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Using layers

Michael Ninness


This video shows you how to use layers in Photoshop to organize and combine multiple images into a single document.

Requirements

To follow along with this article, you will need the following software and files:

Watch this tutorial in the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Video Workshop.

Using layers in Photoshop

  1. In Photoshop, choose File > Open and choose the 02_Leaf.jpg file. Click Open. This document contains just a background layer (see Figure 1). Backgrounds are one of the first things you need to understand to start working with Photoshop layers.

    The selected image has a single background layer.

    Figure 1: The selected image has a single background layer.

    Every image you open usually has a background layer. A background layer is unique from other types of layers: it cannot be deleted or moved, and does not support transparency. If you want to see through this leaf image to another layer, you must convert the background layer to another type that supports transparency.

  2. Make sure the Layers palette is open. If not, choose Window > Layers to open it. To convert the background to a regular layer, double-click the layer name, Background, in the Layers palette. This opens the New Layer dialog box.
  3. Name the layer Leaf. Try to use a descriptive name for every layer in your documents.

  4. Click OK to close the dialog box.

    Now that the layer is converted it will support transparency.

  5. Choose the Eraser tool in the toolbox, and click over the image to erase part of the leaf. A checkerboard pattern emerges behind the leaf, indicating that you are deleting through the leaf image to transparent pixels. If another layer were behind the leaf, it would appear through the spot you just erased.
  6. Press the Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo the eraser stroke.
  7. Choose File > Open and choose the 03_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg file. Click Open.
  8. Choose the Move tool in the toolbox. Using the Move tool, you can move images or layers from one file to another.

  9. Begin dragging the 03_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg image to the 02_Leaf.jpg image. Hold down the Shift key to center the new image inside the leaf and then release your mouse button (see Figure 2).

    You can drag and drop images within other images in Photoshop, and center them by Shift-dragging.

    Figure 2: You can drag and drop images within other images in Photoshop, and center them by Shift-dragging.

  10. Close the 03_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg file. This image is now a layer inside the Layers palette of 02_Leaf.jpg.
  11. In the Layers palette, double-click the layer name to change it. Type Bird of Paradise. As your documents get more complex and the layers compound, it's important to use descriptive names so that you can locate specific layers when you navigate through the Layers palette.
  12. Click the eye icon (the Toggle Visibility button) next to the layer in the Layers palette to turn the layer off; click in the icon again to Toggle Visibility on.
  13. With the exception of background layers, layers can also be re-ordered from the Layers palette. Drag the Bird of Paradise layer below the Leaf layer.

  14. Look in the Layers palette to see how this has changed the composite of the image (see Figure 3). You can tell that another layer is underneath the Leaf layer, even though you can't necessarily see it in you document. As a general rule, you can't always trust what you see on your screen- you also need to look at your palettes.

    Changing the layer order sometimes hides layers in the Document window.

    Figure 3: Changing the layer order sometimes hides layers in the Document window.

Changing the opacity of a layer

  1. To see through one layer to another, use the Opacity slider in the upper right of the Layers palette. Drag the percentage up or down or enter an exact number with your keyboard to change the opacity of a selected layer.
  2. Choose the Move tool and simply type 5 to change the opacity of the Leaf layer to 50%.
  3. Type 8 to change the Opacity to 80%. Typing 0 will return the layer opacity to 100%. This is a quick, interactive way to change the opacity of layers.
  4. In the Layers palette, drag Bird of Paradise above Leaf.

  5. Type 5 to change the Opacity of Bird of Paradise to 50% (see Figure 4).

    Lower the Opacity setting in the Layers palette to make layers transparent.

    Figure 4: Lower the Opacity setting in the Layers palette to make layers transparent.

Moving layers

  1. To move a layer within an image, you use the Move tool. The Move tool should still be selected from the previous steps, so go directly to the Document window and drag the Bird of Paradise to the right side of the Leaf image.
  2. Now choose File > Open and choose the Flowers_Final_01.psd file. Click Open.
  3. Drag the hibiscus flower onto the 02_Leaf.jpg file, hold down the Shift key to center the image and then release your mouse button. Photoshop copies the hibiscus image rather than cutting it from the original document.
  4. Press the Ctrl/Cmd and T keys to switch temporarily to the Scale tool. Select the Bird of Paradise image. Drag one of the image's corner handles inward to scale the image down.
  5. Press Enter or Return to apply the scaling and switch back to the Move tool.
  6. If you want, you can select and move more than one layer at a time. Select the Hibiscus and then Shift-click the Bird of Paradise image to select both objects. Notice that both layers are selected in the Layers palette.
  7. Press Ctrl/Cmd and D to deselect them.

    The other way to select multiple layers is to use the Layers palette.

  8. In the Layers palette, hold down the Cmd/Ctrl key and select both the Bird of Paradise and Hibiscus layers. You can also press the Shift key and click to add layers to a selection.
  9. Now go to the Document window and move one of the layers to see how both selected layers move as a unit.

Merging layers

As long as the pixels on your layers are not overlapping, you can choose to merge your layers. If the layers overlap, they are merged in a single layer and you lose the ability to work with them individually.

  1. In the upper right corner of the Layers palette, click the icon to display the Options menu, and choose Merge Layers. The keyboard shortcut for this command is the Ctrl/Cmd and E keys.

    This merges the layers in the Layers palette, retaining only one of the layer names (see Figure 5). Now the layers can be moved and transformed as a single unit. You can also unmerge the layers at any time.

    The merged layer is represented by a layer icon containing two small thumbnails of both images.

    Figure 5: The merged layer is represented by a layer icon containing two small thumbnails of both images.

  2. Press F on your keyboard to enter Maximized View so that you can concentrate on just this document.

Adding a layer mask

Layers can also have something known as a layer mask, which will hide or reveal certain parts of the image depending on where you place the mask.

  1. Select the Leaf layer. You are going to add a mask to this layer to make it fade into the background.
  2. Click the Add Layer Mask button at the bottom of the Layers palette. This adds a second thumbnail to the right of the image thumbnail in the Layers palette.
  3. Press G on your keyboard to switch to the Gradient tool.

  4. White should defined as the current background color for this document- the Photoshop toolbox displays both the foreground and background color swatches (see Figure 6). If the colors are inverted in your document, press the X key or click the Switch Foreground and Background Colors icon.

    The foreground and background colors for the document are shown at the bottom of the toolbox

    Figure 6: The foreground and background colors for the document are shown at the bottom of the toolbox

  5. In the Document window, drag a straight horizontal line right through the middle of the image, from the left edge to within an inch or so of the right edge of the image, and release your mouse.

    This adds a standard black-to-white gradient, which appears in the layer mask thumbnail in the Leaf layer. In this case, black hides and white reveals. Where the gradient is black, the leaf is hidden and where the gradient is white, the leaf is revealed. The gray transition leads to different degrees of transparency across the center of the image (see Figure 7).

    Adding a black-to-white gradient adds transparency to the leaf image.

    Figure 7: Adding a black-to-white gradient adds transparency to the leaf image.

    Now you'll add a new layer so that the checkerboard pattern doesn't show through the transparent areas of the leaf.

  6. Click the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. By default, the new layer is added above the selected layer.
  7. Press Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo the new layer.
  8. Press the Ctrl or Command key and click the New Layer button; the layer is added below the selected layer. This just saves you the step of having to move it down below. A small savings, but these can really add up when you are working with a large number of layers or files.
  9. In the Layers palette, select the new layer, Layer 1.
  10. To fill this layer with white (the current foreground color), simply press Ctrl+Backspace (Windows) or Command+Delete (Mac OS).

  11. Now the gradient on the leaf layer mask hides the leaf and reveals the white fill layer (see Figure 8).

    Adding a white fill layer hides the checkerboard pattern revealed by the leaf

    Figure 8: Adding a white fill layer hides the checkerboard pattern revealed by the leaf

Where to go from here

For more information and additional tutorials, visit the Adobe Design Center.