Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual

358 Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual

Adding Layer Styles

Adding Layer Styles

Like filters and effects, Layer styles let you transform objects by giving them new

characteristics, like Drop Shadows, for instance. Layer styles are especially useful

for modifying individual objects, like text and buttons, because you can edit the

text and change the button’s shape even after you’ve applied the Layer style.

Layer styles, as their name suggests, work on the contents of one layer—rather

than on your whole image. That’s important. A Layer style affects the entire con-

tents of a layer. If you want to apply a Layer style to just one object in your pic-

ture, select the object and put it on a layer of its own (Ctrl+J or Layer ➝ New ➝

Layer via Copy, or Ctrl+Shft+J or New ➝ Layer via Cut). Figure 13-12 shows what

you can do with Layer styles.

You apply Layer styles from the Artwork and Effects palette (Window ➝ Artwork

and Effects). Click the Special Effects button (see Figure 13-2) and, from the pal-

ette’s left-side pull-down menu, choose Layer Styles. Then, from the menu on the

right, choose a Layer style category. Finally, select the layer you want to modify (by

highlighting it in the Layers palette), and then click the Layer style you want to use.

The box on page 360 shows you how to modify any style’s settings.

NOTE Some tools, like the Type tool (see page 375), have an Options bar box that