Getting to know
Layers 1

• You will need this files for this tutorial. This is a zipped psd file. You will need WinZip or WinRar to open this file.
• This set of tutorials  is Meant to augment Chapter 5 of Classroom in a Book. Get it! Learn It! Live it!

Viewing information in the Layers Palette

1. Reset your palette locations by clicking Window=> Workspace=> Reset Palette Locations. You can also open your layers palette by clicking Window=> layers.

2. Click File=> Open and select the layers1.psd from the lesson file you downloaded.

3. Look at your layers palette. You should see three layers :

• Statue
• Doorway
• Background

Notice the Background is different from the other two in that  it has

• an eye in the first column box  meaning that it is visible. Any layer that you want visible can have an eye placed in the left column.
• A paintbrush in the second column and appears blue meaning it is the active layer for editing.
• A lock on the right meaning the edit capabilities are limited or locked, which is the default for a background.

4. To convert a background layer to a normal layer you can click the layer menu=>new=>layer from background. The default layer name will be layer0. This make the layer act as a normal layer and will remove the lock. To convert the layer 0 back to a background layer, click layer=> new=> background from layer

Moving images from one to another

1. Click file=> open. Open the Door.psd. When the door is open and active, notice the layers palette changed. This file has one layer, which is not a background. You can tell because

• the name of the layer is not background in italics
• the layer is not locked

2. Double click Layer 1 on the layers palette for the door. Change the name of layer1 to Door.

3. Position your images so that the door and the start image are both visible.

4. Use your move tool and click and drag the door image from the door.psd to the layers1.psd canvas. Hold your shift key down while you drag and drop and the door image will be positioned in the center of the new canvas. This also works for dragging a layer from the layers palette if you need to. The new layer on the canvas you added to is called the same as the layer from the first canvas.

5. Save your file. Close your Door.psd file.

Selecting and removing pixels in a layer

1. Turn off the viewing of the background layer by clicking the eye on the background layer of the layers palette.

2.  On the layers palette, click on the door layer to make it your active layer. You should see the paintbrush in the second column.

3. Select the Magic Eraser tool from the tool box. Set the tolerance to around 22. Too high and you will have part of the door taken. too low a tolerance will leave traces of white.

4. Click on the white area surrounding the door on your canvas. The checkerboard that remains indicates transparency.

5. Turn the background on.

6. Save your file. Next layers actrivity