Post by Paul Beard on Apr 19, 2006 5:58:08 GMT -2
LAYERS are one of the most useful features of Photoshop, so if you don’t know how to use them you are really missing out.
Layers enables you to stack images or sections of images on top of each other, as if they were slides on a projector. In the example below we start with a picture of a girl running in a field and add a giant butterfly for her to chase.
Click the link below to download the images used in this tutorial
www.pbpa.co.uk/demos/demo1.zip
# Open both images in Photoshop
# Open the Actions palette . If it is not already visible on your screen click Windows>Actions.
# Your screen will look like the image above
# Click on any area of the butterfly image to make it ‘live’
The layers palette for the little girl will be replaced by the layers palette for the butterfly.
# Drag and drop the butterfly layer , from the layer palette on to the little girl image. The layer turns brown when you start to move it.
To drag and drop- Place your mouse pointer over the blue area of the butterfly layer (layer one) in the layers palette. Press and hold your left mouse button, while you move your mouse pointer over to the main area of the picture of the little girl, and then let go of your mouse button.
Congratulations! You have just added a second layer (the butterfly) to the image of the little girl.
# To reposition the butterfly, make sure the butterfly layer is live (Blue) in the layers palette.If it is not live, click it so it does go live.
# Select the MOVE TOOL from your tool palette (or hit the V key on you keyboard)
# Place your mouse pointer over the butterfly within the main picture, and click and hold your left mouse button. You can now reposition the butterfly.
# Once you are happy with the layout, click Layers > Flatten Image, and the two images will become one.
# The layers palette now shows just a single later
# You can now close the lone butterfly image, by clicking on it and then clicking on the cross in the top right corner. Do not save changes
# Save your new combined image with a new name
File > SaveAs>
That’s all there is to it!
Layers enables you to stack images or sections of images on top of each other, as if they were slides on a projector. In the example below we start with a picture of a girl running in a field and add a giant butterfly for her to chase.
Click the link below to download the images used in this tutorial
www.pbpa.co.uk/demos/demo1.zip
# Open both images in Photoshop
# Open the Actions palette . If it is not already visible on your screen click Windows>Actions.
# Your screen will look like the image above
# Click on any area of the butterfly image to make it ‘live’
The layers palette for the little girl will be replaced by the layers palette for the butterfly.
# Drag and drop the butterfly layer , from the layer palette on to the little girl image. The layer turns brown when you start to move it.
To drag and drop- Place your mouse pointer over the blue area of the butterfly layer (layer one) in the layers palette. Press and hold your left mouse button, while you move your mouse pointer over to the main area of the picture of the little girl, and then let go of your mouse button.
Congratulations! You have just added a second layer (the butterfly) to the image of the little girl.
# To reposition the butterfly, make sure the butterfly layer is live (Blue) in the layers palette.If it is not live, click it so it does go live.
# Select the MOVE TOOL from your tool palette (or hit the V key on you keyboard)
# Place your mouse pointer over the butterfly within the main picture, and click and hold your left mouse button. You can now reposition the butterfly.
# Once you are happy with the layout, click Layers > Flatten Image, and the two images will become one.
# The layers palette now shows just a single later
# You can now close the lone butterfly image, by clicking on it and then clicking on the cross in the top right corner. Do not save changes
# Save your new combined image with a new name
File > SaveAs>
That’s all there is to it!