Old newbie needs layer help!

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:31:37 +1000, Paulo wrote:

Hi! folks! Managed to come to grips with many of the features but stumped with layers.

Start from file/new and get a white rectangle on the workspace, and get a thumbnail marked background with a partically locked icon in the layer pallete.

I create a new layer from layer/new/layer menu and see it as a hatched layer 1. I ensure that it is active (highlighted?) then open an image, expecting it to appear on the layer one. but the image combines with the background and makes one image labled background.

Tried locking, changing image size and other strategies in my megere repotoire to no avail. Athough can’t seem to get rid to the partically locked icon on the background layer.

How do I get subsequent images onto different layers, so that I can combine them on to white background. In short what am I doing wrong!
Thanks for you time. Photoshop CS3 V10

Bob

Used with Win XP SP2.

On Mar 28, 7:34 pm, Paulo wrote:

How do I get subsequent images onto different layers, so that I can combine them on to white background. In short what am I doing wrong!

Hi Bob,
One possibility would be to open Photoshop. Then open Bridge and drag each image into Photoshop that you want to work with. Then with the move tool shift+drag each of those files into the same document – they will each be on their own layer.
Once you get the hang of layers you may want to check out smart objects as they are very powerful for making composites because they allow you to place documents without multiple interpolations.

Good luck,
Ron

wrote in message

One possibility would be to open Photoshop. Then open Bridge and drag each image into Photoshop that you want to work with.

Bridge! Thanks for that, Ron. Sorry, OP, I forgot Bridge! I have just begun to use it. It was broken under my CS2 setup. Do that. It is very cool.

"Paulo" wrote in message

Hi! folks! Managed to come to grips with many of the features but stumped with layers.

Start from file/new and get a white rectangle on the workspace, and get a thumbnail marked background with a partically locked icon in the layer pallete.

I create a new layer from layer/new/layer menu and see it as a hatched layer 1. I ensure that it is active (highlighted?) then open an image, expecting it to appear on the layer one. but the image combines with the background and makes one image labled background.

Tried locking, changing image size and other strategies in my megere repotoire to no avail. Athough can’t seem to get rid to the partically locked icon on the background layer.

How do I get subsequent images onto different layers, so that I can combine them on to white background. In short what am I doing wrong!
Thanks for you time. Photoshop CS3 V10

This is like Edgar Rice Burroughs’s depiction of Tarzan learning to read. He found a copy of the bible in the jungle, and noticed, after many hours of examination, that it has sheets of funny thin stuff with lots of black and white marks on it. Check out some tutorials on how to accomplish specific tasks using layers.

Here are a couple of the many tutorials that are available. http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm
http://www.elated.com/articles/introduction-to-layers/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-tutorials/Layers-a nd-channels/Most-popular/1/

If you prefer visuals to reading, there are video tutorials too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlWfZeyvk9Y
http://www.video-tutes.com/Tute_details_1085.htm
—
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:57:33 -0700, "Mike Russell" wrote:

This is like Edgar Rice Burroughs’s depiction of Tarzan learning to read. He found a copy of the bible in the jungle, and noticed, after many hours of examination, that it has sheets of funny thin stuff with lots of black and white marks on it. Check out some tutorials on how to accomplish specific tasks using layers.

Here are a couple of the many tutorials that are available. http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm
http://www.elated.com/articles/introduction-to-layers/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-tutorials/Layers-a nd-channels/Most-popular/1/
If you prefer visuals to reading, there are video tutorials too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlWfZeyvk9Y
http://www.video-tutes.com/Tute_details_1085.htm

Sorry it sounds to you like the saga of Tarzan, however help and tutorials, imply that each layer is separate, ie with a particular layer selected, images can be opened and other operations can be carried on that layer only.

However, here although I have an individual layer selected when I open a graphic onto that layer all other layers either disappear or merge, (not sure which) with only the most recent layer visible on the workspace and the layer pallet. Where there was once say three layers there is now one!

The program is new and all preferences are, or should be default.

Had the layers behaved as per tutorials or a similar program I have used, I would not have needed to request help here or endure your sarcasm.

"Paulo" wrote in message
….

Had the layers behaved as per tutorials or a similar program I have used, I would not have needed to request help here or endure your sarcasm.

I certainly intended no sarcasm, being a true admirer of the books. Best of luck.
—
Mike Russell – www.curvemeister.com

Hi! folks! Managed to come to grips with many of the features but stumped with layers.

Start from file/new and get a white rectangle on the workspace, and get a thumbnail marked background with a partically locked icon in the layer pallete.

I create a new layer from layer/new/layer menu and see it as a hatched layer 1. I ensure that it is active (highlighted?) then open an image, expecting it to appear on the layer one. but the image combines with the background and makes one image labled background.

Tried locking, changing image size and other strategies in my megere repotoire to no avail. Athough can’t seem to get rid to the partically locked icon on the background layer.

How do I get subsequent images onto different layers, so that I can combine them on to white background. In short what am I doing wrong!
Thanks for you time. Photoshop CS3 V10

Bob

You need to use the ‘Place’ command instead of ‘Open’ .
Open will just open a new image (with a locked bg layer) Look under ‘Window’ in the menu, at the bottom you will see you have more than one image open.
Or hit the F key a few times to reveal all open images.
Place will… place an image in already open image.
It’s under File in the menu.

"Paulo" wrote in message

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:57:33 -0700, "Mike Russell" wrote:

This is like Edgar Rice Burroughs’s depiction of Tarzan learning to read. He found a copy of the bible in the jungle, and noticed, after many hours of
examination, that it has sheets of funny thin stuff with lots of black and white marks on it. Check out some tutorials on how to accomplish specific tasks using layers.

Here are a couple of the many tutorials that are available. http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/layers/intro.htm
http://www.elated.com/articles/introduction-to-layers/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-tutorials/Layers-a nd-channels/Most-popular/1/
If you prefer visuals to reading, there are video tutorials too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlWfZeyvk9Y
http://www.video-tutes.com/Tute_details_1085.htm

Sorry it sounds to you like the saga of Tarzan, however help and tutorials, imply that each layer is separate, ie with a particular layer selected, images can be opened and other operations can be carried on that layer only.

However, here although I have an individual layer selected when I open a graphic onto that layer all other layers either disappear or merge, (not sure which) with only the most recent layer visible on the workspace and the layer pallet. Where there was once say three layers there is now one!

The program is new and all preferences are, or should be default.
Had the layers behaved as per tutorials or a similar program I have used, I would not have needed to request help here or endure your sarcasm.

what??
layers won’t merge together unless you merged them
I cannot understand your problem here
you mean you can’t see the layers under the other layers?? well unless you change the opacity or blend mode or turn the upper most ones off and on, then you can’t

think sandwiches
bread on bottom then a burger then some lettuce
the burger is opaque and you can’t see the bread

to unlock a background layer double click it
the rename box comes up and changes it to layer 0
VOILA unlocked
drag or Select all>copy>paste other images into that document they will become separate layers with no other input

the layers do behave as described in the help and tutorials

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:02:10 +1000, Paulo wrote:

However, here although I have an individual layer selected when I open a graphic onto that layer all other layers either disappear or merge, (not sure which) with only the most recent layer visible on the workspace and the layer pallet. Where there was once say three layers there is now one!

Are you sure you’re not working with two separate files? When you open a second file, Photoshop does not put the contents into a layer of an already-open file. You need to drag the layer from the layers pallet of the second file into the first file. That will create a new layer in the first file.

Or I could be misunderstanding what you’re trying to do… —
Paul Hartman/Dirty Linen
The Magazine of Folk and World Music
www.dirtylinen.com
Remove "SpamBeGone" to reply.

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:02:10 +1000, Paulo wrote:

However, here although I have an individual layer selected when I open a graphic onto that layer all other layers either disappear or merge, (not sure which) with only the most recent layer visible on the workspace and the layer pallet. Where there was once say three layers there is now one!

What you did wrong is:
After opening a file, in order to create a new layer,
you went file/new. That is totally wrong because you simply opened a ‘new version’ (by lack of a better description. English is not my home language).

Where there was once say three layers there is now one!

You should have went either’ Layer/New/Layer’
or in the far bottom right hand corner, click on the second icon from the right. First hold your cursor on top of it and it should read ‘create a new layer.
This is assuming you want a empty new layer on top of the existing layer. Select it to work on it.

If you want to add an existing photo/drawing/layer (as the second layer) to it,
open the first, minimize it and ‘File/Open’ the second, (which will be minimized as well) and use the ‘Move Tool’ (top icon in the Tool Palette) and drag and drop it to where you want it.
NOT from the ‘Palette’ BUT ‘Photo to Photo’.

I hope (actually I am sure:-) this will help.

Dave