[Award Winner] Photoshop Layer Basics Video Tutorial (including Clipping Layers)

[craggles]

Hi All,

I thought this video tutorial looking at Layer Techniques in Photoshop would be useful:
Different Layer Techniques

It goes over the following topics:
Layer Styles
Layer Masks
Clipping Layers
Layer Groups
Smart Objects

It should be light enough for a beginner but have enough goodies for an intermediate level

Enjoy.

[ravells]

Thank you Craggles. - To all PS users, if you were not aware of clipping layers (as opposed to clipping masks) then you really need to watch this tutorial.

It answers a lot of questions on using masks within masks to keep the editing of your map truly non-destructive.

[Jykke]

have some rep for the tutorial.

[altasilvapuer]

Now those smart layers look like a handy trick! I might just have to save up and get one of the newer Photoshops for that. Too bad PS7 doesn't have it, though.

Overall, a great tutorial, though. Duly repped!

-asp

[Midgardsormr]

Smart Objects were introduced in CS2. Smart Filters, which are an order of magnitude cooler still, were introduced in CS3.

And for those who are curious, significant new features of CS4 include the ability to rotate the canvas (much like Corel Painter), content-aware scaling, some minor 3d function, 64-bit support, and OpenGL display acceleration. Handy, but not as big a deal as the Smart Objects/Filters.

Improvements in CS1 were negligible: Real-time histogram, the lens blur filter, Javascript support, and a much-improved Camera RAW utility. So if upgrading from PS7, definitely skip CS1.

[su_liam]

CS1 has better 16-bit support than 7 if that floats your boat. It did for me till I gained the ability to run Wilbur. Now I do most of my high-bit greyscale editing in Wilbur and mostly just do the 8-bit rgb stuff in PS. I still use CS1 exclusively for two reasons: 7 doesn't seem to run in OS X 10.5, I still can't afford the $300.00 to get the academic version of CS4. I've really been looking forward to Smart Filters and now I want Smart Objects.

[su_liam]

Here's a little something I put together quick-like with CS1 and this tut. As you can see I've attempted to adapt some of the ideas to mountains and forests more or LESS successfully.

[altasilvapuer]

At the moment, I'm hoping to find a copy of CS2 or CS3 someplace (preferably legitimate). I downloaded the trial of CS4, and the UI's been changed enough that it just feels wonky to me - wonky enough that I don't care to use it in the slightest, 3D additions or no. I think I'm going to try to get CS3, if I can, for the smart filters. I only somewhat understand what they are, because I haven't researched them, much, but if they're what I think they are, then I definitely should try to get them.

The trick is just in finding one that doesn't reek of "bootleg masquerading as legitimate under a half-way price." (COUGHEBAYCOUGH) I even went to the trouble of calling Adobe to check; they just flat out don't offer any software other than the absolute newest version of each program. I'm curious what they do with surplus copies of already-produced CS3's, for example, but think I'm probably better off not knowing. >.>

If anyone has any ideas for locating a legitimate copy of CS3, I'm all ears. I'm going to be calling some of the local retailers today to see if any of them happen to have one hidden in a back room or something, but I highly doubt it.

-asp

[Steel General]

Local college bookstore maybe?

[altasilvapuer]

Hrm, I hadn't thought to check that, yet. Good idea, Steel. The downside is that they're closed for the day, but I'm going to have to get off my lazy bum and go down there to see what I need for classes on the 17th, anyway, so I'll take a look there, too.

-asp