Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature

Adjustment Layer Basics

ADJUSTMENT LAYERS GIVE US THE ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING OUR PHOTOS LOOK BETTER

Why are adjustment layers so cool? Let’s say we have a photo that we’d like to turn into a black-and-white photo. Sure, you can use the Black & White adjustment under the Image>Adjustments menu, but when you apply it to your image, you’ve made a permanent change. So if you save the file, you’d never be able to go back and see your color image again. Well, most of those adjustments under the Image>Adjustments menu are also available as an adjustment layer. These little layers do the same exact adjustment, but on a separate layer. Not only can you easily get back to your original image by using adjustment layers, but you can ...