This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Reorder Layers
When you create layers, they are stacked on top of each other. The background of each layer is transparent by default. This lets the images on other layers below a layer to still display, but any overlapping images will appear below or above each other based on layer stacking order. You can create layers that have a solid or pattern background, and we cover this later in this chapter. If you need to have an image display above or below another image, you can modify the layer stacking order, reordering the layers to get the effect that you want.
- Open a photo that has multiple layers in the Photo Editor.
- Click the Expert mode.
- Click to select the layer that you want to move up or down in the layer stacking order.
Drag the layer to a new location in the layer stacking order. You’ll see a darker horizontal bar display between the two layers you are moving to indicate that the layer will be placed between the two layers.
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Deleting a Layer
You can delete a layer, which deletes that layer contents from the photo. There are a couple of different techniques you can use to delete a layer.
- Open a photo that has multiple layers in the Photo Editor.
- Click the Expert mode.
Click to select the layer that you want to delete. Using the Move tool, you can also click the image in the photo that resides on the layer to select the layer.
- Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the layer, or click the Trash icon in the Layers panel.
- You can also right-click the layer and choose Delete Layer from the context menu.
A window displays; click Yes to delete the layer.
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Merging Layers
As you create your layers for your design composite, you might notice that that file size is increasing for the composite. Adding layers increases the file size of the document. You can merge layers into each other to decrease the file size. You can also flatten the entire composite into one layer. After you merge or flatten your composite, the images, shapes, type, frames, and backgrounds become one layer and cannot be accessed individually as they could when they were on their own layer. A flattened image requires selection techniques to access an individual component of your photo.
Open a photo that has multiple layers in the Photo Editor.
- Click the Expert mode.
- Click to select the layer that you want to merge down a layer.
- Choose Layer, Merge Down from the menu bar.
- If you want to Merge only the visible layers, not the ones that you have hidden, choose Layer, Merge Visible.
- If you want to flatten all layers into one, choose Layer, Flatten Image.
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