ptg layer styles IN THIS CHAPTER Applying layer effects (general info). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 Applying a shadow effect. . . . . . . . .356 Applying a glow effect . . . . . . . . . .358 Applying a bevel or emboss effect . . .360 Applying the Satin effect . . . . . . . . .362 Applying the Overlay effects . . . . . .362 Applying the Stroke effect . . . . . . . .364 Copying, moving, removing layer effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364 Applying layer styles . . . . . . . . . . . .365 Creating layer styles . . . . . . . . . . . .366 21 As a Photoshop user, you’re in the business of creating illusions. With layer eects, you can accomplish this in short, easy steps. e Photoshop eects that you can apply alone or in combination include Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, Bevel and Emboss, Satin, Color Overlay, Gradient Overlay, A Pattern Overlay, and Stroke. Once applied, layer eects can be edited, hidden, or removed at any time. And best of all, when you modify layer pixels, the eects update accordingly (they should be called “Smart Eects”!). In this chapter, we include generic instructions for applying, copying, moving, and removing layer eects; individual instructions for each eect; and nally, the steps to save and apply eects, combined with other Layers panel settings, as styles via the Styles panel. Applying layer effects (general info) Layer eects can be applied to any layer (even to edit- able type), but not to the Background. ey aect all the visible pixels on a layer and update instantly if you add, modify, or delete pixels from the layer that con- tains them. Each individual eect can be turned on or o at any time via its own visibility icon. Layer eects are applied and edited via the Layer Style dialog and are listed on the Layers panel below the layer they belong to. Before exploring the indi- vidual eects, familiarize yourself with these generic instructions. To apply layer effects (generic instructions): 1. Do any of the following: Double-click to the right of a layer name; or for an image layer (not a type or Smart Object layer), you can double-click the layer thumbnail instead. Click a layer, then choose an eect from the Add Layer Style menu at the bottom of the Layers panel. A r e e e e c t s a r e a p p l i e d t o t h i s e d i t a b l e t y p e : D r o p S h a d o w , Bevel and Emboss, and Gradient Overlay. Continued on the following page ptg 354 Chapter 21 e Layer Style dialog opens. A 2. Click an eect name on the left side, check Preview to preview the eect in the image, then choose settings. 3. Optional: Click other eect names to apply additional eects to the same layer. 4. Click OK. 5. Edit the layer (e.g., for a type layer, edit the type; for an image layer, add or erase some pixels). Watch as the “smart” eect(s) update instantly! On the Layers panel, layers that contain eects have this icon: . Click the arrowhead next to the icon to expand or collapse the list of eects for that layer ( B , next page). 6. To change the settings for an eect or to add more eects to a layer, double-click the layer or the Eects listing, or double-click the eect name, which is nested below the layer name. 7. To hide or show one layer eect, expand the eects list for the layer, then click the visibility icon for the eect. To hide all the eects on a layer, click the visibility icon for the “Eects” listing. ➤ If you readjust the Angle for an individual eect while Use Global Light is checked, that angle will be applied to any other eects that are using the Global Light option. is option unies the lighting across multiple layer eects. ➤ If you move layer pixels, any eects on the layer will also move. A In the Layer Style dialog, click the name for the layer eect that you want to display and choose settings for (the box becomes checked automatically). e C o n t o u r p r e s e t s d e n e t h e e e c t prole. Gray areas in the thumbnail represent opaque pixels, and white areas represent transparency. To close the preset picker, either double-click a contour or click in the dialog. ptg Layer Styles 355 What kind of imagery can layer effects be applied to? ➤ We recommend applying the layer eects that work inward or outward from edges — Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, Inner Glow, Bevel and Emboss, and Stroke — to a type layer, shape layer, or any layer imagery that’s sur- rounded by transparent pixels. A To isolate a subject from its background before applying layer eects, select an area of a layer, then press Ctrl-J/Cmd-J (the Layer via Copy command). ➤ You can apply the Satin, Color Overlay, Gradient Overlay, and Pattern Overlay eects either to fully opaque layers or to layers that contain transparency. Note: Don’t bother creating a selection before apply- ing a layer eect. Your selection will be ignored by the Layer Style command. CHOOSING DEFAULT LAYER STYLE SETTINGS ★ ➤ To establish new default settings for a particular layer effect, choose the desired settings in the Layer Style dialog, then click Make Default. ➤ To restore the default settings to a layer effect that you established by clicking Make Default (or to restore the factory default settings, if you didn’t establish user default settings), click Reset to Default. ➤ To restore the settings that were in place in all the panels when you opened the Layer Style dialog, Alt-click/Option-click Reset (Cancel becomes Reset). ➤ Unfortunately, the only way to restore the factory default settings to all layer effects is by resetting all the Photoshop preferences. Hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift/ Cmd-Option-Shift while relaunching the program, and click Yes in the alert dialog. To hide or show an individual eect, click its visibility icon. To open the Layer Style dialog, choose an eect from the Add Layer Style menu (or double-click the layer). Any eect that is already applied to the current layer will have a check mark. e f x i n d i c a t e s that this layer contains layer eects. B Click the arrowhead to expand or col- lapse a list of layer eects. To hide or show all the eects for a layer, click the Eects visibility icon. A e L a y e r s p a n e l for this image is shown above right: Layer eects are applied to an image layer that contains transparency; the underlying layer is solid white. ptg 356 Chapter 21 Applying a shadow effect You can create a drop shadow or inner shadow with just a few clicks of the mouse. To apply the Drop Shadow or Inner Shadow effect: 1. On the Layers panel, double-click next to a layer name to open the Layer Style dialog. A 2. Click Drop Shadow or Inner Shadow. 3. Choose a Distance value (in pixels) by which you want to oset a drop shadow from the origi- nal layer shapes, B or for the width of an inner shadow. C–D ➤ You can also change the position of a shadow by dragging in the document while the dialog is open, but be aware that this will also repo- sition any other eects that are using the Global Light option. Choose a Spread percentage for a Drop Shadow or a Choke percentage for an Inner Shadow to control where the shadow begins to fade. Choose an overall Size for the shadow (in pixels). 4. You can also change any of these settings: Choose a Blend Mode from the menu. (For a drop shadow, we usually keep the default setting of Multiply.) To choose a dierent shadow color, click the color swatch, then choose a color from the Color Picker or click a color in the document with the eyedropper (the new color previews immedi- ately). Click OK. Note: If you change the color for an inner shadow, you may also want to change the Blend Mode to Normal. Choose an Opacity percentage for the transpar- ency level of the shadow (the default value is 75%, but we usually lower it). Choose an Angle for the angle of the shadow relative to the original layer shapes. In the Quality area, you can click the Contour arrowhead and choose a preset from the picker for the edge prole of the shadow (we’re usually satised with the shape of the default Contour). Check Anti-aliased to soften any jagged edges between the shadow and the layer imagery. Adjust the Noise level. e addition of noise (speckling) can help prevent banding on print output, but a low value is best. A e o r i g i n a l i m a g e c o n s i s t s o f s o m e g a r d e n t o o l s o n one layer and a background pattern on another layer (we created the pattern via Filter > Render > Clouds). B e D r o p S h a d o w e e c t i s a p p l i e d . C e o r i g i n a l i m a g e c o n s i s t s o f e d i t a b l e t y p e o n o n e layer and a blue-gray background pattern on another. D e I n n e r S h a d o w e e c t i s a p p l i e d . ptg Layer Styles 357 For the Drop Shadow eect, if the layer Fill opac- ity is below 100% or the layer blending mode isn’t set to Normal, check Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow to prevent the shadow from show- ing through transparent areas on the layer. 5. Click OK. If you’re not satised with the shape of the resulting shadow, follow the steps below. ➤ To scale the eects on a layer without scaling the other layer content, right-click the Eects listing and choose Scale Eects, then specify the desired Scale percentage in the dialog. Depending on the time of day and the angle of the sun or another light source, cast shadows are either short or elongated. You can reshape a drop shadow via the Distort command. To transform a Drop Shadow effect: 1. Apply the Drop Shadow eect (see the preceding instructions), A and keep that layer selected. 2. To transfer the shadow eect to its own layer, right-click the Eects listing on the Layers panel, choose Create Layer(s) from the context menu, then click OK in the alert dialog, if one appears. 3. Click the new Drop Shadow layer. B 4. Choose Edit > Transform > Distort, drag the han- dles of the transform box to slant the shape, then press Enter/Return. C For a symmetrical perspec- tive distortion, hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift/Cmd- Option-Shift as you drag a corner handle. Note: If you don’t see all the handles, press Ctrl-0/Cmd-0 (zero) to enlarge the document window. ➤ To limit any painting or ll changes to just the shadow shape, on the Layers panel, activate the Lock Transparent Pixels button. ➤ To ensure that the image and shadow layers will move and transform as a unit, Shift-click them, then click the Link Layers button at the bottom of the panel. A e o r i g i n a l l a y e r h a s a D r o p S h a d o w e e c t . B We clicked the new Drop Shadow layer… C …then we elongated the shadow. LAYER OPACITY AND FILL SETTINGS A quick reminder from the preceding chapter: The Opacity setting on the Layers panel controls the opacity of layer imagery — including any layer effects — whereas the Fill setting controls only the opacity of layer imagery — not of layer effects. ptg 358 Chapter 21 Applying a glow effect e Outer Glow and Inner Glow eects add a soft, airbrushed rim of color to the edges of layer imagery or to type. To apply the Outer or Inner Glow effect: 1. Display the Swatches panel. 2. On the Layers panel, double-click a layer to open the Layer Style dialog. Note: For the Outer Glow eect, we recommend using a silhouetted image layer above a solid-color layer or the Background. A 3. Click Outer Glow or Inner Glow. In the Elements area, increase the Size value. 4. Under Structure, B–C do any of the following optional steps: To change the glow color, click the color square, choose a color from the Color Picker (or, while the picker is open, choose from the Swatches panel or click a color in the document), then click OK to exit the picker. (For the gradient option, see the next chapter.) Change the Blend Mode. Change the Opacity level for the glow. To prevent banding on print output, increase the Noise level slightly to add speckles. 5. Choose other Elements settings: From the Technique menu, we recommend choosing Softer for smooth color transitions. For an Inner Glow, click Source: Center to create a glow that spreads outward from the center of the layer pixels (this looks good on type), or click Edge to create a glow that spreads inward from the inside edges of the layer imagery. Choose a Spread percentage for an Outer Glow or a Choke percentage for an Inner Glow to control the point at which the glow starts to fade. We keep these values relatively low. 6. Choose Quality settings: Optional: Click the Contour arrowhead and choose a preset from the picker to add rings of transparency to the edges of the glow. Choose a Range value to control where the glow is applied relative to the contour. 7. Click OK ( A , next page). B We chose these Structure and Elements settings for the Inner Glow eect in the Layer Style dialog… C …and we chose these Structure and Elements settings for the Outer Glow eect. A e o r i g i n a l i m a g e c o n t a i n s a s i l h o u e t t e d i m a g e o f a watch above a solid-color Background. ptg Layer Styles 359 A e L a y e r S t y l e s e t t i n g s s h o w n i n F i g u r e s B and C on the preceding page produced these inner and outer glow eects. BECOMING A LAYER EFFECTS PRO We also added the Bevel and Emboss eect — two eects look better than one. A total of the three layer eects — Drop Shadow, Bevel and Emboss, and Gradient Overlay — look better still. i s i s p l a i n e d i t a b l e t y p e ( i n t h e B o d o n i H i g h l i g h t f o n t ) o n top of a pattern layer. e D r o p S h a d o w e e c t i s a p p l i e d . ➤ When deciding which effect or effects to use, con- sider what kind of surface texture you want to create. Stone? Metal? Paper? Type that looks as if it’s embedded, or embossed, into porous paper, or satin text that looks as if it’s cast in metal? ➤ With the exception of Drop Shadow and Overlay, layer effects usually look better, or more convincing as an illusion, when applied in combination (see the fi gures below). ➤ If you achieve a layer effect or combination of effects and Layers panel settings that you like, save that collection of settings as a style on the Styles panel (see pages 365–366). This can be a great timesaver. ➤ While the Layer Style dialog is open, you can click Blending Options on the upper left side, then use the options to control how the current layer blends with underlying layers. (Note that the same blending mode, Opacity, and Fill controls are also available on the Layers panel.) See pages 304–305. . . . . . . . .366 21 As a Photoshop user, you’re in the business of creating illusions. With layer eects, you can accomplish this in short, easy steps. e Photoshop eects that you can. Style command. CHOOSING DEFAULT LAYER STYLE SETTINGS ★ ➤ To establish new default settings for a particular layer effect, choose the desired settings in the Layer Style dialog, then click Make. only way to restore the factory default settings to all layer effects is by resetting all the Photoshop preferences. Hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift/ Cmd-Option-Shift while relaunching the program,