Layers in Photoshop Elements and CS
by Al Crawford
October 22nd
Basic Layer Concepts


Lightroom
  1. Will be used in this class only for getting images into Elements
  2. Contains the full version of Adobe Camera Raw
  3. All edits are non-destructive
  4. Works very well with Photoshop Elements
Elements 11 -- Setup
  1. Expert Mode
  2. Change Workspace to Custom Workspace
  3. Put History Panel into Panel Bin.
  4. Keep Layers and History panels open and in front.
Layer Principles
  1. Layers are like a stack of transparencies that you look down through
  2. All or a portion of a layer can be completely transparent, translucent, or opaque.
  3. A layer may be moved up or down in the stack by clicking and dragging the layer in the layer panel up or down.
  4. A layer can be independently edited.
  5. A layer can be turned on and off.
  6. An image can be saved as a psd file or a tiff file and preserve the layers for later use.
  7. An image can be flattened with the command sequence "Layer -- Flatten Image" then saved as a jpg file.
  8. Printing can be done either before or after you flatten the image.
Making local corrections with two layers and the eraser tool
  1. Open a photograph that needs local correction.  That is there is a portion of the image (let us call it the target area) that needs enhancing that is different from the rest of the photo.
  2. Note there is only one layer called "Background".  We will never modify this layer.
  3. Using the command sequence "Layer -- Duplicate Layer" create as second layer the same as the first.  Name this layer "Bottom".
  4. With "Bottom" selected create a second duplicate layer.  Name this new layer "Top".
  5. Select the "Top" layer.
  6. Make enhancements on the "Top" layer that would correct the target area.  Do not pay any attention to what happens to the areas outside of the target.  They will naturally go bad.
  7. Select the "Eraser" tool.  Select the "Top" layer.  After adjusting the size of the eraser brush erase the parts of the Top layer not in the target area.  This will reveal the Bottom layer and leave the non-target areas without any correction which is what we wanted.  Note:  If you select a soft brush the edges of the erasure will be soft and not have sharp lines.  Also if you choose an opacity of less than 100% you will only reveal the Bottom layer partially, leaving a partial correction of those areas.  For example if you have darkened the Top layer erasing at 100% will restore the image completely to the Bottom layer.  But if you erase at 50% you will retain some but not all of the darkening effect of the Top layer.  You may use different opacities on different parts of the image.
  8. Alternative:  After you have done steps 1 through 4 select the "Bottom" layer.
  9. Not make enhancements on the "Bottom" layer that would correct the target area.
  10. Now select the "Top" layer and erase the target area revealing the corrected "Bottom" layer.
Use blank layer for spot healing brush and clone stamp tools
The Spot Healing Brush and the Clone Stamp Tool both function by copying image elements from one area of the photo onto another area covering up, usually, an offending object.  By using a blank layer to receive the copied elements we do not destroy the original image.  This allows more flexibility, especially giving the ability to tweak the results after they have been applied.
  1. With a photograph open in Photoshop select the top layer of the image.
  2. Use the command sequence  "Layer -- New -- Layer" (or Ctl-Shift-N on the PC or Option-Command-N on a Mac) to create a new blank layer.  Name the layer "Spot/Clone"
  3. Chose the Spot Healing Brush.  Check "Sample All Layers" in the Tool Options.
  4. With the Spot/Clone layer selected remove an object using the Spot Healing Brush.
  5. Now patch an area using the Clone Stamp Tool.
  6. If you click off the Spot/Clone layer you will see that the corrections 
  7. If you have covered up too much with one of your corrections you may erase what you do not want.

Replacing the sky
  1. Open an image that is a good image except that it needs to have a better sky.
  2. Make a duplicate layer named Main
  3. Select the sky in Main using the magic wand tool.
  4. With Main active active press the delete key.  This will delete the selected area.  (Note:  You may not see this happen since the background layer is still there.  Turn off the background layer to see the effect.)
  5. Open an image that has a good sky for your main image.
  6. With the sky image as the active image press "ctrl-A" to select the entire image.
  7. Press "ctrl-C" to copy the selected area.
  8. Make the main image active.  Press "ctrl-V" to paste the image into the main image.
  9. This will make the sky image a layer in the main image.  Rename this layer to "Sky" by right clicking on the sky layer in the Layers Panel and selecting "Rename"
    Note:  There are many ways to move a something from one image to another.  This is just one.  Others will be used in class.
  10. Move the Sky layer to below the Main layer by dragging it down in the Layers Panel.
  11. Select the move tool.  Uncheck  "Auto Select Layer".  Check "Show Bounding Box"
  12. You may now move the Sky layer in the picture by dragging it within the picture.  Do this to place the sky properly.
  13. You may also change the size of the Sky layer by dragging the corners or the center edge tabs of the Sky layer and dragging them.  Once you finish resizing the Sky layer you will have to click on the green check at the bottom of the layer on the screen to make the resizing permanent.
  14. Once the sky is properly placed  you may need to enhance the Main layer to match the new sky.  Frequently the main image will need to be lightened and have saturation added to make it look more "sunny".
  15. You can also enhance the Sky layer.
Bring other objects into the photo
  1. Open the image to which you wish to add another element.
  2. Create a duplicate layer named Main.
  3. Open the image that contains the object you want to put into the main image.
  4. Select the object being transferred.
  5. Using the command sequence "Layer - New - Layer via copy" (ctrl-J) create a new layer consisting of only the object.
  6. With the object's image active, drag the object layer from the Layer's Panel to the main image.  Note:  For this to work both the main image and the object image must be open and visible on the screen.
  7. You may now move and resize the object layer as you did the Sky layer in the previous exercise.
  8. You may now also edit all layers individually.
Adjustment Layers -- Non-destructive editing
When you make enhancements using tools such as levels, brightness/contrast, or hue/saturation you change the pixels in your image.  Such changes are not easily reversed in many cases.  You, of course, can always go back and start over -- assuming you are working on a copy of your original image.  But this could be very time consuming and you may not always get to where you were before.  Adjustment layers gives the artist the ability to make changes and easily go back and tweak those changes if later on it becomes necessary.  If you save your file to preserve layers (tiff or psd) you can even make changes at a later date when you open the file.  It is the
  1. Open an image then create and name a duplicate image.
  2. With the top layer selected use the command sequence "Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Levels"  then click OK.
  3. You will get a Levels Dialog Box appear in the Adjustments Panel and also a Levels layer in the Layer Panel.  Make all necessary levels adjustments in with the Levels dialog box.
  4. Using the command sequence "Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Brightness/Contrast" then click OK.
  5. You will now get the Brightness/Contrast dialog box and the corresponding layer in the Layers Panel.  Make all necessary brightness and contrast adjustments.
  6. Now use the command sequence "Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map" and click OK.
  7. Your image just changed radically.  If your default foreground and background colors are at their default you got a negative B&W image.  Click on the little arrow to the right of the gradient box in the Adjustments Panel.  Choose the third box on the top row to get a true B&W conversion.
  8. You may turn off any of the adjustment layers.  If you turn of the gradient map your image returns to color.
  9. You may select one of the adjustment layers.  Its dialog box will appear in the Adjustments Panel and you may make changes to the adjustments.
Adjustment Layer Masks -- local corrections with adjustment layers
  1. Open an image that requires an enhancement on a target area.
  2. Create a duplicate layer.
  3. Create a Levels adjustment layer.
  4. Make adjustments required for the target area.  Remember the rest of the image will go bad.
  5. Set Black as the foreground color.
  6. Select the Paint Brush tool and adjust the opacity and brush size.
  7. With the Levels layer selected paint on the image the areas you do not wish to adjust.