Photoshop® CS3 Bible

Chapter 13. Working with Layers

IN THIS CHAPTER

Creating and cloning layers

Floating the background layer

Reordering layers

Using the Matting commands

Merging layers

Converting layers to selections

Making drop shadows, halos, and spotlights

Combining layers using links and groups

Moving, scaling, rotating, and aligning layers

Working with Smart Objects

Using the Ruler tool

Selecting the Lock Transparency option

Working with layer masks

Working with the Layer Comps palette

Using CS3's new 3D Layer capabilities

Layers started out as little more than their name implies — sheets of pixels that you could edit and transform independently of each other. But since the feature was introduced in version 3, layers have become increasingly more sophisticated and complicated. Photoshop 4 introduced floating adjustment layers that let you correct colors without permanently affecting a single pixel (see Chapter 18). Photoshop 5 gave us layer effects, which included editable drop shadows, glows, and edge bevels (see Chapter 15). Photoshop 6 permitted you to bundle and color-code layers into logical clusters (this chapter), blend color channels independently of each other (see Chapter 14), and even add vector-based lines and shapes (see Chapter 15) and object-oriented text (see Chapter 16). Photoshop 7 gave you the ability to adjust the fill opacity and allowed for easier renaming of layers, but otherwise maintained the status quo. Photoshop CS dramatically improved the way you work with layers by introducing layer ...