Using Layers with Photographic Images

When you open a digital photograph or scanned image in Paint Shop Pro, the image is on the background layer. For most photographic enhancements, such as cropping, correcting colors, or retouching, you can work on this background layer without ever adding another layer.

However, there are many ways to use layers with your photographic images to make changes easier and create interesting effects:

Task

How to Do It with Layers

Preserve the original image before making changes.

Make a duplicate of the background layer (choose Layers > Duplicate). Turn off the visibility of the background layer (click the layer’s Visibility button ) and make all changes to the duplicate layer.

Make color and tonal corrections.

Use adjustment layers instead of changing the image directly. For more information, see Using Adjustment Layers.

Add text or graphics.

Add them as vector objects to a new vector layer. (To have them on the same layer as the raster or background layer makes them difficult to subsequently edit.)

Create interesting effects.

Duplicate the background layer, apply an effect to the duplicate, and then change the opacity or blend range of the modified layer to blend the two layer.

Also, you can try using the Art Media tools with the Trace check box marked in the Tool Options palette. With the Oil and Acrylic brushes, this can create impressionistic effects. For more information, see Using the Art Media Brushes.

Create a photo collage.

Place each photograph on a separate layer. (For each image, choose Edit > Copy to copy the image, select the collage image, and choose Edit > Paste as New Layer. Position each layer with the Move tool.

Use each layer’s opacity setting and blend mode to control how much of each layer shows through. Use a mask to hide parts of a layer or create soft edges around a layer.

Create a panoramic photograph.

Take a series of photographs with overlapping subject matter, then stitch the photographs together using layers.

Create an image with a canvas large enough to display the panorama, then copy each photograph onto a separate layer. Decrease the opacity of one layer to see though it as you use the Move tool to match up the edges of the other photograph. Do this with each layer, then return the layers to 100 percent opacity.