Although turning the background into a layer (discussed in the previous section) is a popular activity, there’s a reason Photoshop refers to layers in the plural. Image editing would be no fun if you didn’t have a variety of different layers to mess around with. Photoshop offers five types of layers. Four of the five have very specific purposes in the life of your image. Some you may never use, and some you’ll use only occasionally. But the vanillaflavored type, which you’ll use the most, is simply called a layer. Pretty generic, huh? Read on to find out more.
Using plain-vanilla layers
The regular layer is the one that most closely matches the acetate analogy discussed in the first section of this chapter. You put various elements on separate layers to create a composite
image. You can create blank layers and add images to them, or you can create layers from images themselves. You can create as many layers as your computer’s RAM will let you. And sometimes layers are created automatically by a specific action that you execute in Photoshop.
Because each layer in an image is a separate entity, you can edit, paint, transform, mask, or apply a filter on a layer without affecting the other layers. And once an element is on a layer, you no longer have to make a selection (get the selection outline) to select it — you simply drag the element with the Move tool. The element freely floats in a sea of transparency. Because it’s impossible to show “clear” areas or transparency on a computer monitor, Photoshop uses a gray and white checkerboard, by default, to represent the transparent areas of a layer.
Playing around with layer masks
A layer mask is like a second sheet of acetate that hovers over a layer. You can use layer masks with regular layers, adjustment layers, and fill layers. For example, you may paint on a layer mask (typically with black, white, and various shades of gray) to selectively hide or display an adjustment (or an image on a regular layer). Any black areas on the mask hide the adjustment, any white areas show the adjustment, and anything in between (gray) partially shows the adjustment.
Using plain-vanilla layers
The regular layer is the one that most closely matches the acetate analogy discussed in the first section of this chapter. You put various elements on separate layers to create a composite
image. You can create blank layers and add images to them, or you can create layers from images themselves. You can create as many layers as your computer’s RAM will let you. And sometimes layers are created automatically by a specific action that you execute in Photoshop.
Because each layer in an image is a separate entity, you can edit, paint, transform, mask, or apply a filter on a layer without affecting the other layers. And once an element is on a layer, you no longer have to make a selection (get the selection outline) to select it — you simply drag the element with the Move tool. The element freely floats in a sea of transparency. Because it’s impossible to show “clear” areas or transparency on a computer monitor, Photoshop uses a gray and white checkerboard, by default, to represent the transparent areas of a layer.
Playing around with layer masks
A layer mask is like a second sheet of acetate that hovers over a layer. You can use layer masks with regular layers, adjustment layers, and fill layers. For example, you may paint on a layer mask (typically with black, white, and various shades of gray) to selectively hide or display an adjustment (or an image on a regular layer). Any black areas on the mask hide the adjustment, any white areas show the adjustment, and anything in between (gray) partially shows the adjustment.
Introducing Different Types of Layers in Photoshop
![Introducing Different Types of Layers in Photoshop]()
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