Photoshop® CS3 Layers Bible

Photoshop® CS3 Layers Bible

by Matt Doyle, Simon Meek
Released October 2007
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9780470082119

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Creative professionals know how to tap Photoshop CS3's Layers to achieve spectacular results, and now you can learn their secrets in this comprehensive book. How do you combine layers and masks? What's the best way to work with Web images? From the newest CS3 features to successful layering strategies, you'll discover the professional techniques and hands-on examples you need to succeed. Create composites that make an impact, organize your workflow, create great-looking and quick-loading Web images, and more.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Authors
  4. Preface
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Introduction
  7. I. Layer Basics
    1. 1. Introducing Layers
      1. 1.1. Understanding the Layers Concept
      2. 1.2. Layers and Photoshop
      3. 1.3. Introducing the Layers Palette
        1. 1.3.1. Layers in the document window
        2. 1.3.2. The anatomy of a layer
      4. 1.4. Understanding Layer Transparency
      5. 1.5. Types of Layers
        1. 1.5.1. The Background layer
        2. 1.5.2. Normal layers
        3. 1.5.3. Type layers
        4. 1.5.4. Shape layers
        5. 1.5.5. Fill layers
        6. 1.5.6. Adjustment layers
      6. 1.6. Using Layers in Photoshop
      7. 1.7. New Layer Features in Photoshop CS3
        1. 1.7.1. The new interface
        2. 1.7.2. Smart Filters
        3. 1.7.3. New adjustment layers
        4. 1.7.4. Auto-Align Layers and Auto-Blend Layers
      8. 1.8. Putting Theory into Practice
        1. 1.8.1. Creating a new document
        2. 1.8.2. Adding the photo
        3. 1.8.3. Creating a box for the text
        4. 1.8.4. Adding the text
        5. 1.8.5. Playing with the layers
      9. 1.9. Summary
    2. 2. Managing and Organizing Layers
      1. 2.1. Creating Layers
        1. 2.1.1. Creating a layer from a selection
        2. 2.1.2. Other ways to create layers
      2. 2.2. Selecting Layers
        1. 2.2.1. Selecting a single layer
        2. 2.2.2. Selecting multiple layers
        3. 2.2.3. Selecting layers with the Move tool
      3. 2.3. Managing Layers
        1. 2.3.1. Duplicating layers
        2. 2.3.2. Merging layers together
        3. 2.3.3. Converting the Background layer
        4. 2.3.4. Moving the content of layers
        5. 2.3.5. Aligning layer content
        6. 2.3.6. Evenly distributing layer content
        7. 2.3.7. Changing the order of layers
        8. 2.3.8. Renaming layers and changing their color
        9. 2.3.9. Setting a layer's opacity and fill
        10. 2.3.10. Locking layers
        11. 2.3.11. Deleting layers
      4. 2.4. Controlling Layer Positioning
        1. 2.4.1. Working with rulers
        2. 2.4.2. Creating and using guides
        3. 2.4.3. Using Smart Guides
        4. 2.4.4. Positioning using the grid
        5. 2.4.5. Snapping
        6. 2.4.6. Measuring distances and angles with the Ruler tool
      5. 2.5. Organizing Layers
        1. 2.5.1. Linking layers together
        2. 2.5.2. Unlinking layers
        3. 2.5.3. Organizing layers into layer groups
        4. 2.5.4. Showing and hiding layers and groups
      6. 2.6. Summary
    3. 3. Resizing and Transforming Layers
      1. 3.1. Bitmaps versus Vectors
      2. 3.2. The Transform Commands
        1. 3.2.1. Moving the reference point
        2. 3.2.2. Committing or canceling a transformation
        3. 3.2.3. Repeating a transformation
        4. 3.2.4. Scaling
        5. 3.2.5. Rotating
        6. 3.2.6. Skewing
        7. 3.2.7. Distorting
        8. 3.2.8. Applying perspective
        9. 3.2.9. Warping
        10. 3.2.10. Rotating by fixed amounts
        11. 3.2.11. Flipping horizontally and vertically
        12. 3.2.12. The Free Transform command
      3. 3.3. Measuring Transformations
      4. 3.4. Transforming by Numbers
        1. 3.4.1. Moving by a precise amount
        2. 3.4.2. Moving the reference point precisely
        3. 3.4.3. Scaling by numbers
        4. 3.4.4. Rotating by numbers
        5. 3.4.5. Skewing by numbers
      5. 3.5. Transforming Other Content
      6. 3.6. Tutorial: Transforming Type Layers
      7. 3.7. Summary
  8. II. Exploring Special Layer Types
    1. 4. Creating Text with Type Layers
      1. 4.1. What is a Type Layer?
      2. 4.2. Adding a Type Layer
      3. 4.3. Selecting Type
      4. 4.4. Working with Point Type and Paragraph Type
        1. 4.4.1. Creating point type
        2. 4.4.2. Creating paragraph type
      5. 4.5. Formatting Characters
        1. 4.5.1. Choosing a font
        2. 4.5.2. Font styles
        3. 4.5.3. Setting font sizes
        4. 4.5.4. Setting line spacing (leading)
        5. 4.5.5. Adjusting the kerning between letters
        6. 4.5.6. Setting horizontal spacing (tracking)
        7. 4.5.7. Stretching and squeezing type
        8. 4.5.8. Shifting the baseline
        9. 4.5.9. Choosing a type color
        10. 4.5.10. Smoothing type with anti-aliasing
        11. 4.5.11. Controlling fractional widths
        12. 4.5.12. Using system text handling
        13. 4.5.13. Preventing unwanted word breaks
        14. 4.5.14. Rotating letters in vertical type
      6. 4.6. Formatting Paragraphs
        1. 4.6.1. Aligning type
        2. 4.6.2. Justifying type
        3. 4.6.3. Indenting paragraphs
        4. 4.6.4. Adjusting the space between paragraphs
        5. 4.6.5. Controlling hyphenation
        6. 4.6.6. Choosing a composition method
        7. 4.6.7. Adjusting word and letter spacing
        8. 4.6.8. Specifying hanging punctuation
      7. 4.7. Checking and Correcting Spelling
      8. 4.8. Finding and Replacing Text
      9. 4.9. Creating Warped Type
      10. 4.10. Creating Type on a Path
        1. 4.10.1. Positioning the type
        2. 4.10.2. Flipping the type
        3. 4.10.3. Reshaping the type
        4. 4.10.4. Creating type inside a closed path
      11. 4.11. Creating Bitmap Type Layers
      12. 4.12. Converting Type Layers to Shape Layers
      13. 4.13. Creating Work Paths from Type Layers
      14. 4.14. Creating Type as a Mask
      15. 4.15. Understanding Type Aesthetics
        1. 4.15.1. Serif type
        2. 4.15.2. Sans serif type
        3. 4.15.3. Display type
      16. 4.16. Tutorial: Bringing It All Together
        1. 4.16.1. Adding a title
        2. 4.16.2. Creating the main text
        3. 4.16.3. Adding the drop capital
      17. 4.17. Summary
    2. 5. Working with Shape Layers
      1. 5.1. Adding a Shape Layer
        1. 5.1.1. Working with basic shape tools
        2. 5.1.2. Working with the Custom Shape tool
        3. 5.1.3. Other ways to create a shape layer
      2. 5.2. Editing Shape Layers
        1. 5.2.1. Editing a shape layer's style and content
        2. 5.2.2. Moving and altering shapes
      3. 5.3. Combining Shapes on a Single Layer
        1. 5.3.1. Adding shapes together
        2. 5.3.2. Subtracting shapes from each other
        3. 5.3.3. Intersecting and excluding overlapping shapes
        4. 5.3.4. Recombining existing shapes on a layer
        5. 5.3.5. Aligning and distributing shapes
      4. 5.4. Tutorial: Shape Layers in Practice
        1. 5.4.1. Adding the first shape
        2. 5.4.2. Adding the chopsticks
      5. 5.5. Summary
    3. 6. Exploring Adjustment and Fill Layers
      1. 6.1. Introducing Adjustment Layers
      2. 6.2. Creating an Adjustment Layer
        1. 6.2.1. Setting adjustment layer options
        2. 6.2.2. Previewing color changes with the Info palette
        3. 6.2.3. Applying an adjustment to specific layers
      3. 6.3. Editing Adjustment Layers
      4. 6.4. Exploring Adjustment Layer Types
        1. 6.4.1. Adjusting Levels
        2. 6.4.2. Fine-tuning contrast with Curves
        3. 6.4.3. Tweaking colors with Color Balance
        4. 6.4.4. Altering brightness and contrast
        5. 6.4.5. Converting an image to black and white
        6. 6.4.6. Adjusting colors using Hue/Saturation
        7. 6.4.7. Changing CMYK values with Selective Color
        8. 6.4.8. Mashing up colors with the Channel Mixer
        9. 6.4.9. Using Gradient Map to colorize images
        10. 6.4.10. Simulating lens filters with Photo Filter
        11. 6.4.11. Making tonal adjustments with Exposure
        12. 6.4.12. Inverting an image's colors
        13. 6.4.13. Applying a threshold
        14. 6.4.14. Posterizing an image
      5. 6.5. Creating Filled Areas with Fill Layers
        1. 6.5.1. Adding a fill layer
        2. 6.5.2. Creating blocks of color with Solid Color fill layers
        3. 6.5.3. Making gradients with Gradient fill layers
        4. 6.5.4. Filling with a pattern using Pattern fill layers
      6. 6.6. Masking Adjustment and Fill Layers
      7. 6.7. Using Blending Modes with Adjustment and Fill Layers
      8. 6.8. Summary
  9. III. Advanced Layer Features
    1. 7. Combining Layers with Blending Modes
      1. 7.1. Choosing a Blending Mode
      2. 7.2. Understanding Blending Modes
      3. 7.3. Exploring the Blending Modes
        1. 7.3.1. Simple blending modes
        2. 7.3.2. Darkening modes
        3. 7.3.3. Lightening modes
        4. 7.3.4. Light modes
        5. 7.3.5. Difference modes
        6. 7.3.6. Component modes
        7. 7.3.7. Summarizing the blending modes
      4. 7.4. Fine-Tuning a Blend Effect
        1. 7.4.1. Excluding color channels from the blend
        2. 7.4.2. Creating knockouts
        3. 7.4.3. Blending interior effects
        4. 7.4.4. Controlling the blending of a clipping mask
        5. 7.4.5. Disabling a layer's transparency mask
        6. 7.4.6. Hiding effects with layer and vector masks
        7. 7.4.7. Blending by color range
      5. 7.5. Applying Blending Modes to Layer Effects
      6. 7.6. Summary
    2. 8. Exploring Smart Objects
      1. 8.1. Creating a Smart Object
        1. 8.1.1. Creating a Smart Object from one or more layers
        2. 8.1.2. Creating a Smart Object from Illustrator artwork
        3. 8.1.3. Creating a Smart Object from an image file
      2. 8.2. Editing Smart Objects
        1. 8.2.1. Duplicating Smart Objects
        2. 8.2.2. Nesting Smart Objects
        3. 8.2.3. Converting and deleting Smart Objects
      3. 8.3. Working with Smart Filters
        1. 8.3.1. Applying a Smart Filter
        2. 8.3.2. Editing Smart Filters
        3. 8.3.3. Masking Smart Filters
        4. 8.3.4. Setting Smart Filter blending options
      4. 8.4. Exporting and Replacing Smart Objects
      5. 8.5. Tutorial: Using Smart Objects in Practice
      6. 8.6. Summary
    3. 9. Working with Masks
      1. 9.1. Types of Masks
        1. 9.1.1. General masks
        2. 9.1.2. Masks specific to layers
      2. 9.2. Exploring Selection Masks and Alpha Channels
        1. 9.2.1. Using selection masks and the Quick Mask mode
        2. 9.2.2. Saving selections as alpha channels
      3. 9.3. Using Layer Masks
        1. 9.3.1. Creating layer masks
        2. 9.3.2. Editing layer masks
      4. 9.4. Using Vector Masks
        1. 9.4.1. Creating vector masks
        2. 9.4.2. Editing vector masks
      5. 9.5. Managing Layer and Vector Masks
        1. 9.5.1. Moving a mask to a different layer
        2. 9.5.2. Loading a mask as a selection
        3. 9.5.3. Linking and unlinking a mask
        4. 9.5.4. Disabling a mask
      6. 9.6. Combining Layer and Vector Masks
      7. 9.7. Masking Layers with Clipping Masks
        1. 9.7.1. Creating a clipping mask
        2. 9.7.2. Editing clipping masks
      8. 9.8. Tutorial: A Complete Example
        1. 9.8.1. Creating the mask for the cell phone
        2. 9.8.2. Putting the elements together
        3. 9.8.3. Creating the final header image
      9. 9.9. Summary
    4. 10. Discovering Layer Styles
      1. 10.1. Adding a Layer Style
      2. 10.2. Editing and Managing Layer Styles
        1. 10.2.1. Disabling, hiding, and deleting effects
        2. 10.2.2. Moving and duplicating effects and styles
        3. 10.2.3. Creating and managing preset layer styles
        4. 10.2.4. Converting a layer style to individual layers
      3. 10.3. Exploring Layer Effects
        1. 10.3.1. Drop Shadow and Inner Shadow
        2. 10.3.2. Outer and Inner Glow
        3. 10.3.3. Bevel and Emboss
        4. 10.3.4. Satin
        5. 10.3.5. Color, Gradient, and Pattern Overlay
        6. 10.3.6. Stroke
      4. 10.4. Using Contours
        1. 10.4.1. Working with contour presets
        2. 10.4.2. Creating your own contours
      5. 10.5. Tutorial: Creating a Logo Using Layer Styles
      6. 10.6. Summary
    5. 11. Using Layer Comps
      1. 11.1. Introducing the Layer Comps Palette
      2. 11.2. Creating and Deleting Layer Comps
      3. 11.3. Flipping Between Layer Comps
      4. 11.4. Updating Layer Comps
      5. 11.5. Changing Layer Comp Options
      6. 11.6. Understanding Layer Comp Warnings
      7. 11.7. Exporting Layer Comps
        1. 11.7.1. Exporting comps to flat image files
        2. 11.7.2. Exporting comps to a PDF file
        3. 11.7.3. Exporting comps as a Web photo gallery
      8. 11.8. Summary
  10. IV. Using Layers in Real-World Situations
    1. 12. Exploring Layer Strategies
      1. 12.1. Organizing Layers for Clarity
        1. 12.1.1. Naming your layers
        2. 12.1.2. Grouping layers by content]
      2. 12.2. Storing Different Versions of Documents
        1. 12.2.1. Using layer comps
        2. 12.2.2. Using Version Cue
        3. 12.2.3. Creating your own versioning system
      3. 12.3. Managing Documents
        1. 12.3.1. Naming your files
        2. 12.3.2. Organizing your files
        3. 12.3.3. Backing up
      4. 12.4. Nondestructive Editing
        1. 12.4.1. Editing with adjustment layers
        2. 12.4.2. Using Smart Objects and Smart Filters
        3. 12.4.3. Using layer masks and clipping masks
        4. 12.4.4. Copying layers
      5. 12.5. Flattening an Image
      6. 12.6. Working in a Team
        1. 12.6.1. Creating self-documenting files
        2. 12.6.2. Making sure your files are accurate
        3. 12.6.3. Abiding by the rules
        4. 12.6.4. Getting hired with layers
      7. 12.7. Exploring Common Workflow Scenarios
        1. 12.7.1. Photography
        2. 12.7.2. Web design
        3. 12.7.3. Print design
      8. 12.8. Choosing a Strategy
        1. 12.8.1. Navigating your document's layers
        2. 12.8.2. Knowing your tools
        3. 12.8.3. Keeping an eye on the final result
        4. 12.8.4. Three ways to a similar result
      9. 12.9. Summary
    2. 13. Using Layers in Other Applications
      1. 13.1. Understanding the PSD Format
      2. 13.2. Setting File Handling Preferences
      3. 13.3. Working with Other Layered File Formats
        1. 13.3.1. Using TIFF
        2. 13.3.2. Working with Photoshop PDF
      4. 13.4. Using Layers in Other Applications
        1. 13.4.1. Using the Adobe Creative Suite
        2. 13.4.2. Using PSD files with photo editing tools
        3. 13.4.3. Exploring Photoshop layer support in QuarkXPress 7
        4. 13.4.4. Other applications
      5. 13.5. Summary
    3. 14. Designing with Layers
      1. 14.1. Tweaking Photos in a Design Environment
        1. 14.1.1. Adding a Levels adjustment layer
        2. 14.1.2. Making selective adjustments with a layer mask
        3. 14.1.3. Tidying up the mask
        4. 14.1.4. Applying adjustments to other photos in a batch
      2. 14.2. Designing a Web Site with Layers
        1. 14.2.1. Creating a new document
        2. 14.2.2. Using a design grid
        3. 14.2.3. Setting up the grid
        4. 14.2.4. Creating the header image
        5. 14.2.5. Adding the menu
        6. 14.2.6. Adding the logo
        7. 14.2.7. Laying out the rest of the page
        8. 14.2.8. Organizing the layers
        9. 14.2.9. Export strategies
      3. 14.3. Creating a Montage
        1. 14.3.1. Adding the first two photos
        2. 14.3.2. Using a layer mask to blend the photos
        3. 14.3.3. Using blending modes to add depth
        4. 14.3.4. Composition of the montage
        5. 14.3.5. Adding more images
        6. 14.3.6. Producing an alternative version
        7. 14.3.7. Using the montage to create a brochure
      4. 14.4. Creating a Mixed-Media Piece
        1. 14.4.1. Preparing the scanned media
        2. 14.4.2. Assembling the illustration
        3. 14.4.3. Creating the river and sky
        4. 14.4.4. Adding some handwritten text and doodles
        5. 14.4.5. Adding some final typography
      5. 14.5. Summary
    4. 15. Manipulating Photos by Using Layers
      1. 15.1. Retouching a Landscape
        1. 15.1.1. Applying an adjustment to the whole image
        2. 15.1.2. Creating the mask
        3. 15.1.3. Making the image "pop"
      2. 15.2. Fixing Color Casts in Photos
        1. 15.2.1. Correcting the bridge photo
        2. 15.2.2. Correcting the microphone photo
      3. 15.3. Retouching a Portrait
        1. 15.3.1. Enhancing the exposure
        2. 15.3.2. Enhancing the skin tones
        3. 15.3.3. Finishing touches
      4. 15.4. Converting Photos to Black and White
        1. 15.4.1. Converting the images using Hue/Saturation
        2. 15.4.2. Converting the images using the Channel Mixer
        3. 15.4.3. Converting the images using Black & White
        4. 15.4.4. Comparing the three methods
        5. 15.4.5. Finishing off a black-and-white image
      5. 15.5. Aligning Two Handheld Photos
        1. 15.5.1. Creating the document
        2. 15.5.2. Aligning the layers
        3. 15.5.3. Creating the final image
      6. 15.6. Summary
    5. 16. Creating Personal Projects with Layers
      1. 16.1. Creating and Printing Invitations
        1. 16.1.1. Creating a document for the invitation
        2. 16.1.2. Laying out the invitation
        3. 16.1.3. Adding text and graphics
        4. 16.1.4. Placing multiple copies on a single page
        5. 16.1.5. Preparing the document for printing
        6. 16.1.6. Printing the invitations
      2. 16.2. Making a Poster
        1. 16.2.1. Creating a new document
        2. 16.2.2. Adding the photo
        3. 16.2.3. Creating the text and graphic elements
        4. 16.2.4. Adding filters to the photo
      3. 16.3. Creating a Calendar
        1. 16.3.1. Creating the basic layout
        2. 16.3.2. Adding a photo
        3. 16.3.3. Creating a space for the month view
        4. 16.3.4. Creating the month view
        5. 16.3.5. Adding the year, month name, and caption
        6. 16.3.6. Creating multiple pages
      4. 16.4. Summary
  11. V. Appendixes
    1. A. Using the CD-ROM
      1. A.1. System Requirements
      2. A.2. Installing the CD
      3. A.3. What's on the CD
        1. A.3.1. Author-created materials
        2. A.3.2. Applications
      4. A.4. Searchable version of the Photoshop Layers Bible
      5. A.5. Troubleshooting
      6. A.6. Customer Care
    2. B. Shortcuts for Working with Layers

Product information

  • Title: Photoshop® CS3 Layers Bible
  • Author(s): Matt Doyle, Simon Meek
  • Release date: October 2007
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780470082119