Layers in Photoshop:
- Layers are the building blocks of any Photoshop design.
- Photoshop layers are arranged in stack in the layers panel.
- Layers contain the images, text or objects.
- We can move, edit and work with content one one layer without affecting content on other layers.
Layers Panel in Photoshop:
We can find the layers panel int bottom right side of the panels section. If not found we can simply press F7
- Layers Panel is the place to go to access the major layer related features in photoshop.
- Make sure you have selected a particular layer before to work with layer features.
- There are six unique sections in the layers panel.
Layers:
- Select a layer by simply clicking on the layer.
- Click and drag layers to rearrange.
- Click on eye icon to hide/unhide a layer.
Filter and Search Layers:
- Enables search layers by kinds and layer types.
- Select from the search by kind menu or click on one or more from the row of icons to apply filter.
Blending:
- This section includes controls for blending layers together.
- Comprised of layer blending modes as well as opacity and fill siders.
| Control Type |
Functionality |
| Blend Mode Menu | Changes the way the colors on selected layer blend with colors on the layer below. |
| Opacity Slider | Opacity controls how much you can see through the content and any layer effects on a selected layer. |
| Fill slider | Similar to Opacity, except that it only affects the opacity of layer content, not the opacity of any layer effect on a layer. |
Locks:
- Each of the locks in this section locks down the properties of the selected layer.
- Lock all will not allow to do anything with that layer. Move, brush or delete etc...are not allowed if lock all icon is clicked.
Buttons Row At The Bottom:
- Along the bottom of the layers panel, there are strip of seven buttons.
- Each of these is either dedicated to layer organization or visual manupulation.
| Button |
Functionality |
| Link Layers | Another way to join two related layers together instead of group. |
| Add Layer Style | Add styles and effect to the content of layer. |
| Add Layer Mask | Layer mask added to the layer to control the transperancy of every single pixel in the layer. |
| New Fill or Adjustment Layer | Add special adjustments or a specific fill. |
| Create New Group | Get a new empty group and drag related layers into that group to organize them. |
| Create New Layer | A new blank pixel based layer is created above layer selected. |
| Delete Layer | To delete a layer. |
