by pressing Ctrl and clicking on each one,
and then go to Layer > Merge or press Ctrl + e.
Method #2
Deselect the eye icon on the layers you don't want to merge.
Then, go to Layer > Merge Visible or press Ctrl + Shift + e.
(Stamp Visible or Claw Command)
Go to Composite
Layer.
If you use this command, all of the layers will be merged.
Like merging layers, flattening is permanent once you close the
file.
You may need to flatten the layers before printing the photograph,
for example.
Save the photograph under a different name, before flattening,
to have both flattened and unflattened versions.
Go to Layer > Flatten.
If a layer contains text or shapes, you'll be prompted to simplify
the layer when merging the layer with others.
Once simplified, you can't edit the text or shape.
Moving a Layer to Another Photograph
If you haven't already done so, go to
Move a Layer.
