1. Photoshop Layers

2. Layer Basics Layers are managed with the Layers palette (right). The Layers palette displays a small thumbnail view of each layer to help identify it. The appearance of a Photoshop document is a view of the layer stack from the top down.

3. Layer Basics Layer visibility can be turned “On” and “Off” for better management of layers. Sometimes, this helps to make working with layers easier as being able to non-destructively remove an element from a project can help the artist assess whether that element is beneficial to the overall compilation.

4. Layer Basics This is another example of turning a layer “On” and “Off”. Notice how the palette is now non-visible. Note that there is no change in the appearance of the document window (below right). Look to the Layers palette to see which layer is active, not to the document window.

5. Layer Basics Deleting a Layer is easy!!! To delete a layer, click it and drag it to the Trash button in the Layers palette (below left). The result is shown below right.

6. Layer Basics To create a new layer, click the New Layer button in the Layers palette (below left). The new layer will appear just above the active layer (below right).

7. Layer Basics To duplicate a layer, drag it to the New Layer button. In the example below, a new layer will be created named "photo copy". To change the layer stacking order, click a layer and move it up or down in the Layers palette.

8. Layer Basics You can adjust a layer's opacity by dragging the Opacity slider (below left). Alternately, you can simply enter a value for the opacity. In the example below, the shadow layer is made to appear more transparent by setting its opacity to 75% (below right).

9. Layer Basics Layer Blending Modes Each layer has a blending mode. A blending mode is the way layer pixels blend with the layers beneath it. The default blending mode is "Normal", but there are several to choose from.

10. Layer Basics Linking Layers Layers can be linked so they can be repositioned as a unit. Click the column to the left of the layer (to the right of the layer's eye icon) to link it to the active layer (below left). In the example below, the "paint", "palette" and "shadow" layers have been linked together. When using the Move Tool and any of these layers is selected, all will move as a unit (below right).

11. Layer Basics Enter the new name in the dialog and click "OK" when done. To rename a layer, double-click it in the Layers palette.

12. Works Cited Mikes Sketch Pad http://www.sketchpad.net/psdlayer1.htm http://www.sketchpad.net/psdlayer1.htm