WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

DIGITAL MEDIA
GRADE 12 & 13

Photoshop Basics # 2
Contents
What are layers? ................................................................................................................................... 1
To create an adjustment layer: ........................................................................................................ 2
To create a blank layer ..................................................................................................................... 3
To duplicate a layer .......................................................................................................................... 4
To delete a layer ................................................................................................................................ 5
What is a layer mask?........................................................................................................................... 6
Add layer masks ................................................................................................................................ 6
Add a mask that shows or hides the entire layer............................................................................ 6
Add a layer mask that hides part of a layer.................................................................................... 6
Cropping images ................................................................................................................................... 8
To crop an image with the crop tool ................................................................................................ 8
To crop an image with the rectangular marquee ......................................................................... 10
Resizing and rotating .......................................................................................................................... 12
To resize an image: ......................................................................................................................... 12
To rotate an image .......................................................................................................................... 14

What are layers?

You can think of layers as transparent panes of glass stacked on top of one another, which allow
different parts of each layer to show through. There are many types of layers you'll use in Photoshop,
and they fall into two main categories:
• Content layers: These layers contain different types of content, such as photographs, text,
and shapes.
• Adjustment layers: These layers allow you to apply adjustments to the layers below them,
such as saturation or brightness. Adjustment layers are a type of non-destructive
editing because they don't actually change anything about the original image.
To create an adjustment layer:
1. In the Layers panel, select the layer below where you want the adjustment layer to appear. In
our example, we'll select the Background layer.

2. Click the Adjustment button at the bottom of the Layers panel, then choose the desired
adjustment.

3. The adjustment layer will appear, and you can then customize the adjustment in the Properties
panel. Any changes you make will affect every layer below the adjustment layer.
 Alternatively, you can use the buttons in the Adjustments panel to create an adjustment
layer.

To create a blank layer

There may be times when you'll want to create a new blank layer. For example, if you want to draw
on an image with the Brush tool, you could create a new layer and then draw on that layer.

To create a new layer, click the New Layer button near the lower-right corner of the Layers panel.
The new layer will appear in the Layers panel.
To duplicate a layer

There will also be times when you'll want to duplicate an existing layer. This is an easy way to try
out different edits without altering the original layer.

1. Right-click the layer, then select Duplicate Layer.

2. A dialog box will appear. Click OK. The duplicate layer will appear.
To delete a layer
If you find that you no longer need a layer, you can delete it. To do this, simply select the
layer and then press the Delete key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click and drag
the layer to the Trash Can in the lower-right corner of the Layers panel.
What is a layer mask?
You can add a mask to a layer and use the mask to hide portions of the layer and reveal the layers
below. Masking layers is a valuable compositing technique for combining multiple photos into a
single image or for removing a person or object from a photo.

Add layer masks

When you add a layer mask, you can hide or show all of the layer, or base the mask on a selection or
transparency.

Add a mask that shows or hides the entire layer

1. Make sure that no part of your image is selected. Choose Select > Deselect or press ctrl and
D.
2. In the Layers panel, select the layer or group.
3. Do one of the following:
• To create a mask that reveals the entire layer, click the Add Layer Mask button in
the Layers panel, or choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All.

• To create a mask that hides the entire layer, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click
(Mac OS) the Add Layer Mask button, or choose Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

Add a layer mask that hides part of a layer

1. In the Layers panel, select the layer or group.
2. Select the area in the image, and do one of the following:
• Click the New Layer Mask button in the Layers panel to create a mask that reveals
the selection.

• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Add Layer Mask button in the
Layers panel to create a mask that hides the selection.
 • Choose Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection or Hide Selection.

Cropping images
There are two main ways to crop an image in Photoshop. You can either use
the Crop tool or make a selection with the Rectangular Marquee tool.

To crop an image with the crop tool

1. With the image open in Photoshop, select the Crop tool from
the Tools panel.
2. Click and drag to select the part of the image you wish to keep, then release
the mouse.

3. Adjust the cropping handles if necessary.

4. Press Enter on your keyboard to crop the image. Alternatively, you

can double-click the image.
To crop an image with the rectangular marquee
1. With the image open in Photoshop, choose the Rectangular Marquee tool
from the Tools panel.

2. In the Control panel, locate the Style drop-down menu (also

called Mode in some versions). If you want the image to be a
specific aspect ratio, select Fixed Ratio and type the desired width and
height. Otherwise, make sure the Style is set to Normal. In this example,
we'll crop the image to a 4-by-3 aspect ratio.

3. Click and drag to select the part of the image you wish to keep, then release
the mouse.
4. If needed, you can click the edge of the selection box and move it to the
desired position.

5. Select Image Crop. The image will be cropped.

Resizing and rotating

To resize an image:

You should avoid making images larger than their original size. When you do this, the image simply
won't have enough detail to look good at the larger size.
1. With the image open in Photoshop, select Image Image Size.
2. A dialog box will appear. Make sure Pixels are the currently selected unit size and that
the Resample box is checked. The Lock icon next to the Width and Height should also be
turned on, which will ensure that theaspect ratio stays the same to avoid distorting the image.

3. Type the desired dimensions for the new image. When you enter the new image width, the
height should be adjusted automatically to maintain the original aspect ratio.

4. Click OK. The image will be resized.

If there is no Automatic option available from the Resample menu, we recommend choosing one of
the bicubic resizing modes; these modes will give the best results in most situations.

To rotate an image

It's easy to rotate an image in Photoshop. You can rotate images clockwise (CW) or counter-
clockwise (CCW), flip the image horizontally or vertically, and even rotate by an arbitrary amount
to choose a specific rotation.
1. With the image open in Photoshop, select Imageright-arrowImage Rotation, then select the
desired rotation option.

2. The image will be rotated.