Understanding Layers in Photoshop

Consider a pad of tracing paper (onion skin paper) if you will. You have 4 sheets of tracing paper stacked on top of one another, you flip the top three sheets and in bold black letters you write something and then put the top three sheets back down. Can you read the bold black letters you just wrote? Of course you can, and the three sheets of tracing paper on top of that are the same as layers in the sense that you can add other things to the final image with or without affecting the original layer with the bold black writing on it. We will now demonstrate the basics of layers for you without using filters to show you how to manipulate text, once you understand that, how you affect the rest of an image is limited only by your imagination.

 First we will create a NEW image with the dimensions of 300 X 30 (in pixels) Click File, select New and input your dimensions. Next, make sure that the "Layers Palette" is checked and visible as shown below.

Figure 1

 In the image above there is but only one layer at the present, and it is called Background. Every time you enter text you will add another layer, lets begin. Click on the colour picker and select a nice blue, then click on the "T" tool (text) and move your mouse into the image and click where you want to type and enter your text, don't worry if it isn't straight, you can move the "layer" after. We used the "Half Life" font for our demonstration here, then, making sure the text layer we just made was selected (highlighted in blue in the layers palette, see below in Figure 2) we selected the move tool as shown below in Figure 2 and use the arrows on our keyboard to position that layer where we want it.

Figure 2

Now lets make sure we create a new layer for the next word shall we? On the layers palette at the bottom beside the garbage can, the little icon that looks like a square with the corner curled up is the "Create a new layer" button, click it once. Select the "T" tool for text and enter your text in the new layer, making sure that the new layer is selected in the Layers Palette as before. When the layer is first selected it should have a default name of "Layer 1", you can change this by right clicking on the layer and selecting "Properties" and call the layer whatever you like but in the case of text layers they generally will adopt the same name as the text that is in them. Now move the text with the "Move" tool as we did with the first layer and position it where you want as is shown below in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Click on the "Create new layer" button again to create another layer and add the text to that layer as well. In real time we would simply have entered all of the text on the same layer but that would not show you how layers work would it? Now re-arrange all of your layers so that they fit on the image in an arranged manner as shown below in Figure 4. Remember, you will need to highlight the layer named "The" in the layers palette to affect change on that layer, so if you need that layer to move, first select it, and then select the Move tool and then you can use the arrows to move the layer, the same rules apply to independent layers on photos etc. only the selected layer will be affected by the action that you apply to it as will be demonstrated next.

Figure 4

We will now apply a different effect to all three text layers starting with the word "The" to show that effects applied to independent layers will not alter layers that are not selected.

First select the layer "The" in the Layers palette  and then on the options bar across the top select "Layer" then scroll to "Layer Style" and then on to "Drop Shadow" as shown below in Figure 5.

Figure 5

Feel free to play around with the lighting angle, distance etc., move the "Layer Style" box out of the way so you can see the effect on your image as shown below in Figure 6.

Figure 6.

Click OK and then select the next layer "Gas" and on the options bar again click "Layer" and again in the drop down menu select "Layer Style" but this time instead of "Drop Shadow" select "Stroke" and set the colour to black and click OK then select 2 for "size" as shown below in Figure 7. Don't forget to move the box so you can see the effect as you develop it, this allows you to make adjustments as you go along. On an image of that size a one point black stroke would probably be enough but I'll stick with 2 to emphasize the effect.

Figure 7.

Click OK and last but not least select the last layer "Chamber" and again select "Layer" from the options bar then scroll to "Layer Styles" and this time select "Bevel and Emboss". Play around with the settings a bit and find one that will give the layer a nice 3 dimensional appearance for your text as shown for example in Figure 8 below.

Figure 8.

Click OK to complete the layer. Also note that in the Layer Palette the different effect for each layer is listed below the layer. You can right click on any layer that has a good effect and "Copy Layer Style" and then select another layer and right click the new layer to "Paste Layer Style" to duplicate effects from layer to layer if you choose.

 This tutorial is meant to give you a basic understanding of layers in Photoshop. Layers can be created and edited in many different ways in photographs or web graphics. We hope this helps you along on your way and we look forward to seeing what you can dream up.

 Regards,

  The Gas Chamber Crew.