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USING PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8
Using layers
Last updated 7/26/2011
• To affect only one layer or several successive layers below the adjustment layer, choose Layer > New Adjustment
Layer
> [adjustment type]. In the New Layer dialog box, select Use Previous Layer To Create Clipping Mask.
Levels Corrects tonal values in the image.
Brightness/Contrast Lightens or darkens the image.
Hue/Saturation Adjusts colors in the image. (Available only in color mode or on color layers.)
Gradient Map Maps pixels to the color in the selected gradient.
Photo Filter Adjusts the color balance and color temperature of the image.
Invert Produces a photo negative effect by creating a negative based on the brightness values of the image.
Threshold Renders the image in monochrome, with no gray, so that you can locate the lightest and darkest areas.
Posterize Gives a flat, poster-like appearance to a photo by reducing the number of brightness values (levels) in the
image, thus reducing the number of colors.
4 In the dialog box, specify your options, and click OK. (Invert has no options.)
Selecting Use Previous Layer To Create Clipping Mask in step 3 groups the adjustment layer with the layer
immediately below it and the effect is confined to the group.
5 To add more layers to the group, press Option and position the pointer over the line dividing the bottommost layer
in the group from the layer below it. Click when the pointer changes to two overlapping circles
.
More Help topics
“About histograms” on page 105
Create fill layers
1 In the Layers panel, select the layer above which the fill layer should be.
2 To confine the effects of the fill layer to a selected area, make a selection.
3 Do one of the following:
• Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose the fill type you
want to create. (The first three options listed in the panel are fill layers, the others are adjustment layers.)
• Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > [fill
type]. In the New Layer dialog box that appears, click OK.
Solid Color Creates a layer filled with a solid color chosen from the Color Picker.
Gradient Creates a layer filled with a gradient. You can choose a predefined gradient from the Gradient menu. To edit
the gradient in the Gradient Editor, click the color gradient. You can drag within the image window to move the center
of the gradient.
You can also specify the shape of the gradient (Style) and the angle at which it is applied (Angle). Select Reverse to flip
its orientation, Dither to reduce banding, and Align With Layer to use the layer’s bounding box to calculate the
gradient fill.
Pattern Creates a layer filled with a pattern. Click the pattern, and choose a pattern from the pop-up panel. You can
scale the pattern and choose Snap To Origin to position the origin of the pattern with that of the document window.
To specify that the pattern moves with the Fill layer as it is relocated, select Link With Layer. When this option is
selected, you can drag within the image to position the pattern while the Pattern Fill dialog box is open. To create a
new preset pattern after editing pattern settings, click the New Preset button
.
