Advanced Layer Features
Photoshop has advanced layer features that allow more creative features of layers. You can make a lot of amazing collages and images using these advanced features.
We shall now take a quick look at some of the more creative features of layers which are used to create some cool collages and images.
Layer Masks give amazing control over the way layers interact with each other. They allow you to blend all or part of an effect or image to underlying layers. You can adjust the opacity of a single layer.
Clipping Groups - These are underused and interesting effect. It is similar to what you see through binoculars. There is much more than you see through the lenses but everything else is clipped away. Imagine that the binocular lenses are the base layer and the view is the clipped layer.
Layer Comps - Layer comps remember the position visibility blending modes styles and transparency of every layer in the image all in the same file. Hence you do not have to store multiples versions of a file again and again under a different name. You can save layouts and preview all with the click of a button. When you save the file, the layer comps are saved too.
Blending Modes - They create real interactivity and powerful creative effects. The layers which are mainly affected are the base color layer which is the existing image and the blend color layer which is the layer to which you apply the blending mode. The drop down menu is available at the top of the layers palette where you can select various blending modes. We shall some of these.
- Normal Modes - In normal modes the color and opacity
are unaffected. These are:
- Normal is the standard mode in which the images are blended without any special effects.
- Dissolve If you lower the opacity the blend layer dissolves rather than turn transparent.
- Behind It is available only with the painting tools and paints only on the transparent pixels and ignores opaque pixels.
- Clear is available only with the painting tools and erases the opaque pixels like the eraser tools.
- Darkening Modes cause the white to disappear on the blend mode.
- Lightening Modes are opposite of darkening modes and cause all the black to disappear on the blend layer.
- Light Modes. Cause 50 % gray to disappear and have no effect on black or white.
- Inverting Mode is good to get radical and psychedelic effects.
- Color Based Modes. Affect only certain aspects of the image at a time.
Tina has decided on the font size, type and color for the text layer in the wedding card.
Tina has also decided to place a bunch of flowers in the card
