17. Fun with Layers

Now that you’re familiar with many of the basic controls in Photoshop, it’s time to learn some fun ways to manipulate the content of your layers. In this chapter, you will learn how to clip (hide the visibility of) multiple layers using a mask, blend pixels between layers using advanced controls, apply transformation commands to a layer (including normal and Content-Aware scaling), apply the Liquify filter, and apply the Warp command.

Note: For faster previewing of your Liquify, Warp, and transform edits, make sure Use Graphics Processor is checked in Edit/Photoshop > Preferences > Performance before opening your file.

To create a clipping mask:

1. On the Layers panel, make sure the layers to be clipped are listed consecutively. The base layer can be a type, image, or shape layer or a Smart Object; stack it below the layers to be clipped.A

2. Do either of the following:

Click a layer to be clipped, or Shift-click multiple layers to be clipped (not the base layer) (A), then press Ctrl-Alt-G/Cmd-Option-G (B–C).

To clip one layer at a time, Alt-click/Option-click the line between two layers (pointer), or right-click one of the layers to be clipped (not the base layer) and choose Create Clipping Mask.

3. Optional: To include more layers in the mask, either restack them between existing layers in the mask or repeat the preceding step.

4. Optional: You can reposition one or more selected layers in the clipping mask with the Move tool (V). To link two or more clipped layers so they can be moved more easily as a unit, select their listings, then click the Link Layers button. Click the listing for one of the linked layers, then with the Move tool, drag in the document.D To unlink the layers, select them, then click the Link Layers button.

To use grouped layers in a clipping mask, all the layers (including the base layer) must be in the group.

When you release a layer from a clipping mask, any and all of the masked layers above it are also released.

To release one or more layers from a clipping mask:

Do either of the following:

Alt-click/Option-click the line below the layer to be released.

Click a layer to be released (not the base layer), then press Ctrl-Alt-G/Cmd-Option-G.

To release an entire clipping mask:

Alt-click/Option-click the line above the base layer.

Click the layer directly above the base layer, then press Ctrl-Alt-G/Cmd-Option-G.

To merge clipped layers, see pages 164–165.

To blend a duplicate, edited layer with the original one:

1. On the Layers panel, click an image layer, then press Ctrl-J/Cmd-J to duplicate it.

2. Apply some creative edits to the duplicate layer, such as some brush strokes or a filter or two from the Filter menu (to learn about the Filter Gallery, see pages 358–359).

Note: If you want to apply a filter as an editable Smart Filter (see page 360), right-click the duplicate image layer and choose Convert to Smart Object before going to the Filter menu.A

3. Keep the duplicate layer or Smart Object selected, then on the Layers panel, do either or both of the following:

Choose a different blending mode. Or if you want to cycle through the blending modes, press Shift - – or Shift- +.

Lower the layer Opacity percentage to make the layer semitransparent.B–C

The Advanced Blending options in the Layer Style dialog let you control how a layer blends with underlying layers. Here we focus on the Blend If sliders.

To choose blending options for a layer:

1. Double-click next to the name of a layer or layer group on the Layers panel.A–B

2. The Layer Style dialog opens (Blending Options should be selected in the upper left). Check Preview.

The first three controls — Blend Mode, Opacity, and Fill Opacity — are the same as on the Layers panel. (The Fill Opacity changes the layer opacity without altering the opacity of any layer effects. To learn about layer effects, see Chapter 20.)

3. Use the Blend If sliders to control which pixels in the current layer stay visible and which pixels from the underlying layer show through the current layer:

Move the black This Layer slider to the right to drop out shadow areas from the current layer.

Move the white This Layer slider to the left to drop out highlight areas from the current layer.

Move the black Underlying Layer slider to the right to reveal shadow areas from the underlying layer.A

Move the white Underlying Layer slider to the left to reveal highlight areas from the underlying layer.

To adjust midtone colors separately from the lightest and darkest colors, Alt-drag/Option-drag a slider (it will divide into two sections), then drag each half of the slider separately.B

4. Click OK. On the Layers panel, the layer will have this badge, indicating that the Advanced Blending options currently have nondefault settings.

To display only layers that contain nondefault Advanced Blending settings, choose Attribute from the Filter Type menu on the Layers panel, and Advanced Blending from the second menu.

Note: To help preserve the image quality, if you need to apply multiple transformations, do them consecutively and accept the edits only after the last one, so Photoshop resamples the image data just once.

To apply transformations using the Free Transform command or the Move tool:

1. On the Layers panel, click a layer, a layer group, or the Background, or Shift-select multiple layers.A Any layers that are linked to the selected one(s) will also be transformed. Or to transform a path, select it via the Paths panel.

To transform the Background, you must create a selection, and you also should choose a Background color because Photoshop will fill any exposed areas with that color.

2. Optional: If you clicked a single image layer, you can create a selection to limit which area is transformed.

3. Do either of the following: Press Ctrl-T/Cmd-T (or choose Edit > Free Transform; or for a path, choose Edit > Free Transform Path).

Choose the Move tool (V), check Show Transform Controls on the Options bar, then click any handle on the transform box to display transform features on the Options bar.

4. For the Free Transform commands, you can select a resampling method from the Interpolation menu on the Options bar, if available (we pick Bicubic Automatic to let Photoshop use the best method).

5. A transform box with handles surrounds the selection, path, or opaque part of the layer. Do one or more of the following:

To scale the item horizontally and vertically, drag a corner handle; to scale it just horizontally or vertically, drag a middle handle; to scale it proportionally, Shift-drag a corner handle; or to scale it from the current reference point (marked by a crosshair in the transform box), Alt-drag/Option-drag a handle (add Shift to scale it proportionally from the reference point).B

To rotate it, position the pointer outside the transform box (the pointer becomes a curved, two-headed arrow), then drag. Shift-drag to constrain the rotation to a multiple of 15°.

To skew it, Ctrl-drag/Cmd-drag a middle handle. Include Shift to constrain the movement.

To distort it, Ctrl-drag/Cmd-drag a corner handle.A–B

To apply perspective, Ctrl-Alt-Shift-drag/Cmd-Option-Shift-drag a corner handle vertically or horizontally; an adjacent corner moves symmetrically.C

To undo the last handle edit, choose Edit > Undo.

As you perform a transformation, a dynamic readout listing the dimensions or angle of your edits displays next to the pointer.

6. To resume normal editing, you must either accept or cancel the transformation:

To accept the edit(s), double-click inside the bounding box, press Enter/Return, or click the Commit Transform button on the Options bar.

To cancel the edit(s), press Esc or click the Cancel Transform button.

Before dragging a handle to scale or rotate, you can drag the reference point, from which the layer or selection is transformed, to a new location.

To apply Content-Aware scaling:

1. Duplicate an image layer to be scaled (not a Smart Object), then hide the original layer (A).

2. Optional: To minimize distortion in an area of the layer, select that area, then on the Channels panel, click the Save Selection as Channel button. Deselect.

3. Choose Edit > Content-Aware Scale (Ctrl-Alt- Shift-C/Cmd-Option-Shift-C).

4. On the Options bar, do either of the following: If you created an alpha channel (step 2, above), select the channel name from the Protect menu.

If the image contains figures, check the Protect Skin Tones button to help prevent distortion. Note that this feature does a better job of recognizing skin than clothing.

5. Slowly drag a handle on the bounding box (B), or Shift-drag a corner handle for more proportional scaling.

6. Optional: To permit some normal (non Content-Aware) scaling to occur, set the Amount percentage on the Options bar below 100%. The lower the Amount, the greater the distortion and the less protective the effect of the alpha channel.

7. To accept the transformation, press Enter/Return or click the Commit Transform button on the Options bar (C–D). To cancel the edits, press Esc or click the Cancel Transform button.

The Content-Aware Scale command can be applied only to a single image layer (not to multiple layers, a Smart Object, or other kinds of layers).

To specify the stationary point from which the layer is scaled, click a square on the reference point locator (Options bar) before dragging a handle.

To scale a layer based on a percentage of its original size, set the W (width) or H (height) percentage on the Options bar. To scale it proportionally, activate the Maintain Aspect Ratio button.

To use the distortion tools in Liquify:

1. Open an RGB image.A Duplicate the Background, and keep the duplicate layer selected.

Note: If you want to keep the Liquify results nondestructive and editable, convert the duplicate layer to a Smart Object (Photoshop will save a compressed mesh into the Smart Object). This method increases the file size.

2. Optional but recommended: Select the area of the image you want to edit.B The rest of the image will be protected from Liquify edits. Other options are to create a layer mask or an alpha channel, to be chosen in the Liquify dialog.

3. Choose Filter > Liquify (Ctrl-Shift-X/Cmd-Shift-X). In the dialog, check Advanced Mode. If necessary, zoom in on the area to be reshaped.

4. If you want to protect areas of the image from Liquify edits, do either of the following:

To apply a mask based on an active selection, or on layer transparency, a layer mask, or an alpha channel in the document, choose that option from the Replace Selection (first) menu under Mask Options.

To paint a mask manually or to add to an existing mask, choose the Freeze Mask tool (F), choose settings under Tool Options (A), then draw strokes in the preview (B).

5. You can also use any of these masking controls: Hide or show the mask via the Show Mask check box.

To remove areas of the mask, choose the Thaw Mask tool (D), then draw strokes in the preview (or hold down Alt/Option while using the Freeze Mask tool). (If you need to remove the whole mask, click None under Mask Options.) To reverse the masked and unmasked areas, click Invert All.

6. Choose the Forward Warp, (W) Twirl Clockwise (C), Pucker (S), Bloat (B), or Push Left (O) tool.

7. To size the brush cursor so that it covers the entire width of the area to be edited, press [ or ], or hold down Alt-right-click/Control-Option and drag horizontally in the image. You can also adjust the brush size via the improved Brush Size slider. The larger the brush, the less choppy the distortion.

8. Under Tool Options, do all of the following:

To control the degree to which the distortion is feathered at the edges, set the Brush Density (the lower the density, the greater the feathering).

Note: If you’re using a stylus, check Stylus Pressure and lower the Brush Pressure value.

To control the overall strength of the distortion, set the Brush Pressure.

To adjust the brush pressure interactively, hold down Alt-right-click/Control-Option and drag vertically in the preview.

To control the speed at which tools that are held down in one spot (e.g., Twirl Clockwise, Pucker, Bloat) produce distortion, choose a Brush Rate.

To prevent the edges of the layer from becoming transparent as you drag pixels, check Pin Edges.

9. Depending on the chosen tool, do the following: With the Twirl Clockwise, Pucker, or Bloat tool, click and hold on an area. If you want to intensify the effect, repeat the click and hold.

With the Forward Warp tool, drag in the image preview.A

With the Push Left tool, drag downward to push areas to the right, or drag upward to push areas to the left (see the next page).

If a tool doesn’t seem to be having an effect, increase the brush size. To reverse the tool behavior, hold down Alt/Option while clicking or dragging.

Each tool retains its own settings.

10. Optional: To compare the Liquify layer with any underlying layers, check Show Backdrop. From the Use menu, choose All Layers, and choose an Opacity value for the underlying layers.

11. Optional: If you applied Liquify to a Smart Object, the current mesh will save with the document. To save the current mesh (Liquify edits) as a preset for use in any image, click Save Mesh, enter a name, choose a location, keep the extension, then click Save. (To load a saved mesh at any time, click Load Mesh).

12. Click OK. If you applied the Liquify filter to a Smart Object and you want to edit the results, double-click the Liquify listing on the Layers panel. To reload the last-used mesh onto the current document, click Load Last Mesh in the dialog.

If you applied the Liquify filter to a Smart Object, you can mask any part of the results by editing the filter mask (see page 362).

There are several ways to restore layer pixels to their pre-Liquify state.

To remove Liquify edits:

In the Liquify dialog, do any of the following:

To undo Liquify edits manually, choose the Reconstruct tool (R), set the brush size, then press and hold on an area you want to restore.

To apply subtle smoothing to ripples and other irregularities that were produced by multiple small distortion edits, choose the Smooth tool (E), then drag in the preview.

To restore all the Liquify edits to a specified amount, under Reconstruct Options, click Reconstruct. The Revert Reconstruction dialog opens. Set the Amount slider to the desired value, then click OK.

To undo all the Liquify edits completely, under Reconstruct Options, click Restore All.

Using Liquify for Retouching

When used with restraint (e.g., low density and pressure settings), Liquify can be useful for retouching.A–F

2. Choose Edit > Transform > Warp.

3. Do either or both of the following: On the Options bar, choose a preset style from the Warp menu.A–B You can also click the Warp Orientation button to toggle horizontal and vertical distortion (not available for all presets), or reshape the grid by using the scrubby sliders for Bend: H (horizontal distortion) or V (vertical distortion).

Choose Warp: Custom on the Options bar (not available for editable type), then drag any of the interior squares, square corner points, grid lines, or direction line handles in the grid.C Note: If you don’t see the grid, turn on View > Extras.

4. To accept the warp edits, press Enter/Return or click the Commit Transform button on the Options bar D (to cancel the edits, click the Cancel Transform button or press Esc).

To edit the warp settings for a type layer or a Smart Object, repeat steps 1–4, above. If you want to remove the warp, choose None from the Warp menu on the Options bar. The warp settings for a standard image layer can’t be edited. To remove warp edits from an image layer, you would have to click the state prior to the “Warp” state on the History panel.

While warp or transform controls are showing in your document, you can click the Switch Between Free Transform and Warp Modes button on the Options bar to toggle one mode to the other. In fact, to minimize resampling and preserve the image quality when you need to apply multiple transform and/or warp edits, it’s best to choose all your settings (by toggling the modes), then accept them all at once.