Working with Layer Styles


Layer styles jazz up your images with realistic enhancements such as drop shadows, neon glowing edges, and deep embossing. These efficient, canned effects simplify operations that used to require tedious channel juggling and layer manipulation.

When a layer has been affected by a style, an italic f icon appears to the right of its name in the Layers palette (like the one next to the Pipe layer or the Sky B layer in Figure 7.23). The Layers palette can be expanded to reveal a list of the layer styles that have been applied, by clicking the small arrow to the left of the f icon. Double-clicking any one of these effects displays its controls so that you can modify it.

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Figure 7.23: Image with a Drop Shadow and a Bevel and Emboss effect
Note  

Layer styles apply their effects to the edges of the layer, so the content on the target layer should be surrounded by transparency.

Using Layer Styles

If you want to create, define, or edit a layer style, access the Layer Style dialog box (see Figure 7.24) by doing one of the following. If a layer is targeted when you open this dialog, the style you choose will be applied to the layer. You cannot apply a layer style to the Background.

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Figure 7.24: The Layer Style dialog box displaying Drop Shadow controls
  • Choose Layer Layer Style. Choose a style from the list.

  • Choose Blending Options from the Layer Options pull-down menu. Click on a layer style from the list to display its controls.

  • Double-click the layer s thumbnail.

  • Click the Layer Style icon at the lower-left of the Layers palette and drag to a layer style to display its controls.

From the Layer Style dialog box, you can also choose an effect. To display the extensive controls for each effect, click its name. Many of the controls have similarities, and experimentation with a live preview is the best way to see the result of your efforts. The swatch under the Preview check box demonstrates the effect on a square. This is very helpful in seeing the result of a combination of effects.

Figure 7.25 demonstrates several samples of the layer style effects. (A color version of this demonstration, Figure C5, is available in the color section.)

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Figure 7.25: Layer styles demonstrated

Each layer style provides a unique and potentially complex set of options. Experimentation with the controls and with combinations of styles is the key to producing the best possible effect for your particular image. Available options are as follows :

Drop Shadow Every object casts a shadow if placed in the path of a light source. Drop shadows are a key element in creating credible, realistic images. The drop shadow follows the same shape as the pixels on the target layer. This is a fast way to give your image a realistic look. There are two sets of controls:

  • Structure determines the opacity, size , and position of the shadow.

  • Quality determines the contour of its edges and its texture.

Inner Shadow As a drop shadow is cast outward, away from the layer content, an inner shadow is cast from the edge inward, toward its center. Use this style to model your image or to create inner depth. The settings are similar to Drop Shadow for controlling the structure and quality of the effect, except that Choke, a term used in the printing industry to indicate an inward expansion, replaces Spread, a term for outward expansion.

Outer Glow This style is perfect for a neon look. It creates a halo of a light color around the outside edge of the layer s content that can be as soft- or hard-edged as you like, depending on the settings you choose.

Inner Glow The best way to describe this effect is a soft-edged, light-colored stroke. Use Inner Glow to create a halo from the edge of the layer s content inward.

Bevel and Emboss The Bevel and Emboss style applies a highlight and a shadow to the layer content to create the illusion of three-dimensional relief. You can choose from five styles of embossing, each of which applies a different kind of sculptured surface. The Structure and Shading options let you minutely control the appearance of the effect. You also have these options:

  • Contour Control the shape of the edge of your Bevel and Emboss effect by editing its contour. Double-click the name Contour on the Styles list. Choose a contour from the pop-up list. Adjust the range of the contour with the Range slider (see Figure 7.26). A smaller percentage decreases the range of the contour relative to the bevel; a larger percentage increases the range.

    click to expand
    Figure 7.26: The Contour controls

    To create a new contour, click the Contour icon to display the Contour Editor (see Figure 7.27). Click the New button and name the contour. A dotted line on the graph displays the profile of the current contour. Edit the position of the anchor points by dragging them, or click the dotted line to place new anchor points. Click the Corner check box if you want a corner point, or deselect it if you want a smooth point. Drag the anchor points to modify the curve to the profile of the edge you want. The Input value represents the percentage of the horizontal position of an anchor point. Output represents the percentage of the vertical position of an anchor point. Click OK to save the new contour when you re satisfied with your settings. As you create a contour, a live preview in the image window will display the results on your image.

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    Figure 7.27: The Contour Editor

  • Texture The Bevel and Emboss Texture option maps a textural surface to your layer s content. Display the texture controls by clicking Texture in the Styles list. Choose a pattern from the pop-up list. The Texture controls use the Pattern presets as a source for textures (see Chapter 10 for more on patterns). Essentially, the Texture controls applies the colorless texture of the pattern to the content of the layer. You can move the sliders to adjust the scale and depth of the texture. Clicking the Invert check box changes the appearance of the texture from emboss to relief.

    You can reposition the texture while in the Texture dialog box by clicking the texture in the image window and dragging.

    Link the textural style to the layer by clicking the Link With Layer check box. If you move the layer, the texture moves along with it. If the box is not checked, the texture will remain in place while the layer moves.

Satin To produce the effect of light and shadow bouncing off a satiny surface, Photoshop applies a soft-edged shadow across the middle of the layer s content. Controls let you determine its size, position, opacity, and contour.

Color Overlay This style is a no-brainer. It simply fills the layer s content with a color that you select by clicking the swatch. You can control its opacity.

Gradient Overlay Similar to Color Overlay, Gradient Overlay applies a gradient to the pixels on the layer. You can choose a gradient from the current Gradient palette, or create one on-the-fly by clicking Gradient to display the Gradient Editor. (See Chapter 10 for more on gradients.) From the menu, you can control the opacity, style, angle, and scale of the gradient.

Pattern Overlay If you have one or more patterns stored in the current Patterns presets, you can overlay a pattern on the layer content as an effect. This is similar to the Bevel and Emboss Texture option. The difference is that Pattern overlay applies the colors as well as the texture of the pattern. You can control the opacity and scale of the pattern, and you can link the pattern to the layer so that it will accompany the layer if the layer is moved horizontally or vertically.

Stroke To apply an outline as an effect to the edge of the image, choose Stroke. You can determine the color and size of the stroke and whether it s placed on the inside, middle, or outside of the edge of the layer content. The best feature of this effect is Fill Type, which applies a gradient or pattern to the stroke; this is excellent incentive to use the Stroke layer style instead of the similar Edit Stroke.

Applying Layer Styles

There are several ways to apply a layer style. If you have a style defined and wish to simply apply it, target the layer, click the Layer Style icon at the lower-left of the Layers palette, and choose the style from the list that pops up.

Use the Layer Style dialog box to apply a style by following one of these methods :

  • Target the layer, choose Layer Layer Style, choose a style by clicking its check box from the Layer Style dialog box, and click OK.

  • Double-click the layer s thumbnail or title; select a style and click OK.

  • Target the layer, click the Layer Style icon at the lower-left of the Layers palette, select a style, and click OK.

Note  

Clicking the style s check box in the Layer Style dialog box applies the style to the layer. To view the controls of a particular layer style, however, you must click the style s name.

Saving Layer Styles

If you ve applied one or more styles or blending options to a layer and you re satisfied with the result, you might want to save the style so you can later apply it to a separate layer. To save a style, click the New Style button in the Layer Style dialog box. You ll be prompted to name your new style.




Photoshop CS Savvy
Photoshop CS Savvy
ISBN: 078214280X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 355

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