Quick Photoshop Tip – Layer Order

Categories

Featured Products

I am going to start mixing in photoshop quick tips.  If you have a quick photoshop tip (or tutorial) you want to share on my blog, please contact me with your ideas or submission.  I would love to have you.

Layer Order

I often get asked “how do I know if I need to flatten before running another action or doing more editing?” This has to do with the order that your layers are in.

Pixel layers (on a normal blending mode) cover each other up. If the opacity is reduced of a pixel layer – it partially covers what is below it.

Adjustment layers (which RULE) do not cover your photo.  They work like clear plastic wrap, a sheet of glass, etc.  You can stack as many of these as you need without flattening.

If you place a pixel layer (which is like a photo copy of the picture) above the adjustment layers, it is like putting a solid piece of paper above clear plastic or glass.  You can no longer see below it.

As shown in this screen shot – if the background copy or duplicate layer of the image is above the adjustment layers, it WILL COVER IT.  It needs to either be moved below those 3 adjustment layers or you could flatten before doing whatever retouching needed a pixel layer.

pixel-layer Quick Photoshop Tip - Layer Order Photoshop Tips

In my own editing, I try and avoid pixel layers as much as possible.  But there are certain things in Photoshop that need pixels to work. The tool I use most that needs pixels is the patch tool.  Personally things like Sponging, Dodging and Burning, I prefer use work arounds with adjustment layers, versus using these tools that require pixels.

Let me know if you have any questions about this that I can address in a future quick tips.

Posted in

MCPActions

No Comments

  1. Alisha Shaw on October 6, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    Touch of Light and Touch of Dark are great work-arounds for burn and dodge…what settings would you recommend for a sponge adjustment layer?

  2. MCP Actions on October 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Exactly – TOL and TOD will help you dodge and burn non destructively. Sponge tool – I rarely use, but if I did I would set it to saturate at 10% and work slowly so I had more control.

  3. Haley Swank on October 6, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Thanks Jodi! I have always wondered this…thanks for breaking it down to where it makes sense!

  4. Cindi on October 6, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    One thing I recently learned about Photoshop is that you can add a New Layer (Layer>New Layer) and clone or use the healing or spot healing brushes if the option “all layers” or “current and below” is selected in the tool bar, depending on which you need. That way you can avoid increasing the file size significantly by duplicating a whole layer and only change the pixels you need to. Unfortunately, the patch tool will not work on a blank layer.

  5. MCP Actions on October 6, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Cindi – great tip – that is exactly how I do cloning and healing too. I still wish that option was available for the patch tool. But it is not. I may post this one sometime.Jodi

  6. apryl on October 7, 2009 at 12:47 am

    great tip jodi! glad to see that you’re going to be putting quick tips in here more, this is what originally brought me to your blog!

  7. web development on October 7, 2009 at 6:38 am

    Thanks for sharing this tutorial.

  8. candice on October 9, 2009 at 11:17 am

    Makes complete since now :)Thank you so much.

  9. Penny on October 11, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Excellent. Layer order is one of my weakest knowledge points in PS. I’m always trying to decide when to use a specific kind of layer (duplicate, new, adjustment) for certain effects.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Categories

Recent Posts