Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

3. Click on the Type tool and then click the cursor somewhere in the window.
   When you use the type tool to place text in the image, each text entry creates
   its own layer.

If you copy another image and paste it into this image, a new layer will also be created.

Whenever you create a layer from a menu or palette, you’ll be asked to name it.

However, if you paste a picture into an image the layer will be named automatically.

It’s easier to keep track of layers when they have descriptive names (“Red Toyota”).

You can rename a layer by double-clicking on its current name in the Layers palette

(Photoshop) or by right-clicking on the layer and choosing Layer Properties.

Semitransparent layers can create strong visual effects. When you set the opacity of

a layer to less than 100 percent, it becomes semitransparent and the layers beneath

it can be seen.

Blending and Opacity Experiment

Tr y your hand at blending. If you have two images, blend them together using these

steps:

1. Open two images in Photoshop.


2. Click on one of the images to select it. Choose Select, All, and then Edit, Copy
   to select the entire image.


3. Paste the image into the new image by choosing Edit, Paste. Photoshop auto-
   matically places it on a new layer.


4. In Photoshop, double-click the new layer thumbnail icon to access the Layer
   Style dialog box (see Figure 16.4). Photoshop Elements does not include this
   powerful dialog box, but for this exercise the Opacity slider on the Layers
   palette provides the same effect.

238 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TODIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

FIGURE 16.4

Layer Style

dialog box in

Photoshop.