Using layer styles
You can apply a variety of effects, either alone or in combination, by using the Layer Styles tabbed area of the Layer Properties dialog box. With this feature, you can create visually interesting and creative effects to a layer in real time, and you can fine-tune the effect before applying it. The Layer Styles feature provides six effects: Reflection, Outer Glow, Bevel, Emboss, Inner Glow, and Drop Shadow.
When you apply these effects on a separate layer and save the resulting file in a layer-capable file format (such as the PspImage format), your original image remains unedited on its own layer. In this sense, layer styles are similar to adjustment layers. They differ, however, in that layer styles are applied not to the underlying canvas, but just to the boundaries of the individual layer.
If you resize a layer with one or more layer styles applied to it, the effects are resized proportionally.
Layer styles can be applied only to raster and vector layers.
Some layer styles (such as Drop Shadow) are applied outside the layer’s data. Some layer styles won’t be seen unless the layer includes areas of transparency.
You can save layer styles as a preset and you can copy and paste layer styles between different layers in the same project. This makes it easy to apply the same drop shadow, glow, or reflection effect across text or objects on different layers.
Why is there a "Layer" check box?
When marked, this check box lets you show the layer data with the effects applied. When unmarked, this check box lets you turn off the layer data and just show the effects. Unmarking the Layer check box makes the original layer data behave as if a mask were applied to it.
Is there a reason for the check box order?
Yes. The effects need to be composited in a particular order to obtain sensible results. For example, you would not want a Drop Shadow effect placed on top of its source object, nor would you want an Outer Glow effect placed under a Drop Shadow effect. Thus, the Reflection effect is placed on top, followed by the Outer Glow effect, the Bevel effect, and so on. The Drop Shadow effect is applied last.
What happens when I edit layers with effects?
Whether you edit a vector layer by adding new text or shapes, or edit a raster layer by painting with a brush tool, the effects previously applied to the layer are applied to any modifications you make.
Layers Styles examples
To apply a Reflection layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Reflection check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Reflection effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
Note: The Reflection effect may create data that extends beyond the viewable image canvas, so you may need to expand the canvas to see the entire effect.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set the speed with which the reflection fades in comparison with the original layer data.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set the intensity of the reflection’s overall lightness.
6
Drag the red Reflection Distance control line to set the horizontal axis about which all layer data is reflected.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To apply an Outer Glow layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Outer Glow check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Outer Glow effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
Note: The Outer Glow effect may create data that extends beyond the viewable image canvas, so you may need to expand the canvas to see the entire effect.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set how far the glow extends outside the layer data.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set the lightness intensity and visibility of the glow.
6
In the rainbow color picker, click a glow color. The current color appears along the bottom row of the color picker.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To apply a Bevel layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Bevel check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Bevel effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set the distance from the outer edge of the layer data to the extent of the bevel.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set lightness intensity and visibility of the bevel.
6
Drag the two-dimensional lighting control
to set the direction and distance of the light applied to the effect.
7
In the rainbow color picker, click a bevel color. The current color appears along the bottom row of the color picker.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To apply an Emboss layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Emboss check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Emboss effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set the distance from the outer edge of the layer data to the extent of the embossing.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set lightness intensity and visibility of the embossing.
6
Drag the two-dimensional lighting control
to set the direction and distance of the light applied to the effect.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To apply an Inner Glow layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Inner Glow check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Inner Glow effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set how far glow extends inside the layer data.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set the lightness intensity and visibility of the glow.
6
In the rainbow color picker, click a glow color. The current color appears along the bottom row of the color picker.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To apply a Drop Shadow layer style
1
Click a layer, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Drop Shadow check box.
The After pane is updated to show the initial Drop Shadow effect. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
Note: The Drop Shadow effect may create data that extends beyond the viewable image canvas (particularly on a layer the same size as the Background layer), so you may need to expand the canvas to see the entire effect.
4
Drag the
Size slider to set the distance between the layer data and the shadow.
As you increase the size, the shadow becomes more blurred.
5
Drag the
Opacity slider to set lightness intensity and visibility of the shadow.
6
Drag the two-dimensional lighting control
to set the direction and distance of the light applied to the effect.
7
In the rainbow color picker, click a shadow color. The current color appears along the bottom row of the color picker.
You can save Layer Styles settings as a preset and then apply them at any time to another layer. For more information on saving and applying presets, see Using and creating presets.
To adjust the layer data visibility
1
Click a layer that has effects applied, and click the
Layer Styles button
.
Note: When you modify the visibility of layer data, you are not changing the visibility of the effects applied to the layer.
2
In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the
Layer Styles tab.
3
In the group box that lists the effects, mark the
Layer check box.
The After pane is updated to show the effect of marking the box. If you want to preview the changes on the actual image, mark the
Preview on Image check box.
Drag the
Opacity slider to set the light intensity and visibility of the layer data.
4
To turn off layer data visibility, unmark the
Layers check box.
To display or hide layer effects
1
On the Layers palette, click a layer that has effects applied.
2
Click the
Layer Effects Visibility Toggle button
to display or hide the effects.
A layer effect icon
displays on the layer when the effect is visible. The icon disappears when the effect is hidden.
To copy and paste layer styles
1
On the
Layers palette, right-click the layer that has the style you want to copy and choose
Copy Layer Styles.
2
On the
Layers palette, right-click the layer to which you want to apply the style and choose
Paste Layer Styles.
