How to work with layers in Photoshop. How to create a new layer in Photoshop. Main work with layers in Photoshop

Completely reason will begin training pHOTOSHOP program From the most basic - from the concept of layers and their interaction, since it was exactly what a business card of photoshop and so far is an indispensable feature of the program. Without a full ability to use layers and their capabilities, it makes no sense to move on in the development.

Open the editor with an arbitrary image and take care. At the top of the program window, we see the tab menu, we are still interested only in the "layers". (Fig. 1)

As we see create new layer You can not only from the drop-down menu, but also using the SHIFT + CTRL + N key combination. In order to make a job even more comfortable and fast, the developers have provided the ability to create a new layer in one click (Fig. 2)

When you press this button, the layer will be created automatically and it will be placed above the layer selected in the list. (Fig. 3)

Add something to a new layer You can use the "Place" command (Fig. 4)

Rename You can easier double-click by layer name.

Above the layer list, there are button control buttons and layer styles, as well as layer filters (Fig. 5)

Such actions can be applied to the layer.:

Change the style of its overlay (Fig. 6)

Change its transparency and strength in color (Fig. 7-8)

Additional functions (Fig. 9)

Also to the list of layers, for greater convenience of working with them, you can use filters (Fig. 10)

For example, in order to make duplicate layer Without opening the menu, one click is enough to click on the desired layer with the left mouse button and not releasing it to stretch it up the "New Layer" button - it will appear. Either using the Ctrl + J combination (Fig. 11)

Remove the layer You can from the drop-down menu and simply by pressing the DEL key. Or drag it to the basket icon below.

To Select several layersYou must press on the required layers with the left mouse button while holding down the Ctrl key. In order to combine them, it is enough to press the Ctrl + E combination. For information all the layers in one - Alt + Ctrl + Shift + E, but you need to remember - the very top layer must be highlighted and it must be active. The activity of the layer switches the eye to the left of its (layer) miniatures. (Fig. 12)

Let's place an arbitrary object in our empty layer and we will do several actions with it.

For example, to move the layer It is enough to pull it without releasing the left button up or down the list, but to lower it below the background layer - you need to unlock the background layer by double clicking the left button. As you can see - the layer moved behind the background, it is active, but because of its position in the list is not visible (Fig. 13)

Cancel any action You can by pressing such a combination - Ctrl + Alt + Z. Scroll through the canceled events forward - Ctrl + Shift + Z.

Create a new empty layer and hollow in color. To pour the primary color, it is enough to press Alt + Backspace (Fig. 14). For filling with background color - Ctrl + Backspace. You can also use the lower buttons, then the selected function will be represented by a separate layer.

To save the possibility to work with the order of layers and edit their contents, with a large number of them, sometimes it can be convenient not to bind them into one, but grouped. (Fig. 15)

This is achieved in this way - it is necessary to allocate all the layers that we want to group and press Ctrl + G. You can, of course, from the drop-down menu "Layers" using the appropriate tabs. They are detained in this way - it is necessary to simply drag the required layer on the list up or down so that it goes beyond the marked group. The group itself can also be turned into a smart object, or to raster. To the layer group, you can also use mixing functions, change the degree of transparency and fill, as with separate layers.

Layer along with contents transform. To do this, use the CTRL + T key combination. You can directly change the size and shape of the object, simply by clicking the mouse pointer to one of the corners. So as not to lose proportionality, this, for example, is important for the photo, when stretching the image you need to hold the SHIFT button at the same time. (Fig. 16)

To give an arbitrary shape, you need to pull the object edges with the Ctrl button. (Fig. 17)

You can still deform the object, distort, distort in perspective, etc. After pressing Ctrl + T click on it right-click and choose what we need (Fig. 18)

In addition to mixing modes, the huge opportunities for editing and creating different effects are called menu " Layer style" Call either from the "Layers" drop-down menu or climbing twice on the layer in the list (Fig. 19)

This menu is so extensive that we will not stop separately on it.

Mask layer.Its essence is to hide the object or its parts without removing them. Many mistakes mistakenly believe that the mask of the layer is inconvenient - on the contrary! This is an excellent tool that allows you to re-edit or change the processing at any time. What you will not allow you to make the tool "Eraser" for example. (Fig. 20)

To hide part of the object you need to draw black brush on a white mask and vice versa (Fig. 21)

Clipping mask. Makes it possible to cut off part of one object relative to the boundary of the other. It is done like this: Holding the Alt button to bring the mouse cursor to the border of the layer between them. After the corresponding icon appears. (Fig. 22-23)

The arrow indicates that the layer is clothed.

Select content.To do this, it is enough just to click on the miniature of the layer, holding the Ctrl (Fig. 24).

Working with layers in Photoshop is the ability to change separately parts of the picture, make an image from the scattered elements. Let's touch the basic moments.

Regarding each other, each layer can be moved, combine them into groups, adjust. At the same time, each of them can be made transparent, translucent, solid.

What is the layers in Photoshop

Imagine that you look through the photo stack. You shift them, but you can only see the top photo. These are solid layers. Put the transparent file in the photo, and visibility will not change. Now draw a picture on the file or write text. There will be a feeling that the picture or text is superimposed on the top photo. So in the editor works transparent background. Sort the photos from the value and spread into envelopes. For such sorting in Adobe Photoshop. There is a function "Grump".

What are the layers there

Picture. Its foundation is pixels. When the editor opens a picture, palette (1) automatically displays it.

Fill. Fills in monophonic color, pattern or gradient.

Text. Working with a text layer in Photoshop is somewhat different. It does not contain pixels. In the palette (1), it appears immediately as active tool "Text" proceed to work.

Vector layer. This is an arbitrary figure that does not contain pixels. In the palette, it appears automatically when using the tool. In the outlines, the figure is flooded with color.

Corrective layer and layer mask.Help to adjust the saturation of the color, darkening or illumination of images located under them. The picture itself remains unchanged, and the corrective layer indicates the program, what changes to it to apply.

Main work with layers in Photoshop

Any action when working with layers in Photoshop can be performed in several ways: using the palette (1), tabs on the control panel (2), hot keys. If the desired palette is not in the right part of the editor, it is activated by the "window" - "layers".

When creating photos in Adobe Photoshop work With layers is one of the main techniques. The layers allow independently to change parts of the photo, to apply different effects to them, strengthen or loosen the action of filters. We will look at the basic issues of working with layers without going into details. These skills make up the basis of work in Photoshop and will help in the future for more complex photo processing.

So, when opening a photo in Photoshop in the palette of the layers there is only one - " Background.". It is better not to make any changes, it is a certain standard, the starting point for which we can further appreciate the correctness of all changes in the photo.

General view of the PhotoShop window. The layers palette is highlighted.

The palette of the layers can be located in another place, it depends on the version of the program and settings, but appearance She has a similar one, therefore find it will not be difficult. If it is simply disabled, it is enough to turn it on in the menu " Window. — Layers.» (« Window - layers") Or pressing F7..

To get started, we need to make a copy of the layer. To do this, it is enough to transfer it to the icon of the copy of the layer (on the palette at the bottom right on the right), taking the left mouse button, or just click " Ctrl + J.«.

Now we have 2 layers (bottom picture). All changes made on one of them will not affect the rest. If we want to do something on the layer, you need to choose it, for this you just need to click on it, in our case the upper layer is selected (highlighted in blue). To hide the layer, it is enough to press the icon of "visibility" to the left of it, and the layer is shown under it. Since we have not changed anything yet, then the difference during the hide layer will not be noticeable. If you need to remove the layer, you can transfer it to the basket icon or just click the " Delete.«.

Now decide what we will do with the photo. I would like to make clearer the wheelchairs and at the same time leaving the grass under it the same unwatzer. In fact, it is more convenient to do with the help of a mask, but for our topic the task is quite suitable. In addition, you need to turn a little photo. Now the angle looks somewhat unnatural.

Choose the desired layer by clicking on it in our case the top and apply - " Sharpen More"And then immediately in the menu" Edit - Fade Sharpen More"To weaken the action filter chosen 55%. It became clearer, but the task is not yet solved. The filter was applied to the whole photo and grass at the bottom, the tire and some details also became substantially sharp and look unnatural.

To avoid it to move them on the top layer, for this you need to choose an eraser in " Brush.» (« Brush"). In the brush settings, we put Hardness somewhere 50% in order to get a soft transition between the erased part and the one that remains. For convenience, you can hide the bottom layer in order to accurately see that we are erased.

If you turn on the bottom layer, it can be seen that we decided with the sharpness of the task completely, it remains to rotate the image. If we start turning the top layer, it will move relative to the bottom, which means that we will get distortion in the photo. Therefore, we will make another copy of the lower layer and glue it with the top. For gluing you need, so that both layers are not hidden, so combine the layers through the menu " Layer - Merge Down» (« Layer - combine with the bottom") Or by clicking" Ctrl + E.«.

Now we have two layers - the source (bottom) and the corrected (top). Turn the top layer through the menu " Edit - TRANSFORM - ROTATE" counterclock-wise. To do this, you need to bring the mouse to the upper left corner and pull down. For a more accurate result, you can use the rotation angle manually in the top panel (marked in the figure with a red circle).

It remains to trim the edges, otherwise, after turning in the photo, a part of the bottom layer is visible and the pieces of the image are duplicated if you hide the bottom layer, you can see where it happens. This can be done with the help " Crop Tool."- just press the keyboard keypad C.«.

So, summing up the use of layers is a very flexible and convenient method of working with an image that allows you to independently edit it parts. We can make individual changes in any layer without afraid to affect the rest. Also at any time you can create an additional layer, to do any operations over it and, if the result did not like, remove it, while the remaining layers will not change. This allows you to achieve very large flexibility when processing photos, so in further lessons the layers will be used almost always.

In one of the previous articles, I talked about the layers: what it is and where they are. In this article, we will talk about how to work with layers in Photoshop.

Layers in photoshop are different. All of them are of their particular importance. To work in the program is more convenient, you must study all the subtleties. To do this, let's get acquainted with the types of layers that Photoshop creates in the process of work.

Most often, users work with image layers. In these layers, pictures are placed in a raster form (pixel representation of images). There are a lot of such layers, they all have the same type.

A separate category is text layers. Each time, adding a new inscription on the image, a new text layer is created. It can be done with a layer of images, but then the ability to edit text. To this layer, you can apply many different effects in its original form.

Layers of vector figures do not work with pixels. This is an absolutely separate format of pictures that can be increased without loss of quality.

For example, with one click you can change the color of the shape. Such layers appear separately in the program when you use the Figure tool. The figures are selected in the appropriate toolbar item.

The fill layer is always created when you need to fill the entire object. Such a layer is very conveniently adjusted by an image that is under it with the help of transparency and gradient. To activate this layer, select the appropriate control in the lower part of the layers palette.

Layer for making corrections

This layer allows you to change the display of a document that is under it. At the same time, the changes are made to this correction layer, and the original remains untouched. Such layers are used to change the color palette of the image and its illumination.

A good example, showing the operation of this layer, can be performed if you create a correction layer that will apply a black and white mask. As a result, the entire image will be black and white, but if this layer is turned off, then the picture will be color, as before.

These layers do not contain pixels, instructions are stored here for the program that are performed after analysis.

In standard controls there is a button for creating a correction layer or layer of fill. It is called a "new corrective layer". Also, the function of creating these layers is available in the standard layer palette for correction. The palette display is turned on using the drop-down menu window - Correction (Window - Adjustments).

Some less often meets work in photoshop with smart objects, which are always taken out on separate layers. Smart objects handle some files that were not created in Photoshop. This may be a document in rAW format. Making smart objects to a new layer allows basic work with elements from alien files.

To create a smart object in Photoshop, you need to right-click on the right of the icon with the layer and select the appropriate item in the menu that opens.

Well, the last type of layer for real professionals who work with 3D graphics and video files in Photoshop. This feature is available from Photoshop Extended users, where you can import all these objects and perform some adjustment, for example, to change the color of some element on video. All this can be done only in these layers.

That's all. Thanks for attention.

Sincerely, St. Sarthak