Photoshop® CS3 Layers Bible

Preface

Welcome to the Photoshop CS3 Layers Bible. Since its inception in 1988, Photoshop has evolved in leaps and bounds to become the king of photo editing applications that it is today. Each new release has brought with it tons of useful new features, from vector paths in version 2 through to the wonderful Spot Healing Brush tool and Vanishing Point filter in CS2.

Arguably one of the most important milestones in Photoshop's history was the addition of layers in version 3, way back in 1994. For the first time, designers could create and manipulate graphic elements independently within the same image, opening up a world of creative possibilities.

Since version 3, the reign of Photoshop's Layers palette has been consolidated through the addition of a powerful range of layer features. For example, we now have adjustment layers, for applying reeditable photo adjustments; fill layers, for creating powerful fill effects; layer styles, for adding dynamic effects to layers; type layers, for adding re-editable text to images; and shape layers, for creating filled vector shapes. CS3 adds even more layer-based fun in the form of Smart Filters that let you apply "live" Photoshop filters to your images. In fact, it's probably safe to say that most of your work in Photoshop these days revolves around the Layers palette, one way or another.

In this book we're going to take you on an adventure through the world of Photoshop layers, with the aim of giving you a thorough grounding in all of Photoshop's ...