Making Layers in Photoshop

As I mention earlier in the chapter, good, old-fashioned, regular layers are the backbone of the world of layers. The next few sections take a look at the various ways to create these layers.

Creating a new layer
If you want to create a new blank layer, click the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. You can also create a new layer by choosing New Layer from the palette options menu or by choosing Layer-->New-->Layer. The latter method prompts you with a dialog box to name your layer and includes other options for grouping, color-coding, blending, and opacity (all of which are explained in other chapters in Book V). Provide a name for your layer and click OK. If you chose one of the first two methods, a layer with the default name of Layer 1 appears in the Layers palette.

You can also create an entirely new document with a layer by choosing File-->New. In the New dialog box, select the Transparent for the Contents option. Your new file then appears with Layer 0 instead of a background. When you click the Create a New Layer icon, the layer is added above your active layer. By holding down the Ctrl key (Ô on the Mac) when you click, Photoshop adds the new layer below the active layer.

Your new transparent layer is now ready for content. Remember, because it isn’t possible to show transparency on your screen, Photoshop uses a gray-and-white checkerboard to represent the transparent areas of a layer. You can put content on the new layer in several ways:
- Use one of the painting tools and paint directly on the layer.
- Make a selection on another layer or the background (for the difference between the two, see the previous sections in this chapter) within the same document or from another image entirely and then choose Edit-->Copy. Select your new blank layer in the Layers palette and then choose Edit-->Paste.
- Make a selection on another layer (or the background) within the same document or from another image and then choose Edit-->Cut. Select your new blank layer and then choose Edit-->Paste. Just remember that Photoshop deletes the selection from the source and adds it to your new layer.
- Transfer an entire image to your new layer by choosing Select-->All and then either Edit-->Copy or Edit-->Cut. Select your new blank layer and then choose Edit-->Paste.

Using Layer via Copy and Layer via Cut
Another way to create a layer is to use the Layer via Copy command found on the Layer menu. Make a selection on a layer or background and choose Layer-->New-->Layer via Copy. The copied selection is placed on a new layer with the default name of Layer 1. You can do the same with the Layer via Cut command, but in this case, Photoshop deletes the selected area from the source layer or background and places it on the new layer. The source layer is left with a gaping transparent hole. If you used the background for the source, your background color fills the space. Remember that you can use these two commands only within the same image. You cannot use them between multiple images.

Duplicating layers
If you want to duplicate an existing layer, first select it in the Layers palette. Then drag the layer to the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the palette. You can also duplicate a layer by choosing Duplicate Layer from the palette options menu or by choosing Layer-->Duplicate Layer. Like with creating a new layer, the latter method prompts you with a dialog box to name your layer and includes other options. Provide a name for your layer and click OK. If you chose either of the first two methods, Photoshop provides the default name of the original layer with Copy appended to the name. Duplicating layers can be especially handy when you want to experiment with a special effect but don’t want to harm your original image.