Working with Layer

Layers are a basic founding concept you need to understand when working with Photoshop. Each time you add something to your image (for example text or shapes), Photoshop will create it as a layer. It might help for you to think about layers as several sheets of transparencies, each with a different picture. Each layer is one smaller part within the bigger picture. Take the following as an example:

This is layer 1, a transparency with a black border and a red circle in the upper-left corner.	This is layer 2, a transparency with a green circle in the middle.	This is layer 3, our final transparency with a blue circle in the bottom-right corner.

If we place layer 2 (green circle) over layer 1 (red circle), and then place layer 3 (blue circle) over layer 2, we'll get an overlapping of colors within a single image. That's how layers work!

An animated example of the layers concept can be viewed here: Layers Animation

Working with Layers

The Layers palette is located on the right of the workspace, in the palette dock. All of your layers are displayed in hierarchical order on the Layers palette. From here, you can lock and hide layers, create new layers, work with layer groups, and format your layers. Here are some of the most commonly used functions on the Layers palette:

The Layers Palette

Layer Lock - allows you to lock a layer, or specific features within a layer. Eye icon - allows you to hide a layer. You can still work on a layer even though you can't see it. The Paintbrush icon - indicates which layer is currently selected. A layer must be selected before you can make any modifications to it. To select a layer, simply click it. Selecting a layer makes it visible. Dragging a layer to either to the New/Copy Layer or Delete Layer buttons on the bottom of the palette will copy or delete the layer. You can also rearrange layers. For example, in our color circle example, the blue circle could be placed beneath the red and green circles. To do this, you simply click and drag the layer to be above or below other layers in the Layers list.