Written by T. Michael Testi
Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature was written because author Matt Kloskowski wished that there had been a book specifically on layers when he was first learning Photoshop. Everyone knows that layers exist, and most people use layers to one extent or another, but few really understand their full potential. Yet understanding layers is one of the keys to understanding Photoshop. This book will show you exactly what you can do with layers, and how to do it. The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature: Layers is 288 pages in length and is contained in 9 chapters.
Chapter 1, "Layer Basics," explains the basics of layers. But even if you are familiar with layers, you will still want to read much of this chapter because there are quite a number of techniques that are shown here that many may not know exist. This is divided into the true basics, the use of multiple layers and stacking, and another lesson that has a ton of tips and tricks that you don't want to miss.
Chapter 2, "Blending Layers," lets you take layers even further by showing you how to mix layers together. By using the techniques illustrated here you can go beyond simply manipulating the opacity and really start learning about blending. The author's goal is not to show you every single item with regard to blending, but rather show you only the ones that you need to know about to get the job done. He begins with the three most important techniques, and then fills in with some additional ones that can be used as well.
Chapter 3, "Adjustment Layers," shows that there are other layers available beyond the regular layers that you have been working with thus far. This is a different type of layer in the way that it lets you edit images nondestructively. It even lets you apply selective adjustments to specific parts of your image.
Chapter 4, "Layer Masks," continues a technique that you learned in chapter 3 when making adjustments. Layer masks let you nondestructively erase areas away from one layer to reveal the layers below. An adjustment layer automatically includes a layer mask, but a regular layer does not so here you will learn how to add a layer mask to a regular layer.
Chapter 5, "Type and Shape Layers," are two kinds of layers that have not been covered as yet. While type layers are what you use to add text to a Photoshop document, they have a lot more power available to them as well. With type layers you can let your text take on a life of its own. Shape layers allow you to work with shape in your documents. Here you will work to making a poster using the Shape tools. With these, you can go beyond the simple shapes and create complex one.
Chapter 6, "Enhancing Photos with Layers," is about how to enhance digital photos by the use of layers. Here you will learn how to combine multiple layers, paint with light, perform selective sharpening, dodge and burn, enhance depth of field, and create soft focus.
Chapter 7, "Retouching with Layers," is not a be-all, end-all stop for retouching, but there are a number of things that you can do to retouch photos within Photoshop. Here you will learn how to use some of the previously learned techniques to retouch photos as well as some techniques that have layer-related options. These include removing wrinkles, smoothing skin, whitening eyes and teeth, and removing distractions,
Chapter 8, "Layer Styles," are really layer effects that are contained within Photoshop. These are things like shadows, bevels, glows, and strokes that can be applied to any layer. What's better is that layer styles can always be edited, and they can be saved so that you can apply that effect to another image.
Chapter 9, "Smart Layers," discusses the relatively new addition to Photoshop CS2 and CS3. These layers allow you to do things to layers in a nondestructive manner, and, in CS3, you can even apply a filter to a layer and still go back and change the filter anytime.
What makes Layers such a great learning tool, and book as well, is that the author keeps each topic short and to the point. But he does it in a way that is not trivial. That is, it would be easy to show some trifling example, but instead Kloskowski shows a real world technique that, depending on how you use Photoshop, you can actually go out and use. In that way, this book is also, in a secondary way, a cookbook of techniques as well.
If there is a problem with the book, it is that it seems to end too soon. With the author's easy style of writing and the thought that there were probably more techniques that were out there, I guess I felt that it could go on longer. On the other hand, by keeping it at this length, it keeps it in focus for those who are just learning and would be overwhelmed with a lot more information. Not to mention the fact that there could be Layers: The Advanced Guide to...
Another other thing that I liked about Layers is that at the end of each chapters is a section called "How Do I…" in which the author asks and answers various questions that did not fit into the scope of discussion within the chapter clarifying the topic even more.If you are a new to advanced novice Photoshop user then Layers - The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature is an absolute must-own. But even if you are an advanced user, I suspect that you will find so many useful techniques here that I highly recommend this book.
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