Photoshop cs5 by steve Johnson part 18 pps

ptg 110 Chapter 5 Photoshop's traditional layers basically function like sheets of transpar- ent acetate or clear plastic. Once created, they support all of Photoshop's painting tools, as well as shape and gradient tools. While traditional layers may start out transparent, they don't remain that way for long. In fact, a layer can, over time, become a complicated mix of non-transparent (the image), and transparent areas. It's also possible you might want to make a selection out of that complicated image. Photoshop knows this and gives you an easy way to create a selection from a layer. If you want to move a selection, you can drag the selec- tion marquee, even if the layer is hidden (New!). Creating a Selection from a Layer Create a Selection from a Layer Select the Layers panel. Hold down the Ctrl (Win) or A (Mac) key, and then click on the image thumbnail of the layer you want create into a selection. Be sure you click on the image thumbnail, not the layer name as you would have in previous versions. The visible portions of the image on the layer are created into a selection. IMPORTANT Since Photoshop creates the selection based on the image information, there must be transparent and non-transparent areas within the image or the command selects the entire layer as if you had clicked the Select menu, and then clicked All. 2 1 Selection based on the visible portions of the layer. 1 2 From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg Chapter 5 Working with Layers 111 On the previous page, you learned how to create a selection based on the image information within a layer. In addition to creating a selection from a layer, Photoshop gives you the ability to instantly create a layer from a selection. Creating layers from selections opens up all kinds of opportunities for generating special effects. For example, you could select an object from one layer, and then make a layer with that selec- tion, or you could make a selection of just that portion of an image and then apply a layer style to the new layer copy. The possibilities are end- less, and part of the fun of using Photoshop lies in exploring those possibilities. If you want to move a selection, you can drag the selec- tion marquee, even if the layer is hidden (New!). Creating a Layer from a Selection Create a Layer from a Selection Select the Layers panel. Click on the layer containing the information you want to convert into a layer. Select an area of the image using any of Photoshop's selection tools. Press Ctrl+J (Win) or press A+J (Mac) to make a copy. Photoshop converts the selected area into a new layer, and places that layer directly above the active layer. 4 3 2 1 1 2 Select the red ant Copy made from selection 3 4 Did You Know? You can make a copy of all elements within a layer. Select the layer in the Layers panel, and then click Ctrl+J (Win), A+J (Mac). Since there are no selections, Photoshop creates a copy of the entire layer. You can make copies of layer objects without a selection. To ma ke a copy of a layer that contains an object, select the layer in the Layers panel, select the Move tool, hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key, and then click and drag (in the document window). From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg 112 Chapter 5 The Background layer serves a unique function in Photoshop. Since some layout programs do not support Photoshop's multiple layer and transparency capabilities, a final image must sometimes be converted into a background layer by a process called flattening. When an image is flattened, all of the document’s layers are compressed into a single layer in the Layers panel, named Background. That means no more lay- ers, no more transparency, and no more control. Background layers are a necessary evil because Photoshop does not stand alone, and it's sometimes necessary to move images from Photoshop into other appli- cations. However, there are times you may start with an image that only contains a Background layer (for example, when working with original images from a digital camera, scanned images, or images from a photo CD or DVD) and you want to apply transparency, blending modes, or other adjustments to it that cannot be applied to a Background layer. In that case, you will need to convert the Background into a traditional Photoshop layer. Converting a Background into a Layer Convert a Background Select the Layers panel. Double-click on the Background to open the New Layer dialog box. ◆ You can also click the Layer menu, point to New, and then click Layer From Background. Rename the layer in the Name box (leave the other options at their default values). Click OK. The Background is converted into a traditional layer. 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 New layer from a background From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg Chapter 5 Working with Layers 113 Convert a Multi-Layered Document into a Background Select the Layers panel. Click the Layers Options button, and then click Flatten Image. The multi-layered document is compressed into a single-layer Background. 2 1 1 2 Multiple layers compressed into a single-layer Background 6 separate layers plus the Background Did You Know? You can create a composite image of a multi-layered document without flat- tening the image. Create and select a new layer, and then hold down the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key. Now, go to the Layers panel, click the Layers Options button, and then click Merge Visible. Photoshop creates a composite of all the visible layers in the new layer. You now have the control and flexibility of a multi-layered document, along with a separate composite layer. Control gives you the confidence to be more creative. See Also See “Using Merge Layer Options” on page 116 for more information on how to merge two or more layers without flattening all the layers. From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg 114 Chapter 5 When you work on multi-layered documents, it's important to under- stand the options Photoshop gives you to control image information. For example, working on a document that contains 20 layers is a difficult proposition. Fortunately, Photoshop gives you complete control over the document; everything from layer names to locking pixel information is available in Photoshop's bag of image-control tricks. For example, when linking two layers together, you can move or resize the layers at the same time, thus saving valuable time. Let's explore some of the ways you can control image information with the Layers panel. Controlling Image Information Using the Layers Panel Control Image Information Select the Layers panel, and then use one of the following options: ◆ Layer Name. To name a layer, double-click on the current layer name, type a new name, and then press Enter (Win) or Return (Mac). ◆ Show/Hide. To te mp oraril y hid e or show a layer (make its contents invisible or visible in the document window), click the Eyeball button, located in the Show/Hide box. ◆ Linking. To li nk tw o or more layers, hold the Shift key and click the layers you want to link, and then click the Link Layers button (located at the bottom left of the Layers panel). The link icon indicates the layers are linked. Linking lets you move or resize the layers as a unit. ◆ Locking. The four available locking options are: Lock Transparent Pixels, Lock Image Pixels, Lock Position, and Lock All. ◆ Stacking Order. To chang e the position of a layer in the stack, drag the layer up or down. A dark line appears as a visual cue to indicate the new layer location. 1 Lock options Linking Stacking order: the position of the layers within the panel. Layer name Show/Hide From the Library of Wow! eBook ptg Chapter 5 Working with Layers 115 Photoshop documents typically contain multiple layers. One web survey concluded that Photoshop designers tend to create documents with an average of 14 layers. Controlling layers is an important aspect of design, because the more control you maintain, the more organized you are, and the better your design will be. But what about controlling lay- ers across multiple documents? For example, you're working on a design, and you need access to some additional image information. The only problem is that the additional information is located in another Photoshop document. Photoshop gives you the ability to move layers between open documents. Moving Layers Between Documents Move Layers Between Documents Open the documents in which you want to move layers. To have mor e tha n one doc um ent in view, click the Window menu, point to Arrange, and then click Cascade or Tile. Click on the document containing the layer you want to move. Drag the layer from the Layers panel into the window of the receiving document. Photoshop creates a new layer with a copy of the image information from the other document. 4 3 2 1 Drag moon layer here 3 4 Moon layer New layer from donor document Did You Know? You can control the position of the moved layer. Hold down the Shift key while dragging the layer into the other document. Photoshop aligns the new layer to the center of the receiving document. You can move selected portions of a layer. Select the area you want to move, click the Move tool, and then drag the selected area directly from the document window into the window of the receiving document. From the Library of Wow! eBook . in Photoshop. Since some layout programs do not support Photoshop& apos;s multiple layer and transparency capabilities, a final image must sometimes be converted into a background layer by. then apply a layer style to the new layer copy. The possibilities are end- less, and part of the fun of using Photoshop lies in exploring those possibilities. If you want to move a selection,. a layer. Select an area of the image using any of Photoshop& apos;s selection tools. Press Ctrl+J (Win) or press A+J (Mac) to make a copy. Photoshop converts the selected area into a new layer,