Layers in "Elements 2"

Chrisssssss……… wrote:

I’m sorry, but as a fairly new user of Elements 2, I have tried and tried to get my head around the first step of using Layers.
What I cannot manage is this: After I open the first photo as the background (Layer 0), I naturally want to add another photo as Layer 1. Making the new layer is simple enough, but how do I get the second photo onto Layer 1?

If Elements is like Photoshop, and I’m sure it is, then pasting or placing an image into the document automatically creates a new layer.

If I follow the precise instructions in either the Help files or a magazine tutorial everything fails.
The magazine tells me to align the first photo on the screen so that when I open the second, I can see both side by side. But when I open the second photo, the first disappears!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the first photo is not underneath the second? Or Minimized?

Is it me? Am I entirely stupid?
I have used most of the other photo edit features without any problem. Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Chrissssss………

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

If Elements is like Photoshop, and I’m sure it is, then pasting or placing an image into the document automatically creates a new layer.

When I do this, the first photo disappears. I just cannot find any way to actually see more than one photo at a time, or to see a different photo on another layer.
If I have my background photo open and I want to add another photo to a new layer, the moment I select any other photo, the first disappears.

Are you sure the first photo is not underneath the second? Or Minimized?

Yes I’m sure. If this was the case, you should still be able to see two photos in the Layers pallette. I can only see one as the background. Any other layers ashow as chequerboards.

HELP!!!! This problem has halted any work on Layers for months now and no-one seems to be able to advise what I’m doing wrong.

Chrisssss…….

Chrisssssss……… wrote:

If Elements is like Photoshop, and I’m sure it is, then pasting or placing an image into the document automatically creates a new layer.

When I do this, the first photo disappears. I just cannot find any way to actually see more than one photo at a time, or to see a different photo on another layer.
If I have my background photo open and I want to add another photo to a new layer, the moment I select any other photo, the first disappears.

Are you sure the first photo is not underneath the second? Or Minimized?

Yes I’m sure. If this was the case, you should still be able to see two photos in the Layers pallette. I can only see one as the background. Any other layers ashow as chequerboards.

No. The Layers palette shows only what’s in the current (front) document. If you have two documents open one could be on top of the other. Try moving the top window over a bit and see if there’s another one underneath it.

What you are describing doesn’t make sense so I think there must be something else happening or you are not describing it properly.

HELP!!!! This problem has halted any work on Layers for months now and no-one seems to be able to advise what I’m doing wrong.

Chrisssss…….

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

/snip/

Yes I’m sure. If this was the case, you should still be able to see two photos in the Layers pallette. I can only see one as the background. Any other layers ashow as chequerboards.

No. The Layers palette shows only what’s in the current (front) document. If you have two documents open one could be on top of the other. Try moving the top window over a bit and see if there’s another one underneath it.

What you are describing doesn’t make sense so I think there must be something else happening or you are not describing it properly.

HELP!!!! This problem has halted any work on Layers for months now and no-one seems to be able to advise what I’m doing wrong.

Chrisssss…….

Try this. Open photo one. Select All. Copy. Open photo two. Paste. Do you now get a new layer with photo one on it?
—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

You suggested:

Try this. Open photo one. Select All. Copy. Open photo two. Paste. Do you now get a new layer with photo one on it?

Yes. This now gives me a new layer showing a second photo! But I have to mess about with the eye icons in the pallettes box to be able to see the second photo on the page ready to work on.

But how do I save the total layers? When I close the layers box I loose everything again!!!!!

There are definately no other pics behind the one I’m working on (after moving it to check).

I appreciate your kindness and apologise if I’m not making sense. I suspect that I’m doing something wrong, but why oh why dont the help files tell people how to put a photo onto a layer? (it’s easy making a new layer itself, but a blank layer is no good to anyone).

Thanks, Chrissss…….

Chrisssssss……… wrote:

You suggested:

Try this. Open photo one. Select All. Copy. Open photo two. Paste. Do you now get a new layer with photo one on it?

Yes. This now gives me a new layer showing a second photo! But I have to mess about with the eye icons in the pallettes box to be able to see the second photo on the page ready to work on.

That’s how it works. If you want to work on a layer, click on it in the Layers Palette.

But how do I save the total layers? When I close the layers box I loose everything again!!!!!

You can save the file in psd format. All layers will be saved. Not sure I understand about closing the layers box. Do you mean the palette? The documtnt itself? Don’t close without saving. I am sure you get a message asking if you want to save.

There are definately no other pics behind the one I’m working on (after moving it to check).

I appreciate your kindness and apologise if I’m not making sense. I suspect that I’m doing something wrong, but why oh why dont the help files tell people how to put a photo onto a layer? (it’s easy making a new layer itself, but a blank layer is no good to anyone).

Thanks, Chrissss…….

—
Comic book sketches and artwork:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/edjh.html
Comics art for sale:
http://www.sover.net/~hannigan/batsale.html

When you open a new layer it has nothing in it and if you turn off the visibility of the background layer (by clicking the eye icon) only the new layer is visible. The checker pattern you see is an indication of transparency. If you want two pictures side by side you have to enlarge the canvas so there is room to move the second picture. As others have already pointed out, you only have to copy the second picture and paste it in to the original. This automatically creates a new layer. It is pasted by default in the center of the canvas. If you have enlarged the canvas to twice the original width (and the pictures are the same size) you can drag the new one from the center of the canvas to the open area and you will have the two side by side.

In article <dh5i2o$a82$>,
"Chrisssssss………" wrote:

If I follow the precise instructions in either the Help files or a magazine tutorial everything fails.
The magazine tells me to align the first photo on the screen so that when I open the second, I can see both side by side. But when I open the second photo, the first disappears!!!!!!!!!

You are using Microsoft Windows, aren’t you?

When you use Microsoft Windows, look closely at the small buttons on the edge of every window. One of these small gadgets is the Close button; you click on it to close the window. One of these gadgets is the Minimize button; when you click on it, the window goes down to the taskbar on the bottom of your screen. One of these gadgets toggles the window between Window and Full Screen mode.

If you have a window in Full Screen mode, you can not see any other windows. In order to open two images in Elements and see both of them, you must make sure that the windows are not in Full Screen mode. Then you can resize them and move them around so that you can see both of them.

To get one image in a layer on top of another image, you can Select All, then Copy, then Paste it into the second image. Or, you can put both windows side by side on your computer screen and use the Move tool to drag one image into the other image’s window.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

In article <dh630j$mbl$>,
"Chrisssssss………" wrote:

Yes I’m sure. If this was the case, you should still be able to see two photos in the Layers pallette. I can only see one as the background. Any other layers ashow as chequerboards.

The palettes only show you the information of the window that is on the top right now. The Layers palette will never show you all the layers for two different images at the same time.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 15:36:30 +0100, "Chrisssssss………" wrote:

You suggested:

Try this. Open photo one. Select All. Copy. Open photo two. Paste. Do you now get a new layer with photo one on it?

Yes. This now gives me a new layer showing a second photo! But I have to mess about with the eye icons in the pallettes box to be able to see the second photo on the page ready to work on.

But how do I save the total layers? When I close the layers box I loose everything again!!!!!

There are definately no other pics behind the one I’m working on (after moving it to check).

I appreciate your kindness and apologise if I’m not making sense. I suspect that I’m doing something wrong, but why oh why dont the help files tell people how to put a photo onto a layer? (it’s easy making a new layer itself, but a blank layer is no good to anyone).

Just a question, but are you trying to combine the images? And if not, why are you trying to save two different images in the same file?

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

"tacit" wrote in message

In article <dh5i2o$a82$>,
"Chrisssssss………" wrote:

If I follow the precise instructions in either the Help files or a magazine
tutorial everything fails.
The magazine tells me to align the first photo on the screen so that when I
open the second, I can see both side by side. But when I open the second photo, the first disappears!!!!!!!!!

You are using Microsoft Windows, aren’t you?

When you use Microsoft Windows, look closely at the small buttons on the edge of every window. One of these small gadgets is the Close button; you click on it to close the window. One of these gadgets is the Minimize button; when you click on it, the window goes down to the taskbar on the bottom of your screen. One of these gadgets toggles the window between Window and Full Screen mode.

If you have a window in Full Screen mode, you can not see any other windows. In order to open two images in Elements and see both of them, you must make sure that the windows are not in Full Screen mode. Then you can resize them and move them around so that you can see both of them.

To get one image in a layer on top of another image, you can Select All, then Copy, then Paste it into the second image. Or, you can put both windows side by side on your computer screen and use the Move tool to drag one image into the other image’s window.

—
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink: all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

Hi.

Lots of sensible advice so far, but what the poster does not seem to have realised, is that with 2 different images, one on each of the 2 layers, he will only be able to see the picture on the top layer.

I am assuming that the images on each layer are the same size, and are both the full size of the canvas.

If he clicks off the top layer "Eye" he will then only be able to see the picture on the bottom layer.

If he "Flattens" the layers, to combine them, then the bottom picture will be covered completely by the top one.

No-one has explained that a layer is not transparent, unless part of it does not contain any image.

Click off the bottom Layer "Eye" and if there are no "Checkerboard Background" bits on the top layer, then the top layer does not have any transparent bits. So it will be impossible to see any of the bottom layer through it.

Try using the "Eraser Tool" to rub out some of the top layer, and then when both "Eyes" are on, part of the Bottom picture will show through the hole that has been made in the Top picture.

It is a bit complicated, but the Help Files explain it quite clearly.

Go to Contents > Using Layers > About Layers

Roy G

Just a question, but are you trying to combine the images? And if not, why are you trying to save two different images in the same file?

No. All I want to do is place a background photo, then place another photo on the next layer so I can edit by cutting one one person to ‘add’ to the background. Chrisssss…..

Chrisssssss……… wrote:

I’m sorry, but as a fairly new user of Elements 2, I have tried and tried to get my head around the first step of using Layers.
What I cannot manage is this: After I open the first photo as the background (Layer 0), I naturally want to add another photo as Layer 1. Making the new layer is simple enough, but how do I get the second photo onto Layer 1?
If I follow the precise instructions in either the Help files or a magazine tutorial everything fails.
The magazine tells me to align the first photo on the screen so that when I open the second, I can see both side by side. But when I open the second photo, the first disappears!!!!!!!!!
Is it me? Am I entirely stupid?
I have used most of the other photo edit features without any problem. Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Chrissssss………

presuming elements 2 is like photoshop
I suspect what you have is the first photo maximised so you can only see 1 picture at a time.

Pete Mc

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 07:16:03 +0100, "Chrisssssss………" wrote:

Just a question, but are you trying to combine the images? And if not, why are you trying to save two different images in the same file?

No. All I want to do is place a background photo, then place another photo on the next layer so I can edit by cutting one one person to ‘add’ to the background. Chrisssss…..

That’s not the way it works. Read Roy’s reply.

—

Hecate – The Real One

Fashion: Buying things you don’t need, with money
you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like…

"Hecate" wrote in message

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 07:16:03 +0100, "Chrisssssss………" wrote:

Just a question, but are you trying to combine the images? And if not, why are you trying to save two different images in the same file?

No. All I want to do is place a background photo, then place another

photo

on the next layer so I can edit by cutting one one person to ‘add’ to the background. Chrisssss…..

That’s not the way it works. Read Roy’s reply.

—

Hecate – The Real One

A little late to the show, Hecate.