Ohio University

Computer Services Center

November, 2005
Intermediate Photoshop 8.0 (CS)
Building With Layers Layer A layer is a single piece of an
image that helps create the
Layers make it possible for you to create an total image. Think of layers
image one element at a time; then put all the like puzzles; they are
elements together. You can create many individual pieces that when
different layers for a single image, and you can put together make the whole
picture.
change each layer independently without
affecting the others. Layers are transparent, Background This is your puzzle board.
but when they are combined, their various Layer That is, this is the
components merge to create an image. All foundation of the image on
images are built upon a background layer. This which layers are put to create
layer is the foundation of an image and cannot the total image.
be deleted.

The Layers Palette

Layers Palette Use the Layers palette to
select, create, and move the
layers in an image.

Examine the Layers Palette

Palette Menu
Eye Icon

Selection Icon
Layer Style Icon
New Layer Icon
Trash Icon
Layers contain many components

Palette Menu Click-and-hold the palette

menu to change palette
options, to create or delete
layers, and to manipulate
layers.

Eye Icon Click the Eye icon in the

Layers palette to hide a
layer in the image window.
…that combine to create a finished image. The eye disappears when a
layer is hidden.

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Selection Icon Shows you which layer is
the selected or active layer.
Trash Icon Drag a layer to the Trash
icon to remove it from your
image.
New Layer Click the New Layer icon to
Icon create new layers.
Layer Style Click this icon to apply a
Icon style (effect) to a layer.
Creating a Layer
Make Layer Use the Make Layer dialog
Dialog Box box to adjust settings for a
new layer you are creating.
Each layer is given a
numbered name, such as
Layer 1, that you can rename.
There are several ways to create a new layer:
Use the New Layer button or New Layer
command on the layer menu; drag or copy and
paste selections into layers; and convert
selections into layers.
The New Layer Method
1. Click the File menu and choose Open.
2. From the Sample folder choose the ball.psd
file.
3. Go to the Layer menu and choose New.
Then choose Layer. Then delete this layer
by right-clicking on it and choosing
Delete.
4. Or choose the New Layer button in the
Layers palette. Delete this layer by
dragging it to the Trash can icon.
5. Create a new layer from the palette menu.
Delete it.
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Copy and Paste Method
1. Open the Leaf.psd image and select the
entire leaf.
2. Click Edit on the menu bar, then click
Copy.
3. Close this file.
4. Click Edit on the menu bar, then click
Paste.
View a Layer
1. Click the Eye icon on a layer to hide this
layer.
2. Click the Eye icon on a layer to show the
layer.
Move a Layer
Select a layer in the Layers palette.
Select the move tool.
Drag the layer anywhere in the image to
move it.
Rearrange the layers in the Layers palette
by dragging them up and down.
Editing a Layer
All editing occurs on the active layer. You can
use the pointing and editing tools to draw on a
layer and you can copy and paste selections to a
layer.
Working with Layers
You use blending modes to determine how the
pixels in a layer are blended with underlying
pixels on other layers. By applying different
modes, you create a variety of special effects.
Normal is the default mode. The various
blending modes available are: Normal, Soft
light, Hard light, Lighten, Darken, Hue,
Luminosity, Saturation, Color, Color Dodge,
Color Burn, Multiply, Screen, Difference,
Exclusion, Dissolve, and Overlay.
1. Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2. Below the Layers tab is Blending Mode
box. The default mode is Normal.
3. Hold the down- arrow and select a
different Blending Mode. Note that each
layer can have a different Blending Mode.
Layer Opacity
You can change the opacity of each layer using
the Opacity slider in the Layers palette. A layer
with 100% opacity appears completely opaque
and one with 1% opacity appears nearly
transparent.
1. Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2. Next to the Blending Modes box is the
Opacity box. The default is 100%.
3. Hold the down-arrow and drag the slider
to the desired opacity.
4. Click Rotate.
5. Click-and-drag any corner of the border.
6. Press Esc to cancel or Enter to commit.
Add a Lighting Effect
1. Click Filter on the menu bar and click
Render.
2. Click Lighting Effects.
3. Click the Style down-arrow, and then click
Crossing Down.
4. Click OK.
NOTE: You can "lock" layers to make certain
properties of a layer unchangeable. When a
layer is locked, a lock displays to the right of
the layer name. Then you cannot edit the
pixels, move the image, or change the opacity,
blending mode or layer style applied to that
layer.

Changing Layers Add a Layer Style

Transform Use the Transform command 1. Make sure a layer is selected.
on the Edit menu to scale, 2. Click the Styles tab in the Color palette.
skew, add perspective, or distort
an image. 3. Choose a style.
4. Click the “no style” button to return to the
Rotate Use the Rotate Command to original layer.
turn a selected image clockwise
or counterclockwise by any
number of degrees.

Render The Render filters let you

produce effects by generating
different types of patterns and
simulated light reflections.

1. Make sure you still have something

selected.
2. Click Edit on the menu bar.
3. Click Transform.

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Creating a New Image
1. Click File on the menu bar, and then click
New.
2. Type Test1 for the new file name.
Size the Image
1. Click the arrow on the second Width text
box and select inches.
2. Type 3.5 in the first Width text box.
3. Click the arrow on the second Height
menu, and select inches.
4. Type 5 in the first Height text box.
Set Image Resolution
Photoshop images are composed of units called
pixels. The greater the number of pixels per
inch, the greater the clarity, or resolution, you
achieve. It's important to consider the purpose
of your image, because the higher the
resolution, the bigger the file size. Most
computer monitors show only 72 pixels per
inch. However, if you plan to print your image,
you should increase the pixels per inch (PPI).
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PPI PPI is short for the amount of
pixels per inch.
Resolution Resolution is the number of
pixels per inch in an image.
Increasing the resolution
increases the number of pixels,
thus sharpening the image.
1. Press [TAB] until you select the first
Resolution box.
2. Type 72 (pixels).
Set Image Modes
Modes are the settings that specify how
Photoshop defines, displays and organizes
colors. The most commonly used modes are
RGB, CMYK, and Grayscale. You can change
modes, but not without some loss in image
quality.
RGB Mode RGB mode uses three basic
colors – red, green, and blue
– to create all the colors in an
image. It is used with
monitors.
CMYK Mode CMYK mode uses – cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black -
to create the colors in an
image. It is used for
printing.
Grayscale Grayscale uses varying shades
of gray to build images. It is
commonly called black and
white.
1. Click the down-arrow on the Mode text
box.
2. Click CMYK color and click OK.
Adding Text
You can add text to an image in Photoshop,
but you cannot edit the letters in the text after
they become part of the image. Before you
place the text, however, you have many choices
for selecting the font, spacing, size and color.
Photoshop creates bitmap type, which is
composed of pixels. Every time you add type,
the pixels are placed in a new, separate layer.
Default Colors The Default Colors icon in
Icon the left corner of the
toolbox sets the
foreground color to black
and the background to
white.
Type Tool Use the Type tool to create
text that can be added to
an image.
Choose a Color
1. Click the Swatches tab.
2. Click a Green color in the palette for the
foreground color.
Use the Type Tool
1. Click the Type tool in the toolbox.
2. Position the Type pointer where you want
it, and click.
Create the Text
1. Click the arrow on the Font box. Select
Courier New.
2. Click Bold in the Style section.
3. Click in the Size box and type 40.
4. Click inside the image and type TESTING!
5. Click the check mark button to add the
text.
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Adding Style to Text
You used the Type tool to create text, which
was added to the image. The Type selection
can be moved, filled, edited, or filtered like any
selection. You can use the effects or layer styles
that have already been created or you can warp
the text. You can apply styles with the Layer
menu, Style palette or the Style button.
When you spell-check a document, Photoshop
questions any words that aren't in its
dictionary. If a questioned word is spelled
correctly, you can confirm its spelling by
adding the word to the dictionary. If a
questioned word is misspelled, you can correct
it.
Check Text Spelling
1. In the Character palette, choose a language
from the pop-up menu at the bottom of
the palette. This sets the dictionary for
spell-checking.
2. Do one of the following:
• Select a type layer.
• To check specific text, select the
text.
• To check a word, place an insertion
point in the word.
3. Choose Edit > Check Spelling.
4. As Photoshop finds unfamiliar words and
other possible errors, do one of the
following:
• Click Ignore to continue checking
spelling without changing text.
Click Ignore All to ignore the
questioned word for the rest of the
spell-check.
 • To correct a misspelling, make sure
the correctly spelled word is in the
Change To text box and click
Change. If the suggested word is
not the word you want, you can
select a different word in the
Suggestions text box or enter the
word in the Change To text box.
3. Trace to and click Drop Shadow.
4. Double-click in the Distance text box,
then type 7
5. Double-click in the Spread text box, then
type 3
6. Click OK.

• To correct a repeated misspelling in

a document, make sure the
correctly spelled word is in the
Change To text box and click
Change All.

• Click Add to have Photoshop store

the unrecognized word in the
dictionary, so that subsequent
occurrences are not flagged as
misspellings.
Warping Text Layers
• If you selected a type layer and Warping allows you to distort type to conform
want to spell-check only that layer, to a variety of shapes; for example, you can
deselect Check All Layers. warp type in the shape of an arc or a wave. You
can change a layer's warp style at any time.
However, warping applies to all characters on a
Apply a Drop Shadow type layer.
Drop Use the Drop Shadow
Shadow command to add an effect to Apply a Warp
Command text or an image to appear as Warping Warping allows you to distort
though it were floating above the type in a layer to conform
the page. to a variety of shapes.
Distance Use the Distance option to Rasterize Rasterizing converts the type
Option separate the effect from an layer to a normal layer, making
image. its contents non-editable as
text.
Spread Use this option to add degrees
Option of fuzziness to the edges.
1. Select a text layer.
2. Select the Type tool and click the Warp
1. Make sure a layer is selected in the Layer button in the Options bar.
Palette.
3. Choose the Arch style from the Style pop-
2. Click the Layer menu, then trace to Layer up menu.
Style. Or, double click the layer in the
palette.
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4. For Bend, choose 30%. Specify values for 1. Click Swatches on the Layers palette.
any other options.
2. Click a Blue swatch for the foreground
5. Click OK. color.
3. Hold down the ALT button and click a
Rasterize Text Layers red swatch for the background color.
Some commands and tools – such as filter Create a Gradient
effects and painting tools - are not available for 1. Select the Linear Gradient tool.
type layers. You must rasterize the type prior
to applying the command or using the tool. 2. In the Options bar, click the drop-down
Rasterizing converts the type layer to a normal Gradient Style menu, and click
Foreground to Background.
layer and makes it impossible to edit the
contents as text. 3. Click and drag the mouse pointer from
1. Select a text layer. the left side of the selection to the right
side. Release.
2. Choose Layer, then Rasterize, and then
4. Click Select on the menu bar and click
Type.
Deselect.
3. Click OK.
5. Repeat the process using the elliptical
marquee and the Radial Gradient.
Drawing with Photoshop
Using the Pencil Tool
Fixed Size Use the Fixed Size option
Pencil Tool Use the Pencil tool to
Option in the Marquee Options create hard-edged
bar to create a selection
freehand lines in an
that is exactly the size you
image.
need.
Pencil Options Use the Pencil Options
Marquee Tool Use the Marquee tool to
define a rectangular or Bar bar to define such
features as line width
elliptical area in an image,
and opacity.
or define a vertical or
horizontal area.
[CAPS LOCK] Pressing [CAPS LOCK]
changes the pencil
Color the Rectangle Using a Gradient pointer into a crosshair.
This will give you more
Gradient A gradient is a gradual accuracy.
change from one color to
another.
1. Click the Pencil tool in the toolbox. It
Linear Click the Linear Gradient changes the Options bar.
Gradient Tool tool to begin creating 2. Click-and-drag the Opacity slider
gradual color changes in a
triangle until it reads 50%.
selection.
3. Click the Brushes drop-down menu.
4. Click the top left brush.

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5. Draw a shape with the pencil tool.
Use the Brush
1. Click the Switch Colors icon.
2. Press [Caps Lock] to change pointer to a
crosshair.
3. Position the crosshair at the top left
corner of the rectangle.
4. Hold down the SHIFT button and click-
and-drag the crosshair to the top right
corner.
5. Press [Caps Lock].
6. Click File on the menu bar, and then
click Save.
Finishing Touches
1. Click the Default Colors icon.
2. Click the Rectangular Marquee tool. It
still has a fixed size set.
3. Click anywhere in the image.
4. Click the Edit menu, then click Stroke.
5. Type 2 (pixels) in the Width text box.
6. Click the Inside in the Location section.
Click OK.
Add Text
Type Mask Tool Use the Type Mask Tool
to create a selection
border in the shape of
text. This is useful for
text that is not one color.
1. Press either Type Mask tool. (It may be
hidden behind the Type tool.)
2. Click in the Rectangle.
3. Click the Font down-arrow, then click
Times New Roman.
4. Type 40 for the font size.
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5. Click the Style drop-down menu and
choose Bold.
6. Type Rainbow in the image.
Add Gradient
1. Click the Gradient tool.
2. In the Options bar, choose the style
Transparent Rainbow.
3. Click and drag the mouse pointer from the
left of the text to the right end of the text.
Release.
4. Click the Move tool to center the text if
necessary.
Creating a Banner
1. From the File menu, choose New.
2. Make the width 3 inches and the height
2 inches. Click OK.
3. Open the Wldrnss image.
4. With the rectangular marquee, select a
portion of the image that is 3x2 inches
(or 216 x144 pixels).
5. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.
6. Click the new file to select it.
7. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.
8. Type Outdoor Banner in the Name box
of the new layer, then click OK. Or,
right-click on the layer and choose Layer
Properties to rename it.
Add Text 8. Click the Move tool. Move it Down and to
1. Click the Switch Default Colors icon; the Right.
then click the Type tool.
2. Move the Type pointer to the middle left Blend and Position
corner; then click. 1. Click the Layers tab.
3. In the Font box, click Times New 2. Click the Eye on the Outdoor layer and
Roman. select.
4. Within the Size text box, type 40 3. Click-and-drag the Opacity slider until it
5. Select Bold; then select Left alignment reads 50%.
4. Click the Move tool.
6. Click in the image; then type Outdoors.
5. Click-and-drag the Move pointer until text
7. Click the check mark to close. Use the
Move tool to center the text if desired. is centered

Create the Layers Merge and Flatten Layers

1. Click the Layers tab and click the New
Layer icon.
2. Name the layer Highlight and make it
transparent.
3. With Highlight still selected, type the word
Outdoors over again using a different
color.
4. Drag the layer below Outdoors.
5. Click the Move tool. Move it up and to
the left.
Flattening an image combines the entire layer
so any changes that are applied will affect all of
the layers. You can also flatten an image if you
want to move or copy all the layers together as
one single layer. The flattening process will
greatly reduce the size of your image file.
However, flattening an image cannot be
undone.
Merge Layers Use this command to
combine any layers shown
in the image window into
one layer.

Create Shadow Layer Flatten Layers Use this command to

1. Click the Layers palette. Click the New combine all layers and
Layer icon. Name the layer Shadow. reduce the image back to
one background layer.
2. Type Outdoors again. Only use this when
3. Click Edit; then click Fill. Click OK. completely done editing.

4. In the Use text box, click Black. Click

OK. 1. Make the layers you want to merge visible
by clicking the Eye icon in the Layers
5. Click Select; then click None. palette.
6. Click Filter, click Blur, and then click 2. Choose Layers and select Merge Visible.
Gaussian Blur.
3. Make each of the layers visible by clicking
7. Type 2 and click OK. It will ask you to first its Eye icon.
Rasterize the text. Click OK.

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The Color Replacement Tool

1. Select the Color Replacement tool.

2. Choose a brush tip in the options bar.

Generally, you'll want to keep the
blending mode set to Color.

3. For the Sampling option, choose one of

the following:

• Continuous to sample colors

continuously as you drag
• Once to replace the targeted
color only in areas containing
the color that you first click
• Background Swatch to erase
only areas containing the
current background color
4. Choose a foreground color to use to
replace the unwanted color.
5. Click the color you want to replace in
the image.
6. Drag in the image to replace the
targeted color.
Click a command row and enter a shortcut key in the
empty text box to add a new shortcut.
To define new shortcuts:
1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Choose a set of shortcuts from the Set
menu at the top of the Keyboard
Shortcuts dialog box (Photoshop
Defaults is the only option until you
create a new set).
3. Choose a shortcut type (Application
Menus, Palette Menus, or Tools) from
the Shortcuts For menu.

Customize Keyboard Shortcuts 4. In the Shortcut column of the scroll

Photoshop provides a set of default keyboard
shortcuts for commands and tools. However,
you can customize keyboard shortcuts to your
liking. You can change individual shortcuts
within a set, and define your own sets of
shortcuts.
list, select the shortcut you want to
modify.
5. Type a new shortcut. After you make
changes, the name in the Set menu is
suffixed with (modified).
If the keyboard shortcut is already
assigned to another command or tool
in the set, an alert informs you that
another command or tool has the
shortcut. Click Accept to assign the
shortcut to the new command or tool,
and to erase the previously assigned
shortcut. Once you have reassigned a

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 shortcut, you can click Undo Changes
to undo the change, or click Accept
and Go to Conflict to go to the other
command or tool and assign it a new
shortcut.
6. When you have finished changing
shortcuts, do one of the following:
• To discard all changes and exit
the dialog box, click Cancel.
• To discard the last saved change
without closing the dialog box,
click Undo.
• To return a new shortcut to the
default, click Use Default.
• To export the displayed set of
shortcuts, click Summarize. You
can use this HTML file to
display in a Web browser.
To define a new set of shortcuts:
1. Do one of the following:
• To create a new set before you
change default shortcuts, click
the New Set button before
you begin changing shortcuts.
• To create a new set that
includes any modifications
you've made, click the New Set
button after you're done
changing shortcuts.
2. Save the shortcuts as a file. Enter a
name for the new set in the Name text
box, and click Save. The new key set
will appear in the pop-up menu under
the new name.
To clear shortcuts from a command or tool:
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1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. In the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box,
select the command or tool name
whose shortcut you want to delete.
3. Click Delete Shortcut.
To delete an entire set of shortcuts:
1. Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. In the Set pop-up menu, choose the
shortcut set that you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete Set button and then
OK to exit the dialog box.
Convert & Print Images
File format refers to the way Photoshop saves
images to a disk or hard drive. The file format
you use to save images depends largely upon
how you plan to use your image. Photoshop
supports 22 different file formats. You can
save one image in many different formats to be
used for different purposes: one for the
Internet, one for printing, and so on.
Common File Formats
PSD PSD is the native format for
Photoshop. It is the only format that
saves layers, masks, and channels
GIF GIF is a compression format and is
the most popular for saving images
that will be used on the World Wide
Web.
JPEG JPEG is the best format to use if you
want the highest image quality
possible. This format also
compresses the image.
Save As JPEG
We are creating a page for a magazine on the
World Wide Web. We need to save images for
that format.
1. Click File on the menu bar, then click Save
As.
2. Click the down-arrow on the Format Type
text box.
3. Click JPEG and click Save.
4. Click High option in the JPEG Options
box; then click OK.
Printing Images
You can define many different printing options
using Page Setup. You can define the size of
the paper you are using, reduce or enlarge the
printed image, and specify the orientation on
the page. You can add a border around a
printed image or add a background color
around a printed image.
Set up the Page
1. Click File on the menu bar; then click
Page Setup.
2. Click the Border button.
3. Type 2 in the first Width text box.
4. Click OK.
Learn about Printing
One of the reasons you may work with
Photoshop is to create images for printing. For
this reason, it is important to take a brief look
at printing with Photoshop.
Print Quality Use the Print Quality
Text Box text box to determine
the quality of the
printed image. You can
choose High, Medium,
or Draft.
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Print As Options Select one of the Print
As options to tell the
printer in what mode to
print the image.
Print the Image
1. Click File on the menu bar; then click
Print.
2. Click OK.
Conversion to GIF
GIF is the file format commonly used to
display images on the Web. You can save an
image in the GIF format with transparency or
without transparency. When changing the file
to GIF format, Photoshop will also change the
image mode to "Indexed color." These images
can contain up to 256 colors.
1. From the File menu open the
wildrnss.psd file if it is not open.
2. From the File menu choose Save For
Web.
3. In the Optimize panel, select GIF Web
Palette settings.
4. The File Format should be GIF and the
Color Reduction should be Web.
5. Click OK.
GIF with Transparency
To convert a file to GIF with transparency, the
original image must contain transparent pixels.
If the background layer is not transparent, then
it should be hidden by clicking on the eye icon
next to that layer. The conversion process will
also flatten the layers for you.
1. From the File menu open the leaf.psd file
if it is not open.
2. From the File menu choose Save For
Web.
3. In the Optimize panel, select GIF Web
Palette settings.
4. The File Format should be GIF and the
Color Reduction should be Web.
5. Make sure that Transparency is checked.
This only shows up for pictures that are
partly transparent.
6. Click OK.

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