What are the 'layers' in Adobe Photoshop?

Question

I'm only learning, so please, no sarcasm. :)

Answer 1

Imagine transparent sheets, each with a little bit of a picture drawn on them...for example a picture might be of a man holding a ball in a park. There would be three layers of transparent sheets, one with the man, another with the ball and another with the park background. The background would be at the back, the man in the middle and the ball on the top. They are ordered so that the the further back in the picture they are, the lower down on the pile they are....so things at the front (the ball) are on the top layer.

This is the basic principle of layering in photoshop or in any other non-computer design situation.

The reason for it so that depths of an image can be changed - for example the ball in the above example is currently on top of the pile as the man is holding it, so its in front of him. However, if we wanted to move the ball behind him, for example at the floor behind his feet, all we have to do is drag the ball down a bit and switch the layer so the man layer is now on top of the pile. Get it?

There are many other reasons for using layers that you'll discover as you get further into photoshop (such as applying effects to individual layers, or grouping layers) but this is the basic principle.

I hope that helps!

Answer 2

A layer is just each "piece" of your image. If you have a photo and text, they will be one layer each. The layers are viewed on your layers pallette - This holds each individual element for editing in your file. The layers pallete lets you control what is seen below each element.

Example, if you want to put text over a photo, you will select the text tool and then click on the image area and it will open a "text" layer. If you need to change the text, you do so in this layer and it doesn't change you photo or the image below it.

You can move the layers on top or below each other simply by dragging and dropping them in your layers pallette. What you do to one layer does not effect the other layers. It's a great tool! Be sure to play with the opacity tool and the filters. That's the best way to learn it is just to play with it.

Tip: Name your layers and don't flatten. Should you ever need to go back and change something or pull an element from a file, it's much easier. To avoid flattening (if you can't use a layered tif) save the file as a psd and the do a save as for whatever file format you need.

Here is a pretty good tutorial - a little outdated, but the concept is still the same. The visual is a bit different on OSX.
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm

I've been using Photoshop for as long as I can remember (I remember the original one!) and I learn a new trick with every project, so don't get frustrated and try to learn it all at once. It really does come with just "doing". ;-)

Enjoy!

Answer 3

An easy way to think about layers is to imagine that you're drawing on a sheet of clear plastic, the kind used on overhead projectors. You can draw different things on several different sheets, then stack them up, and it will look like one picture.

A Photoshop image with layers is like a stack of plastic sheets. You can put parts of an image on different layers, and then do things to one layer that don't affect the others. For instance, when you paste something into an image, it automatically forms a new layer; you can then move the pasted object around, fiddle with it, change how it looks, etc. Then, using the "Merge" command in the layer window, you can embed the object in the background permanently. Layers are really good for adding text.

Answer 4

Layers are analogous to sheets of transparent acetate (each containing separate elements that make up a combined picture), stacked on top of each other, each capable of being individually positioned, altered and blended with the layers below, without affecting any of the elements on the other layers. This is a fundamental workflow which has become the norm for the majority of programs on the market today, and enables maximum flexibility for the user whilst maintaining non-destructive editing principles and ease of use.

Answer 5

Layers are layers on the photofraph or an image. For instance, background is one layer and foreground is another. Layers are b eing used so user can editing each layer separately and thus modifying layers in order to get one final image when all layers are put in place.

Answer 6

You can imagine layers to be multiple images laid one on top of the other, which you can edit seperately, but in the end give a single image.

The Photoshop Help file can really help with any queries. It's very detailed and easy to understand.

Answer 7

it could help it you informed us what adobe cs3 product you acquire... flash, extra advantageous, after consequences, photoshop, dreamweaver, illustrator. perhaps you may desire to re-ask the question.

Answer 8

you can compare them with sheets one on another one and so on are layers on each layer you can design yourself

Answer 9

It depends on what picture you have that you are designing and what you did with that picture.