ptg More layers IN THIS CHAPTER Changing layer opacity and fi l l v a l u e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 1 Blending layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302 Using clipping masks . . . . . . . . . . .306 Linking layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307 Creating Smart Object layers . . . . . .308 Editing and replacing Smart Objects .310 Applying transformations. . . . . . . . .312 Applying the Puppet Warp command .314 Applying the Warp command . . . . . .316 18 By this point, hopefully, you’ve got the hang of using the Layers panel and its basic controls and are ready to explore it more in depth. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to blend pixels between layers, create and use clipping masks, link layers, create and edit Smart Object layers, transform layers — and, to entertain yourself, apply the Puppet Warp and Warp commands. Changing layer opacity and fill values e Opacity setting on the Layers panel controls the opacity of a layer, including any layer eects, whereas the Fill setting controls the opacity of a layer, exclud- ing any layer eects (for layer eects, see Chapter 21). Both settings are available for image, type, adjustment, ll, Smart Object, and shape layers. Each layer has its own Opacity and Fill percentages. To change the opacity or fill setting of one or more layers: 1. Click a layer (not the Background) or select multiple layers. ★ 2. On the Layers panel, choose an Opacity or Fill percentage (you can use the scrubby slider). A–B e lower the Opacity or Fill value, the more pixels from the underlying layer will be visible. B We lowered the Opacity of the three image layers, and also lowered the Fill percentage of the type layer to keep the drop shadow (a layer eect) at full opacity. A e o r i g i n a l image contains four layers, including an editable type layer. ptg 302 Chapter 18 Blending layers e blending mode of a layer controls how its pixels blend with those in the layer directly below it. You can change the blending mode for any kind of layer. Some modes, such as Soft Light, produce subtle eects, whereas others, such as Dierence, produce dramatic color shifts. e default mode is Normal. e individual blending modes are described and illustrated on pages 192–196. To choose a blending mode (and opacity) for a layer: 1. Click any kind of layer (not the Background), A such as a duplicate or silhouetted image layer or a type, adjustment, ll, or Smart Object layer. 2. From the menu in the upper left corner of the Layers panel, choose a blending mode. B–C 3. Optional: Adjust the opacity of the duplicate layer. ➤ If you don’t have a painting or editing tool selected, you can press Shift- + (plus) or Shift- – (minus) to cycle through the blending modes for the current layer. If a painting or editing tool is selected, the same shortcut changes the mode for the tool. ➤ To choose blending options (mode and opacity settings) for a Smart Filter, see page 321. A We duplicated the Background image in this original document. B We chose Color Dodge mode for the duplicate layer, and lowered the layer Opacity to 57%. C e n a l i m a g e i s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f t h e t w o l a y e r s . ptg More Layers 303 In these instructions, you’ll edit a duplicate image layer and then blend the original and duplicate layers by using the opacity and blending mode controls on the Layers panel. You can use this method to soften the eect of a lter or other image-editing command or simply to try out various blending modes. If you don’t like the results, simply discard the duplicate layer (or the Smart Filter) and start over. To blend a modified layer with the original one: 1. Click a layer, then press Ctrl-J/Cmd-J to duplicate it. 2. Optional: If you want to apply a lter as an edit- able Smart Filter in the next step, right-click the duplicate image layer and choose Convert to Smart Object (see page 320). 3. Apply some creative edits to the duplicate layer, such as brush strokes or lters. A Learn about the Filter Gallery on pages 318–319. 4. Keep the duplicate layer selected, then on the Layers panel, do either or both of the following: Choose a dierent blending mode. Adjust the Opacity to achieve the desired level of transparency. B–C C e n a l i m a g e i s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f t h e original image layer and the Smart Object layer. A We duplicated the Background image in the original document (see A , preceding page), con- verted the layer to a Smart Object, then applied the Ocean Ripple lter to the duplicate layer. B We chose Lighten mode for the duplicate layer and lowered the layer Opacity to 84%. ptg 304 Chapter 18 A e B l e n d i n g O p t i o n s a r e a o f t h e L a y e r S t y l e d i a l o g o e r s a n a r r a y o f l a y e r b l e n d i n g c o n t r o l s . e blending options in the Layer Style dialog — in addition to the blending mode, opacity, and ll controls we have already discussed — let you control how a layer and layer eects blend with underlying layers. To choose blending options for a layer: 1. Double-click next to a layer name on the Layers panel, or right-click a layer and choose Blending Options. 2. e Layer Style dialog opens, with Blending Options selected in the upper left. A Check Preview. 3. e rst three controls are the same as on the Layers panel: Under General Blending, you can change the layer Blend Mode or Opacity. In Advanced Blending, adjust the Fill Opacity to control the opacity of the layer without altering the opacity of any layer eects. 4. Via the Blend If sliders, you can control which pixels in the current layer stay visible and which pixels from the underlying layer show through the current layer ( A–D , next page): Move the black i s L a y e r slider to the right to drop out shadow areas from the current layer. Move the white i s L a y e r slider to the left to drop out highlight areas from the current layer. Move the black Underlying Layer slider to the right to reveal shadow areas from the underly- ing layer. Move the white Underlying Layer slider to the left to reveal highlight areas from the underly- ing layer. To adjust the midtone colors separately from the lightest and darkest colors, Alt-drag/ Option-drag a slider (it will divide in two) ( E , next page). 5. Click OK. ptg More Layers 305 ➤ For the sake of simplicity, you can work with all the channels at once by leaving the Blend If menu set to Gray, or if you want to experiment with blending each color channel separately, choose a channel from the menu before moving the sliders. A i s i s t h e original image. B We chose black as the Foreground color and a light tan as the Background color, duplicated the Background, then applied the Sketch > Charcoal lter to the duplicate layer (the lter used our chosen colors). C To allow some of the dark tones in the photo to show through the lter layer, we moved the black Underlying Layer slider in the Blending Options panel of the Layer Style dialog. E And a third option was to restore only the midtone colors (not the lightest colors) by dividing and then moving the white Underlying Layer slider. D A second option was to restore some of the light tones from the photo by moving the white Underlying Layer slider. . settings) for a Smart Filter, see page 321. A We duplicated the Background image in this original document. B We chose Color Dodge mode for the duplicate layer, and lowered the layer Opacity to. image layer and the Smart Object layer. A We duplicated the Background image in the original document (see A , preceding page), con- verted the layer to a Smart Object, then applied the Ocean