photoshop tutorials - working with a layered image

While you may be familiar with simple editing of photos in Photoshop, it's capable of much more. Different elements of the image you're working on can be placed on seperate layers so they can be altered independantly of other sections of the image.

The biggest use for this with clients is when I make a frame (or template) that's going to be repeatedly used on a site.

1. Open your file File > Open.
2. Make sure you're viewing the LAYERS palate (below). If you can't see it, click in Window > Layers if it's not ticked.
3. If I have been really nice (like on the example below), I will have marked the layers that need to be on the top as TOP - xxxx, and the ones that need to be on the bottom as BOTTOM - xxxxx.
4. You will notice that there are 5 layers on this particular file. To the left of each layer there is a little eye. The eye indicates that we can see this layer. If you click on the eye, the eye vanishes then we can't see it anymore. Click on the empty space and the eye comes back and we see the layer again.
5. At the very botom of the layers palate, there are 7 icons. We only need to know about the two on the right for now.
   * The one on the far right (the trash can) is used to delete a layer. Drag a layer on to the trash can icon and it will delete it.
   * Second from the right (new layer) is used to create new layers. Click on it to create a new layer. Drag an existing layer on to it to create a duplicate.
6. When working with a file with multiple layers, you are working on the layer that's highlighted in blue (so in the example below, Layer 2 is the active layer).
7. To get another image to be a new layer in this photoshopfile, have this file open PLUS the image you want to add. Simply click and drag your image in to this one.
8. To move layers, click on the name of the layer on the Layers Palete and drag them up and down accordingly.