5.1. A System of Layers for Nondestructive Editing Table 5-1 lists the layer type for a given image's workflow if you applied everything that Photoshop can do. Of course (and thank Heavens), very few individual images will include each of these layer categories and even fewer could use all the processes that occur within them. Don't use any of these layers unnecessarilydoing so will give you no advantage and will cause a little more destruction and use a little more disk space. The table is to be used as a guide to let you know where the layers belong in your workflow. Table 5-1. Recommended layer structure for nondestructive editing Layer name Purpose Advice Background This is either the JPEG or TIFF image as originally shot or the Camera Raw image as you've adjusted it. It could also be the result of merging several images, as done for HDR or panoramic composition. Make sure you start with the best background image possible. Read the first four chapters of this book carefully and do all that it takes to get you here. Never make any changes directly to this layer; instead, make them on a duplicate layer. Spot retouching Quick retouching sufficient for client approval. Usually done before the rest of this process is completed. Use only Healing Tools that have the Sample All Layers Option. Always keep (or move) this layer to a position immediately above the Background (main image) layer. Burn and dodge Modifiable layer. Can be enhanced after approval. Never use actual Burn and Dodge tools for this layer. If needed, use them on an Effects layer. Levels Adjustment layer. Use this layer to set black and white point and overall dynamic range. Curves Adjustment layer. Use this layer to adjust the contrast of specific areas of brightness. Targeted curves Masked Adjustment layer. Use this layer to adjust brightness and contrast for a specific portion of the image, such as a face. Color balance Adjustment layer. Adjust overall color balance. Regional color balance Masked Adjustment layer. Use this layer to color balance for a specific portion of the image. Advanced retouching Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point. You can always return to this layer if you want to do even more. Transformation Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point. The Lens Correction filter can perform several manipulations at once. Compositing Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point, as well as imported layers. Use Clipped Adjustment Layer(s) if needed. Group all layers for composite so they can be turned off/on. Effects Highly destructive. Many effects are filters that work only in 8-bit mode. Additional layer for each effect. Blending modes and Opacity is very important for mixing layers. One common effect is converting the image to monochrome or duotone. Destructive editing New, flattened layer for each destructive editing command. These include Auto Levels, Contrast and Color, Match Color, Replace Color, Exposure, and Equalize. Effects Sharpening[click here] Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point. Probably masked. Could be several different masked portions of layers. [] [] Final sharpening must be done on a flattened duplicate of the image, preferably saved as compressed LZW. You should then add the color profile for the destination printer (see Chapter 12). 5.2. Layer Abbreviations in Filenames Keep track of which layer you stopped on by adding an abbreviation to the filename. Table 5-2 shows the abbreviations I give to the filename to show how far along the layer workflow an image has processed. You could save a version of the image with each of these filenames, but that's overkill in my opinion. The idea here is that when you have to stop working to do something else, you know where you left off when you come back to the file. Table 5-2. Suggested abbreviations for layer names Layer Add to filename Background bkg Spot Retouching spot Burn and Dodge BrnDj Levels lvl Curves crv Targeted Curves tgt crv Color Balance clr bal Regional Color Balance tgt clr bal Advanced Retouching adv ret Transformation xfrm Compositing comp Effects fx Destructive editing destr ed Effects Sharpening fx shrpn You can perform different tasks within each of these layer categories. However, doing so doesn't often create as many layers as you might thinkyou won't do everything possible in Photoshop to every image you process. 5.3. What the Layers Palette Looks Like for All Stages I thought you might find it helpful to see how a fairly typical landscape image's Layers palette might look after a complete run at the nondestructive editing workflow, which, in the end, is what this book is all about. You can also download a lower-resolution, copyrighted version of this image that is still in Photoshop format so you can experiment with turning the layers on and off, restacking them, and so forth. In Figure 5-1, the untouched image is on the left. The a finished version of the image is on the right. In Figure 5-2, you see the Layers palette as it was when the finished image was complete. Figure 5-1. Left: the image just as it came from Camera Raw; right: the finished image. Figure 5-2. The Layers palette after processing the image in Figure 5-1 in Photoshop CS2. . sure you start with the best background image possible. Read the first four chapters of this book carefully and do all that it takes to get you here. Never make any changes directly to this. look after a complete run at the nondestructive editing workflow, which, in the end, is what this book is all about. You can also download a lower-resolution, copyrighted version of this image