Layer Types
Some Photoshop layers have special features that make them easier to work with. Some of these help produce higher quality images that can be produced using standard layers alone.
Having learned about the basics of layers, Tina wants to make use of the special layers. Let us see how these can be used
Text layers
A text layer contains text. It has three main advantages.
- Clear text.
- Scale text vectors up and down with no loss of quality.
- Edit and make changes to all the typo errors.
To create a Text layer click the text tool from the tool palette. Click anywhere in the document and begin typing. You can reposition and format the type using the main menu options. The layer is called a text layer and is indicated in the layers palette by a large T next to the layer thumbnail.
Shape layers
These are similar to text layers. A variety of tools can be used to draw shapes. When any one of the shape tool is selected the options bar at the top of the Photoshop window will display all the options for the particular shape. Take a note of the following three options
- Shape Layer Creates a new shape layer.
- Path Creates a path that follows the shape.
- Fill Pixels Creates pixels like a brush.
To create a Shape layer select the shape layer icon in the options bar. Draw in the image area using the regular tools. A new layer is created automatically. The shape will be filled with the foreground color and the edges will appear as a thin stroke and appears only when the layer is active.
Adjustment layers
These are used to make alterations to the tone and color of layers beneath the adjustment layer. The adjustment affects the layer visually but the pixels are not altered in an image. They help in enhancing and correcting photography, but they also have other uses. The layer also affects all the layers underneath it.
To create an adjustment layer Click create adjustment layer button in the layers palette.
Or select Layer > New Adjustment layer and select from the options.
Let us see what each option does:
- Color fills the layer with a solid color.
- Gradient fills the layer with a color gradient.
- Pattern fills the layer with a repeating pattern.
- Levels adjust the tone in an image.
- Curves adjust tone with precise control.
- Color Balance handles the basic color correction and shifting.
- Hue/Saturation Controls color shifting and effects.
- Selective Color options Select from the possible options.
- Channel Mixer Exercises precise control over the color channels.
- Gradient Map Replaces the color table in an image with a gradient.
- Photo Filter Creates a photographic colorizing effect that resembles lens filters.
- Invert Inverts the colors and produces a negative effect.
- Threshold. Converts to solid black and white and sets the shift point.
- Posterize Reduces the number of colors in each channel.
