Adobe Photoshop Layers

MasterPhotoshop CS4 with this visual, hands-on guide to using layers, under the expert guidance of digital imaging specialist Richard Lynch. Layers, Photoshop's most powerful feature, is the core of a nondestructive image-editing workflow. Step-by-step instructions and practical examples illustrate how to. * Polish: correct and enhance color, fix composition problems, and repair damage or flaws * Manipulate: isolate image areas for changes, adjustments and experimental concepts * Understand: use all forms of layer blending, including transparency, clipping masks, opacity/fill, layer masks, layer modes, channel targeting, Blend If, and Effects/Styles The accompanying DVD comes complete with a generous library of practical actions based on techniques from the book that add functional power to Photoshop, along with practice images for all the exercises in the book. This focused, highly accurate, comprehensive, and practical guide offers invaluable advice for all users of Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Covering Photoshop CS3, this work shows designers how to create, correct, and control with layers, the most powerful tool in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Featuring step-by-step instructions and practical examples, this guide includes a CD-ROM with a robust library and presets of practice images.

Photoshop’s adjustment and fill layers give you an amazing level of control and are the building blocks of innumerable techniques. In this definitive resource, Scott Valentine demonstrates how to use these simple but powerful tools through approachable hands-on examples, and he calls on other Photoshop experts to share their techniques. Whether you’re a professional or hobbyist, you’ll learn techniques that give you an edge in technical, personal, and commercial projects. Beginning and intermediate users of Photoshop will learn how adjustment and fill layers work and get up to speed on the most common techniques. Advanced users will find indispensable reference material in addition to speedy solutions to vexing problems. More than just a collection of effects and recipes, The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop explains why the techniques work and how to tune them for your specific needs. Powerful tips and techniques from industry experts, including Katrin Eismann, Pete Collins, and Corey Barker Straightforward teaching style from a veteran Photoshop user Richly illustrated with examples of over two-dozen techniques covering photography, compositing, and illustration Quick-reference guide to every fill and adjustment layer with before-and-after images for easy comparison Downloadable reference files and actions to explore and enhance your creativity (on the companion website)

Photoshop CC is truly amazing, but it can also be overwhelming if you’re just getting started. This book makes learning Photoshop as easy as possible by explaining things in a friendly, conversational style—without technical jargon. After a thorough introduction to the program, you’ll delve deep into Photoshop’s secrets with expert tips and practical editing advice you can use every day. The important stuff you need to know: Learn your way around. Take a tour of Photoshop’s workspace and learn how to customize it. Unlock the magic. Use layers, masks, and Smart Objects to safely edit your images. Perfect your photos. Learn techniques for cropping, color-correcting, retouching, and combining photos. Master color. Drain, change, and add color; create gorgeous black-and-whites, partial-color effects, and duotones. Be artistic. Create illustrations, paintings, and pro-level text; use filters effectively, edit video, and create 3D art. Share your work. Produce great-looking images for print, presentations, and the Web. Work smarter and faster. Automate common chores and install plug-ins for complex tasks.

Photoshop's layers are arguably the most powerful aspect of the software's user interface and are the key to successful image editing in Photoshop. Layers allow for both global and local adjustments to images and can be used to create a number of special effects. Best of all, layers allow for nondestructive editing of your original image. New Photoshop users often see layers as too complicated, and they miss out on the program's full potential. This book will remove the confusion factor by providing an in-depth introduction to layers. Clear, step-by-step instructions and illustrations help the reader quickly master the tools that are relevant for photographers. In this book you will learn about: Working with and building multiple layers Blending layers and which Options to use Using layers to enhance and retouch your images Creating and using layer masks Creating luminosity and saturation layer masks Using Smart Objects and Smart Filters Advanced layer techniques Time-saving shortcuts, tips, and tricks

Learn to harness the full power of layers and selections in Photoshop—and let your creativity soar!

Learning the basics of Photoshop is an admirable feat. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where most people end their Photoshop journey: with a fundamental appreciation of the program and the ability to execute a few helpful techniques. But without a full understanding of and capability with layers and selections—arguably Photoshop’s most powerful tools—you’re leaving the vast majority of Photoshop’s power and potential untapped.

The Photoshop Layers and Selections Workshop is here to change all that. In this book, photographer and bestselling author Glyn Dewis focuses on these two key features of Photoshop, knowing that if you can learn and master them, you’ll have everything you need to maximize Photoshop’s potential, bring out the best in your work, and harness your full creativity.

In this book, you will:

• Start off with a detailed breakdown of the Photoshop Home screen and Workspace, including how to best set it up for your way of working.

• Grow your understanding of layers and learn how to maximize their potential in your selections workflow.

• Conquer selections and cutouts by mastering the use of tools including Select and Mask, the Pen Tool, Channel Pulls, Vector Masks, Color Range, and more.

• Learn how to make and fake the best possible hair and fur selections.

• Work your way through three selections workflows, combining tools and techniques to get the very best possible results.

• Learn some of Glyn's favorite Photoshop techniques in a bonus chapter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: The Photoshop Workspace
Chapter 2: Layers
Chapter 3: Selections and 101
Chapter 4: Selection Tools
Chapter 5: The Pen Tool and Vector Masks
Chapter 6: Select and Mask
Chapter 7: Sky Replacement
Chapter 8: Cleaning Up Selections
Chapter 9: Selection Workflows
Chapter 10: Bonus Content

An essential guide to the nuts and bolts of what Layers - Photoshop's most powerful tool - can do within the entire process of successful image correction and control

The simplest, easiest, and quickest ways to learn over 250 Photoshop tips, tricks, and techniques! Scott Kelby, the world’s #1 best-selling photography technique books author, is back with a totally updated and revised new edition of his bestselling book How Do I Do That In Photoshop? This book presents an entirely new concept in Photoshop books—one that’s designed from the ground up to get you straight to whatever it is you need to do in Photoshop right now, get your answer fast, and get you back to editing your images in Photoshop. Photoshop has so much depth and so many features, tools, and filters that sometimes the things you need are…well…kinda hidden or not really obvious. In fact, there will probably be a lot of times when you need to get something done in Photoshop, and you know Photoshop can do it (because Photoshop can literally do just about anything), but you have no idea where Adobe hid that feature, or what the “secret handshake” or shortcut is to do that thing you need to do right now. That’s why this book was created: to quickly get you to the technique, the shortcut, the setting, or exactly the right thing, so you can do what you need to do right now.

Here’s how it works: When you need to know how to do a particular thing, you turn to the chapter where it would be found (Layers, Printing, Masking, Special Effects, etc.), find the thing you need to do (it’s easy; each page covers just one single topic), and Scott tells you exactly how to do it just like he was sitting there beside you, using the same casual style as if he were telling a friend. That way, you get back to editing your images fast. This isn’t a book of theory, full of confusing jargon and detailed multistep concepts. This is a book on which button to click, which setting to use, and exactly how and when to use it, so you’re never “stuck” in Photoshop again. This will be your “go-to” book that sits within reach any time you’re working in Photoshop, and you are going to love having this type of help right at your fingertips. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: How to Get Around Like a Pro Chapter 2: How to Use Photoshop’s Tools Chapter 3: How to Use Camera Raw Like a Boss Chapter 4: How to Use Camera Raw’s AI-Powered Masking Tools Chapter 5: How to Crop, Resize & Stuff Like That Chapter 6: How to Work with Layers Chapter 7: How to Adjust Your Image Chapter 8: How to Remove, Add & Change Stuff Chapter 9: How to Make Beautiful Prints Chapter 10: How to Do the Most Popular Special Effects Chapter 11: How to Sharpen Your Images Chapter 12: Other Stuff You’ll Want to Know