Photoshop Tools: Layers and masks disclosure

　　Photoshop Tools: Layers and masks disclosure

Knowledge points: Layers, background layers, adjustment layers, opacity, masks

First, layer and mask base

Each layer is similar to a sheet of transparent plastic film. When we stack all the layers together, the above layer is transparent to show the image below, where the opacity of the layer will cover the image below.

If the following layer is a seaside scenery, the above layer is a picture on the transparent background of the fish, two layers stacked together, the final effect is a fish swim in the sea scene. (The order of the layers is very important, if the sea layer on the bottom of the fish layer, then completely opaque sea layer will cover all the fish layer, the final effect will not appear in the fish.) )

Layers in Photoshop occupy the most central position. In the menu bar, there is a special "layer" menu, you can create new, edit, build groups and so on various layer operations. Also, the lower-right corner of the Photoshop workspace has a prominent "layers" panel that shows all layer states in the current file.

In general, when we open a raw file or a JPEG file directly in PS, the photo is automatically set up in the background layer. The background layer is automatically locked at the bottom, unable to make sequential changes, adjust opacity, change blending mode and so on most layer operations.

We can convert the background layer to a normal layer so that it is no longer restricted by double-clicking the background layer in the layers panel, opening the New Layer dialog box and clicking OK.

The meaning of a layer is the flexibility of its modular editing. The final image is superimposed on each layer, and each layer is responsible for only part of the object. We want to adjust a part of the picture, only need to adjust the corresponding layer.

For example, we want to draw a fish on the background of the sea, if directly on the background layer, the fish pixels directly cover the background layer of the pixel. Then if I want to get rid of this fish, or to the fish alone to edit it is impossible.

A more modular approach is to create a new, blank layer.