Converting a background to a layer

When you create a new file with background contents of white or a background color, scan an image into Elements, or open a stock photo or a file from a CD or your digital camera, you basically have a file with just a background. There are no layers yet.

An image contains at most one background, and you can’t do much to it besides paint on it and make basic adjustments. You can’t move the background or change its transparency or blend mode. How do you get around all these limitations? Convert your background into a layer by following these easy steps:

1. Choose Window ⇒ Layers to display the Layers panel.

   The Layers panel is explained in detail in the following section.

2. Double-click Background on the Layers panel.

   Or choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer From Background.

3. Name the layer or leave it at the default name of Layer 0.

   You can also adjust the blend mode and opacity of the layer in the New Layer dialog box. Or you can do it via the Layers panel commands later.

   You can also color-code your layers (but not your Background), which lets you better visually distinguish your layers within the Layers panel. If you decide to do it later, simply right-click (Control-click on the Mac) and choose a color from the contextual menu.

4. Click OK.

   Elements converts your background into a layer, known also as an image layer.

   When you create a new image with transparent background contents, the image doesn’t contain a background but instead is created with a single layer.

Anatomy of the Layers panel

Elements keeps layers controlled with a panel named, not surprisingly, the Layers panel. To display the Layers panel, choose Window ⇒ Layers in the Photo Editor in Expert mode. (Figure 9-2 shows you what you can expect.)

The order of the layers on the Layers panel represents the order in the image. We refer to this concept in the computer graphics world as the stacking order. The top layer on the panel is the top layer in your image, and so on. Depending on what you’re doing, you can work on a single layer or on multiple layers at one time. Here are some tips for working with the Layers panel:

• Select a layer. Click a layer name or its thumbnail. Elements highlights the active layer on the panel.
• Select multiple contiguous layers. Click your first layer and then Shift-click your last layer.
• Select multiple noncontiguous layers. Ctrl-click (⌘  -click on the Mac) your desired layers.

• View and hide layers. To hide a layer, click the eye icon for that layer and the layer disappears. To redisplay the layer, click the blank space in the eye column. You can also hide all the layers except one by selecting your desired layer and Alt-clicking (Option-clicking on the Mac) the eye icon for that layer. Redisplay all layers by Alt-clicking (Option-clicking on the Mac) the eye icon again. Hiding all the layers except the one you want to edit can be helpful in allowing you to focus without the distraction of all the other imagery.

  Only layers that are visible are printed. This can be useful if you want to have several versions of an image (each on a separate layer) for a project within the same file.

• Select the actual element (the nontransparent pixels) on the layer. Ctrl-click (⌘  -click on the Mac) the layer’s thumbnail (not the name) on the panel.
• Create a new blank layer. Click the Create a New Layer icon at the top of the panel.
• Create a new group. Elements enables you to better organize your layers by incorporating layer groups. Think of a layer group as the digital version of an analog manila folder. Select your desired files and drag them into a group folder. You can expand or collapse layer groups to see or hide their contents. When collapsed, layer groups are a nice way to avoid endless scrolling in a file with many layers. Layer groups also let you apply opacity settings, blend modes, and layer styles to a group of layers at a time.

• To create a layer group, click the Create a New Group icon (the stacked layers icon) at the top of the Layers panel. You can also select New Group from the Layers panel pop-up menu or choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Group. The latter two methods prompt you for a group name in addition to a few other options (similar to regular layers). You can color-code your group and specify a blend mode and opacity setting. The default mode is Pass Through, which lets the blend modes applied to the individual layers remain intact (for more on blend modes, see Chapter 12). If you select any other mode, that mode overrides all the layers in the group. After you create your group, drag your layers into the group folder in the Layers panel. To collapse or expand the group, click the triangle icon to the left of the group icon. As with regular layers, you can select, duplicate, show, hide, lock, and rearrange layer groups.

  A couple other tips:

  • You can create a layer group from selected layers. Select the layers that you want to be in a group, and then select New Group from Layers from the Layers panel pop-up menu or choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Group from Layers. Name the group in the dialog box that appears and click OK.
  • You can merge layer groups. Select the group and select Merge Group from the Layers panel pop-up menu or choose Layer ⇒ Merge Group. You can rename your group by double-clicking the group name in the Layers panel.
• Add a layer mask. Click the Add Layer Mask icon at the top of the panel. A layer mask enables you to selectively show and hide elements or adjustments on your layer, as well as creatively blend layers together. For more details, see “Adding Layer Masks,” later in this chapter.
• Create an Adjustment layer. Click the Create a New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon at the top of the panel. Adjustment layers are special layers that modify contrast and color in your image. You can also add fill layers — layers containing color, gradients, or patterns — by using this command. We give you more details on adjustment and fill layers in the section “Working with Different Layer Types,” later in this chapter.
• Duplicate an existing layer. Drag the layer to the Create a New Layer icon at the top of the panel.

• Rearrange layers. To move a layer to another position in the stacking order, drag the layer up or down on the Layers panel. While you drag, you see a fist icon. Release the mouse button when a highlighted line appears where you want to insert the layer.

  If your image has a background, it always remains the bottommost layer. If you need to move the background, convert it to a layer by double-clicking the name on the Layers panel. Enter a name for the layer and click OK.

• Rename a layer. When you create a new layer, Elements provides default layer names (Layer 1, Layer 2, and so on). If you want to rename a layer, double-click the layer name on the Layers panel and enter the name directly on the Layers panel.
• Adjust the interaction between colors on layers and adjust the transparency of layers. You can use the blend modes and the opacity options at the top of the panel to mix the colors between layers and adjust the transparency of the layers, as shown in Figure 9-3. For more on blend modes, see Chapter 12.

  

• Link layers. Sometimes you want your layers to stay grouped as a unit to make your editing tasks easier. If so, link your layers by selecting your desired layers in the panel and then clicking the Link/Unlink Layers icon on any one of the selected layers. To remove the link, click the Link/Unlink Layers icon again.

• Lock layers. Select your desired layer or layers and then click one of the two lock icons at the top of the panel. The checkerboard square icon locks all transparent areas of your layers. This lock prevents you from painting or editing any transparent areas on the layers. The lock icon locks your entire layer and prevents it from being changed in any way, including moving or transforming the elements on the layer. You can, however, still make selections on the layer. To unlock the layer, simply click the icon again to toggle off the lock.

  By default, the background is locked and can’t be unlocked until you convert it into a layer by choosing Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer from Background.

• Delete a layer. Drag it to the Trash icon.

Using the Layer and Select menus

As with many features in Elements, you usually have more than one way to do something. This is especially true when it comes to working with layers. Besides the commands on the Layers panel, you have two layer menus — the Layer menu and the Select menu — both of which you can find on the main menu bar at the top of the application window (top of the screen on the Mac).

Image layers

The image layer, usually just referred to as a layer, is the type of layer we’re referring to when we give the analogy of acetate sheets in the section “Getting to Know Layers,” earlier in this chapter. You can create blank layers and add images to them, or you can create layers from images themselves. You can have as many image layers as your computer’s memory allows.

The more layers you have, the larger your file size and the longer it takes to save and open your file.

Each layer in an image can be edited without affecting the other layers. You can move, paint, size, or apply a filter, for example, without disturbing a single pixel on any other layer or on the background, for that matter. And when an element is on a layer, you no longer have to make a selection to select it — just drag the element with the Move tool. If, however, you want only part of that layer, you need to make a selection. (See Chapter 8 for information on selections.)

Adjustment layers

An Adjustment layer is a special kind of layer used for modifying color and contrast; Figure 9-4 shows an example. The advantage of using Adjustment layers for your corrections, rather than applying them directly on the image layer, is that you can apply the corrections without permanently affecting the pixels. This means that Adjustment layers are totally nondestructive. And because the correction is on a layer, you can edit, or even delete, the adjustment at any time. Adjustment layers apply the correction only to all the layers below them without affecting any of the layers above them.

Another unique feature of Adjustment layers is that when you create one, you also create a layer mask on that layer at the same time. If you’re unfamiliar with layer masks, take a peek at the section “Adding Layer Masks,” later in this chapter. The layer mask allows you to selectively and even partially apply the adjustment to the layers below it by applying shades of gray — from white to black — on the mask. By default, the mask is completely white, which allows the adjustment to be fully applied to the layers. If you paint on a layer mask with black, the areas under those black areas don’t show the adjustment. If you paint with a shade of gray, those areas partially show the adjustment. Note: If you have an active selection border in your image before you add an Adjustment layer, the adjustment is applied only to that area within the selection border.

Elements has eight kinds of Adjustment layers, and you can use as many as you want. These are the same adjustments that you find on the Enhance ⇒ Adjust Lighting, Enhance ⇒ Adjust Color, and Filter ⇒ Adjustments submenus. For specifics on each adjustment, see Chapters 10 and 11. Here’s how to create an Adjustment layer:

1. Open an image that needs a little contrast or color adjustment.

   You don’t need to convert your background into a layer to apply an Adjustment layer.

2. Click the Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon at the top of the Layers panel, and from the drop-down list, choose your desired adjustment.

   The Adjustment layer icon and a thumbnail appear on the adjustment layer. The thumbnail represents the layer mask. And the dialog box specific to your adjustment appears in the Adjustments panel.

3. Make the necessary adjustments in the particular Adjustments panel.

   To selectively allow only portions of your image to receive the adjustment, you can paint on the layer mask using the Brush or Pencil tool. Or you can make a selection and fill that selection with any shade of gray, from white to black. Another technique is to use the Gradient tool on the mask to create a gradual application of the adjustment, as shown in Figure 9-5.

As with image layers, you can adjust the opacity and blend modes of an Adjustment layer. Reducing the opacity of an adjustment layer reduces the effect of the adjustment on the underlying layers.

Here are a few more tips on using adjustment layers:

• To view your image without the adjustment, click the eye icon in the left column of the Layers panel to hide the Adjustment layer.
• To delete the Adjustment layer, drag it to the Trash icon on the Layers panel.
• To edit an Adjustment layer, simply double-click the Adjustment layer on the Layers panel. In the Adjustments panel, make any desired edits. The only Adjustment layer that you can’t edit is the Invert adjustment. It’s either on or off.
• To use the adjustment panel controls, click an icon (shown in Figure 9-4 at the bottom of the Hue/Saturation window). From left to right, here’s what the icons do:
  • Have the Adjustment layer clip to the layer below. (It will affect only the layer directly beneath it, not all the underlying layers in the stack.)
  • Toggle the Adjustment layer on and off.
  • Reset the Adjustment layer settings back to the default.

Fill layers

A fill layer lets you add a layer of solid color, a gradient, or a pattern. Like adjustment layers, fill layers also include layer masks. You can edit, rearrange, duplicate, delete, and merge fill layers similarly to adjustment layers. You can blend fill layers with other layers by using the opacity and blend mode options on the Layers panel. Finally, you can restrict the fill layer to just a portion of your image by either making a selection first or painting on the mask later.

Follow these steps to create a fill layer:

1. Open an image.

   Use an image that will look good with a frame or border of some kind. Remember that if you don’t have a selection, the fill layer covers your whole image.

2. Click the Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon on the Layers panel. From the drop-down list, choose a fill of a solid color, gradient, or pattern.

   The dialog box specific to your type of fill appears.

3. Specify your options, depending on the fill type you chose in Step 2:
   • Solid Color: Choose your desired color from the Color Picker. See Chapter 13 for details on choosing colors and also gradients and patterns.
   • Gradient: Click the down-pointing arrow to choose a preset gradient from the drop-down panel, or click the gradient preview to display the Gradient Editor and create your own gradient.
   • Pattern: Select a pattern from the drop-down panel. Enter a value to scale your pattern, if you want. Click Snap to Origin to make the origin of the pattern the same as the origin of the document. Select the Link with Layer option to specify that the pattern moves with the fill layer if you move that layer.

4. Click OK.

   The fill layer appears on the Layers panel, as shown in Figure 9-6. Notice the layer mask that was created on the fill layer. We filled our entire layer mask with black, with just the exception of the outside edge to create a frame around our image.

Shape layers

If you haven’t made your way to Chapter 13 yet, you may be surprised to discover that Elements also lets you draw shapes with seven different drawing tools. These shapes have the bonus of being vector-based. This means that the shapes are defined by mathematical equations, which consist of points and paths, instead of pixels. The advantage of vector-based objects is that you can freely resize these objects without causing degradation. In addition, they’re always printed with smooth edges, not with the jaggies you’re familiar with seeing in pixel-based elements.

To create a shape layer, grab a shape tool from the Tools panel and drag it on your canvas. When you create a shape, it resides on its own, unique shape layer, as shown by the yin-and-yang logo in the bottom-left corner of Figure 9-6. As with other types of layers, you can adjust the blend modes and opacity of a shape layer. You can also edit, move, and transform the actual shapes. However, to apply filters, you must first simplify the shape layer by choosing Layer ⇒ Simplify Layer. This process converts the vector paths to pixels.

Type layers

To add words to your images (refer to Figure 9-6), click your canvas with the Type tool selected and just type. It’s really as easy as that. Well, you can specify options, such as a font family and size, in the Tool Options, but when you click the Commit button on the image window, you create a type layer. On the Layers panel, the type layer displays a T icon. For details on working with type, check out Chapter 14.

Creating a new layer from scratch

If you’re creating a new, blank file, you can select the Transparent option for your background contents. Your new file is created with a transparent layer and is ready to go. If you have an existing file and want to create a new, blank layer, here are the ways to do so:

• Click the Create a New Layer icon at the top of the Layers panel.
• Choose New Layer from the Layers panel menu.
• Choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer.

If you create a layer by using either of the menu commands, you’re presented with a dialog box with options. In that dialog box, you can name your layer and specify options for creating a clipping mask, color coding, blending, and adjusting opacity. Provide a name for your layer and click OK. You can always adjust the other options directly on the Layers panel later.

You can also use the Copy and Paste commands without even creating a blank layer first. When you copy and paste a selection without a blank layer, Elements automatically creates a new layer from the pasted selection. A better method of copying and pasting between multiple images, however, is to use the drag-and-drop method, which we describe in the section “Dragging and dropping layers,” later in this chapter.

The Copy Merged command on the Edit menu creates a merged copy of all visible layers within the selection.

After you create your layer, you can put selections or other elements on that layer by doing one or more of the following:

• Paint: Grab a painting tool, such as the Brush or Pencil, and paint on the layer.
• Copy a selection: Make a selection on another layer or on the background within the same document, or from another image entirely, and then choose Edit ⇒ Copy. Select your new, blank layer on the Layers panel and then choose Edit ⇒ Paste.
• Cut a selection: Make a selection on another layer or on the background within the same document, or from another image, and then choose Edit ⇒ Cut. Select your new, blank layer and then choose Edit ⇒ Paste. Be aware that this action removes that selection from its original location and leaves a transparent hole, as shown in Figure 9-7.

If you cut a selection from a Background instead of an image layer, the space isn’t a transparent hole; it’s filled with the background color.

Using Layer via Copy and Layer via Cut

Another way to create a layer is to use the Layer via Copy and Layer via Cut commands on the Layer menu’s New submenu. Make a selection on a layer or background and choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer via Copy or Layer via Cut. Elements automatically creates a new layer and puts the copied or cut selection on the layer. Remember that if you use the Layer via Cut command, your selection is deleted from its original location layer, and you’re left with a transparent hole when cutting from an image layer. If you use the background for the source, your background color fills the space. A reminder: You can use these two commands only within the same image. You can’t use them among multiple images.

Duplicating layers

Duplicating layers can be helpful if you want to protect your original image while experimenting with a technique. If you don’t like the results, you can always delete the duplicate layer. No harm, no foul.

To duplicate an existing layer, select it on the Layers panel and do one of four things:

• Drag the layer to the Create a New Layer icon at the top of the panel. Elements creates a duplicate layer with Copy appended to the name of the layer.
• Choose Duplicate Layer from the Layers panel menu.
• Choose Layer ⇒ Duplicate Layer.
• Choose Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer via Copy. (Make sure you don’t have an active selection when choosing this command.)

If you use the menu methods, with the exception of Layer ⇒ New ⇒ Layer via Copy, a dialog box appears, asking you to name your layer and specify other options. Provide a name for your layer and click OK. You can specify the other options later if you want.

Dragging and dropping layers

The most efficient way to copy and paste layers between multiple images is to use the drag-and-drop method. Why? Because it bypasses your Clipboard, which is the temporary storage area on your computer for copied data. Storing data, especially large files, can bog down your system. By keeping your Clipboard clear of data, your system operates more efficiently.

If you already copied data and it’s lounging on your Clipboard, choose Edit ⇒ Clear ⇒ Clipboard Contents to empty your Clipboard.

Here’s how to drag and drop layers from one file to another:

1. In your first (or source) file, select your desired layer in the Layers panel.
2. Grab the Move tool (the four-headed arrow) from the Tools panel.

3. Drag and drop the layer onto your second (or destination) file.

   The dropped layer pops in as a new layer above the active layer in the image. You don’t need to have a selection border to copy the entire layer. But if you want to copy just a portion of the layer, make your selection before you drag and drop with the Move tool. If you want the selected element to be centered on the destination file, press the Shift key while you drag and drop.

If you have several elements (that aren’t touching each other) on one layer and you want to select only one of the elements to drag and drop, use the Lasso tool to make a crude selection around the object without touching any of the other elements. Then press the Ctrl (⌘   on the Mac) key and press the up-arrow key once. The element then becomes perfectly selected. You can now drag and drop with the Move tool.

Using the Paste into Selection command

The Paste into Selection command lets you put an image on a separate layer while also inserting that image into a selection border. For example, in Figure 9-8, we use this command to make it appear as though our surfer is in the water.

You can do the same by following these steps:

1. Create a new blank layer and then make your desired selection on the layer in your destination image.

   In our figure, we selected the area in the water where the surfer would be positioned.

2. Select the image that will fill that selection.

   We selected a surfer from another image.

3. Choose Edit ⇒ Copy.

   Return to the destination image blank layer and choose Edit ⇒ Paste into Selection.

   The pasted selection is visible only inside the selection border. Position your pasted selection as desired and then choose Select ⇒ Deselect. In our example, the surfer shows only inside the selected area. Parts of his feet were positioned outside the selection border to make him appear as if he is really in the water.

Flattening layers

To flatten an image, follow these steps:

1. Make certain that all layers you want to retain are visible.

   If you have any hidden layers, Elements asks whether you want to discard those hidden layers.

   It’s always good insurance to save a copy of an image with layers while flattening another copy. You just never know — you may need to make edits at a later date.

2. Choose Flatten Image from the Layers panel menu or the Layer menu.

   All your layers are combined into a single background, as shown in Figure 9-10.

   If you mistakenly flatten your image, choose Edit ⇒ Undo or use your Undo History panel. (If you’re not familiar with the History panel, see Chapter 1 for details.)

Merging layers

Unlike flattening layers, where all layers get combined into a single Background, you can choose to merge just a few layers. Also, remember, when you do choose to merge all your layers, they combine into a single layer versus a Background.

You can merge your layers in a few ways. Here’s how:

• Select only those layers you want to merge. Choose Merge Layers from the Layers panel menu or the Layer menu.
• Display only those layers you want to merge. Click the eye icon on the Layers panel to hide those layers you don’t want to merge. Choose Merge Visible from the Layers panel menu or the Layer menu.
• Arrange the layers you want to merge so that they’re adjacent on the Layers panel. Select the topmost layer of that group and choose Merge Down from the Layers panel menu or the Layer menu. Merge Down merges your active layer with the layer directly below it.