Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Layers
In Photoshop, a layer can contain artwork and transparency
information. This allows you to combine (or composite) multiple
images into a new piece (such as a postcard or advertisement).
Originally, Photoshop did not have layers. You could open a
picture to process it, but that was about it. However, over time
the demands placed on Photoshop by its users led to its evolu-
tion. As Photoshop moved beyond being a mere touchup tool, the
flexibility of layers emerged to meet the demand. Photoshop now
has several special layer types including adjustment layers, shape
layers, and fill layers. By isolating discrete elements to their own
layers, designers can make several changes and freely experiment
with their design.
Without sounding like a zealot, layers in Photoshop mean every-
thing to a designer. You will spend much of this topic (and your
early career using Photoshop) getting comfortable with layers.
With that said,
always
leave your Layers panel open while you
work (press F7 to open it); this is where most of the action takes
place. The Layers panel is like the steering wheel of a car. You'll
dig much deeper into layers in Chapter 7, “Layer Masking,” and
Chapter 8, “Compositing with Layers.”
video 6:
Understanding Layers
Channels
The previous chapter explained different image modes that a com-
puter graphic could occupy. In the Channels panel you can view
the individual components of color. The brighter the area in the
individual channel, the more presence there is for that color. Let's
look at a simple example of an RGB graphic.
1.
Choose File > Open and navigate to the Chapter 2 folder in
the topic's Lessons folder.
2.
Open the image file Ch02_RGB_Overlap.psd. You should
see red, green, and blue circles overlapping one another. The
overlap has also created new colors: red + green = yellow; blue
+ green = cyan; red + blue = magenta; and red + green + blue
= white.
3.
Activate the Channels panel. By default it is docked with the
Layers panel (just click on its name and the panel will switch
to display Channels). If you don't see it, choose Window >
Channels.
