Adobe Creative Cloud Design Tools All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 9: Using Layers

In This Chapter

• Discovering layers
• Using text as a layer
• Implementing layer masks
• Organizing layers
• Using Smart Objects
• Using 3D layers to create 3D objects
• Merging and flattening a layered image

Knowledge of layers can be incredibly helpful when producing images in Photoshop. By using layers, you can make realistic additions to an image that can later be removed, edited, and changed with blending modes and transparency settings. This chapter shows you how to create composite images using helpful layer features. Even if you're an experienced Photoshop user, read this chapter to discover all sorts of great key commands that can help you improve your workflow.

If you're a video professional, you can open videos in Photoshop. Photoshop Extended automatically creates a Movie layer, and with the Timeline, you can do pixel editing frame by frame!

The Creative Cloud includes the extended version of Photoshop, which means that you can convert layers into 3D files. Though many 3D features are beyond the scope of this book, you can still discover enough to be dangerous by reviewing the section “Experimenting with 3D Files,” later in this chapter.

Creating and Working with Layers

Layers make creating composite images (images pieced together from other, individual images) easy because you can separate individual elements of the composite onto their own layers. Much like creating collages by cutting pictures from magazines, you can mask out selections on one image ...