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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

Layers are incredibly helpful in production. By using layers, you can make realistic additions to an image that you can remove, edit, and control with blending modes and transparency. Unfortunately, to show you all the features of layers goes beyond what we can cover in this chapter. This chapter covers layer basics to get you started working with layers in Photoshop. We show you how to create composite images using easy layer features — just enough knowledge to get yourself into a pretty complex mess of layers! Even if you're an experienced Photoshop user, read this chapter to discover all sorts of neat key commands that can help you in your workflow.

If you're a video professional, you can open videos in Photoshop CS4. Photoshop Extended automatically creates a Movie layer, and with the Timeline, you can do pixel editing frame by frame!

New in Photoshop CS4 Extended, you can make regular layers into 3D files! Though many of the 3D features are beyond the scope of this book, you can discover enough to be dangerous in the "Experimenting with 3D Files" section.

Tip

Have fun with layers and don't worry if you mess up; you can always press F12 to revert the image to the state it was in at the last time you saved it.

Creating and Working with Layers

Layers make creating composite ...