Understanding layers in Photoshop Elements

You can go for ages without having to use the layer options in Photoshop Elements, but once you have, you’ll never look back.

Layers in Photoshop Elements

Layers are used to create what are called composite, or combined, images and can be really useful when editing photos.

Imagine each layer as a sheet of tracing paper, or perhaps an acetate for an overhead projector, that can be edited independently before it’s placed on top of other layers to create a composite.

You can then go back to individual layers and make as many alterations to them as you like (without affecting other layers), which can be a real time saver. And, because each layer is a separate sheet, you’re not editing the original and your work is safeguarded.

Although layers let you make collages out of images, text and logos, most novices are at first likely to want to use them to enhance or adjust images.

You can use layers to create collages and composites

Adjustment layers

Adjustment layers work non-destructively, which means editing them won’t lead to the degraded image quality we often see when working with JPEG files. 

Because they work like other layers, you can move them up or down in a stack to create slightly different effects, delete sheets that haven’t had the desired result, or return to a particular sheet to make changes.

It might sound complex, but you can also adjust a sheet’s opacity to increase or decrease a particular effect. After making the changes, you can view the result by turning the layer on and off. Only layers that are visible can be printed, so this feature can be used to print various versions of an image without making lots of copies.

Using adjustment layers is a much more flexible and versatile approach to image editing, and shouldn’t be the sole reserve of the enthusiast or imaging professional.

Like its sibling Photoshop, the industry standard imaging application, it’s probably fair to say the ability to create layers is Elements’ most impressive and versatile feature.

We’re not going to make a collage or composite just yet; in this tutorial we’re going to jump in at the deep end and enhance an image using Adjustment layers.

We’ve used version 6.0 of Elements for Windows in this tutorial but earlier offerings are similar, so the effects should be pretty straightforward to reproduce.

Editing with layers

In this step-by-step guide, we'll show you how to brighten up a dark photograph using layers.

1Step one: full edit mode

You'll see a thumbnail of your photo called Background

To get started, open a photo in Elements (type Ctrl+O) and navigate to your chosen image in the Full Edit mode. Click on the Layers tab (or choose Window>Layers) and you’ll see a thumbnail of your photo, called Background, in the Layers panel.

The Background layer isn’t like a real layer; you can’t adjust the blend mode or change opacity. Actually, you can’t do much with it at all, other than make basic adjustments or paint on it. 

You can get round this but for this tutorial we need to create our first adjustment layer.

2Step two: create an adjustment layer

Click the Create Adjustment Layer icon to see more options

Click on the Create Adjustment Layer icon (the half-black, half-white circular icon second from the left).

You’ll see a pop-up menu with as many as 11 different choices. 

Most of these, but not all, can also be found in the New Adjustment Layer sub-menu (Layer>New Adjustment Layer).

3Step three: make tonal corrections

You can change the brightness and contrast with these sliders

There are plenty of uses that adjustment layers can be put to. We could, for example, apply a levels adjustment to make tonal corrections (as demonstrated in an earlier tutorial. 

We could also add a colour filter, or lighten or darken a photo using the Brightness/Contrast sliders.

Instead, to demonstrate the real power and versatility of the various types of layers, we’re going to use a layer mask to brighten a specific area in a photo.

4Step four: compare and contrast

The 'levels' function changes the look of the whole image

Although this photo of an old potting shed in a garden in Northern France is attractive, it has deep, distracting shadows.

If we simply brighten the image or make tonal adjustments with levels without using layers (Ctrl+L), the sky will lighten too – losing some of the detail in the clouds. This technique would work equally well for heavily backlit scenes or simply underexposed images where the subject requires some lightening.

But it doesn’t really work that well for images where parts are slightly overexposed already and some highlight detail has been lost. Close the Levels panel by hitting Cancel.

5Step five: fine tune changes

Drag the white Input Levels slider to the left

From the New Adjustment Layer pop-up menu instead, select Levels as we tried in step three, and drag the white Input Levels slider to the left. 

This lightens our shadows nicely but the clouds and sky have burned out.

In this instance that’s what we’re looking for, and even if it’s not quite right we can always return later to fine-tune it. Click OK. 

You’ll notice the new Levels 1 adjustment layer appear in the layers panel above the original background layer.

6Step six: paint the adjustment layer

Select the brush tool and a large, soft-edged brush

Now the whole image is brighter, so we need to darken the areas that are too light. To do this we need to paint the adjustment layer with black.

Why black? A layer mask is automatically made with an adjustment layer and if you look at the thumbnail next to the levels adjustment layer thumbnail you’ll see it’s white. This means that the effect of the adjustment layer has been applied over the entire image.

However, and this is the clever bit, if it’s the opposite (black) the effects are hidden by the mask, but the photo underneath is unchanged. It sounds complicated but it really isn’t. Select a Brush tool (B) from the tool-box and choose a large, soft-edged brush to start with from the drop down picker. You can fine-tune the size from the slider.

7Step seven: switch back to black

Make sure the foreground colour is set to black before you begin painting over the image

Make sure the foreground colour is black, that’s the top square at the bottom of the tool-box. If it’s white, hit the X key, or click on either the twin arrow-head or miniature boxes to switch between them.

Click on the white thumbnail and when active you’ll see a thin black frame at the corners. Now paint your image with your mouse or pen and graphics tablet if you have one, and as you do so the original photo underneath is revealed. You may have to reduce the size of your brush and zoom in for painting around delicate areas.

Don’t worry if you make a mistake; type X to return the foreground colour to white and paint back over the mistake. Switch back to black to finish off.

8Step eight: save your work

You can check the effect by toggling the 'eye' box next to the layers panel

Double check the effect by clicking the box with the eye next to the Layer Thumbnail – this switches the layer on and off – and fine tune with the brush till you’re happy with the result. Remember you can even double click the Levels thumbnail to make additional tonal adjustments.

When happy, click OK and select File>Save as (Shift+Ctrl+S) and save as a .psd (PSD) file (to save the image complete with the layers). 

Although it will be a smaller file if you save it as a JPEG you won’t have access to the layer data, so save it as a PSD and then save a copy as a JPEG for printing or sharing.