Learn all about layers in Photoshop with our Photoshop Layers Learning Guide! We’ve rounded up 10 of our layers tutorials into one convenient list and organized them in the best order to read them, so you can build up your skills one step at a time and get up to speed with Photoshop layers as quickly as possible!
The basics of layers have not changed at all over the years, so even though I’ll be using Photoshop CS6 here, everything is fully compatible with Photoshop CC as well as earlier versions of Photoshop. So, if you’re ready to learn about layers, let’s get started!
01. Understanding Layers In Photoshop
New to Photoshop layers? Start here! In this easy-to-follow, step-by-step lesson, we’ll learn the basics of what layers are, how they work, and why knowing how to use layers is such an essential Photoshop skill.
02. Photoshop Layers Panel Essentials
Understanding what layers are is great, but to really take advantage of them, we need to know how to use Photoshop’s Layers panel. In this tutorial, we take a whirlwind tour of the Layers panel and learn everything we need to know to get up and running quickly.
03. Essential Layers Panel Preferences
In this third tutorial in our Layers Learning Guide, we take another look at Photoshop’s Layers panel and learn some simple ways to customize it, keep it free of clutter and keep your Photoshop workflow more efficient!
04. The Background Layer In Photoshop
The Background layer is different from other layers in Photoshop. It serves as the background for our documents. And because of that, it has certain rules we need to be aware of. In this fourth tutorial, learn all about the Background layer, why it’s different, and how to get around its limitations.
05. Creating A New Background Layer Action In Photoshop
Depending on what you’re doing in Photoshop, you may find that the Background layer’s rules are getting in the way. In this tutorial, learn how to quickly free yourself from its limitations, and how to save the steps as a time-saving action!
06. Open Multiple Images As Layers In Photoshop
Photoshop is great for blending and compositing images. But getting those images into the same Photoshop document can be a hassle if you don’t know about this one fantastic feature. In this tutorial, learn how to quickly open multiple images and have Photoshop place each image on its own layer within the same document!
07. Photoshop Layers – Layer Groups
As you add more and more layers to a document in Photoshop, your Layers panel can quickly become a cluttered mess of confusion. In this tutorial, learn how layer groups make it easy to keep things neat, tidy and organized!
08. Align and Distribute Layers In Photoshop
Learn how to easily and automatically align and distribute layers within a Photoshop document using the Align and Distribute options, and how layer groups make it easy to center multiple layers with the document itself!
09. Layer Opacity vs Fill in Photoshop
Photoshop’s Opacity and Fill options in the Layers panel both control the transparency of a layer, but in this tutorial, we learn the important difference between them when working with layer styles!
10. Photoshop Layers Essential Power Shortcuts
From creating, copying and selecting layers to blend modes, clipping masks and more, learn how to speed up your Photoshop workflow with these essential layers shortcuts!
