New layers

First and foremost, in Photoshop, we have a number of different types of layers. You have ‘normal’ layers, you have text layers, you have adjustment layers, shape layers, video layers. All are discussed in this course.
Let me first start with a ‘normal’ layer.To create a regular new layer, we have a number of ways.
A first way is the “Layer” button in the menu bar, choose “New” after clicking on “Layer” (1).
This opens a dialog where you can give the layer a new name, you can choose a color for the background, choose a mode and determine your coverage. But more on that later.
Click the OK button.
A second way is clicking the “Create a New Layer” (2) button at the bottom of the “Layers” panel.

The first thing you do is to decide where you want to add the layer. As I told you, a layer is added above the selected layer.
Then do any of the above actions. My choice is this, click the “Create a New Layer” (2) at the bottom of the “Layers” panel. This goes much faster.
If you wish to make use of the “New Layer” dialog, hold the Alt key on your keyboard while you click this button.

As an example I will add a layer above the “Chocolate” layer, so I select the text layer “Chocolate” (1), and click the button “Create a New Layer” (2).
This places the new layer (3) above the “Chocolate” layer, and what particularly interests me in this example is that it is under the “Girl” layer (4). Because I want the head of the girl with a background.
This can, of course, can be done in different ways, this is one of them.

With the new layer selected, I select the tool “Elliptical Marquee” (5) in the toolbar, and draw a marquee around the head of the girl (6).
Then I click the “Refine Edge” button in the options bar (7).
This opens the dialog where I set the “Feather” setting to, for example, 15. This you had already seen in Lesson 38.
Close the dialog box when you’re done.
Then I choose a color for foreground color in the tool bar, if you use the “Eyedropper” tool, click a color in the photo that you want to use as wallpaper.
Now that the foreground color is set, I click the “Edit” button in the menu and I choose “Fill” in the drop-down menu.
In the dialog that appears, I click the “OK” button.
To remove the marquee click the shortcut Ctrl + D on your keyboard.
The head of the girl now has a “beautiful” background (8).

Informative:

A marquee is not bound to a layer.
If you have a marquee filled with a fill color, fill color will be applied to the selected layer, not on the marquee.
Do you follow? Of course you follow.

Tip 1:

To add a layer UNDER a selected layer, hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard pressed while you click the “Create a New Layer” button.

Tip 2:

If you want to quickly set the foreground color for a layer, click the “backspace button” on your keyboard while you hold the Alt key pressed.

Duplicate Layer

To duplicate a layer, right click the layer and choose “Duplicate Layer” in the drop-down menu.
In the dialog that appears, give the layer a name and click the OK button.
If you wish to duplicate multiple layers, first select multiple layers to duplicate, right-click on the selected and you choose “Duplicate Layers”.
When multiple layers are duplicated, Photoshop gives you a name for these by adding “copy 1”, “copy 2”, etc.When you duplicate a layer, the contents of this new duplicated layer are in the exact same location as that of the layer you have duplicated.

Tip 1:

It is faster if you hold the Alt key on your keyboard pressed when you click and drag with the “Move” tool.

Tip 2:

If you want to duplicate one or more layers in another image, first open all images. Then select the layer you wish to duplicate, you click the “Layer” button in the menu bar and choose “Duplicate Layer”.
In the “Duplicate” dialog, you give the layer a name.
You select the target by clicking the downward pointing arrow next to the box “Document”. And you choose the target file in the list.
Click the OK button.

If you want to create a new file for this layer, choose “New” in the “Duplicate Layer” dialog. But I think you know it already.

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