Paint Shop Pro 7 Tutorial: Layers [basics]

Layers are useful for just about everything. I used to not use layers at all but lately I've started using a new layer for every different thing in my designs. This way it's much, much easier when you want to go back and edit certain parts, such as text. This is a very basic layer tutorial, and you can always figure out the more complicated parts.

Okay, so what are layers? Basically, when you make an graphic or layout, you can create layers to help you organize it. Layers let you divide up your picture. I think the best way to explain this would be to show you. So, consider this picture.

This is a picture made using layers. There are two layers in the picture - they are as shown below:

The black nothingness is the background layer. All images come with a background layer. The second image is the first layer I made, which contains the smiley. (Everyone should know this by now, but the white and grey squares represents transparency.) Put those together, and you get a smiley face on a black background.

Not that impressive, is it? You really don't need layers for the simpler images like this, but when you're actually making a layout, and you want to keep track of changes you've made, or if you want to do a certain effect to only one part of the image, (or if you want to make 3d graphics!) I'm sure you can see where layers will come in handy. Some people use tons of layers on their layouts and it helps them a lot, but some people rarely if ever use them. Each to their own, I suppose.

Okay, so how to do layers. First of all, you need to have your Layer Palette open. Do that by going to View > Toolbars > Layers Palette. After you've checked that, the layers palette pops up. Not much on it yet - you have to have an image open to be able to actually use it.

So let's experiment. Go to File > New and create a new image. Let's make the image dimensions a width of 200 and a height of 100 (pixels, of course). Background color, let's have that at white. Now you have a bland, white little image...

But your layers palette can actually do things now! Note how it has a layer called "Background." Also note how in the box to the right, you can't do anything with the transparency, changing the layer from "normal," or locking it. That's because the background layer is a very, very basic layer that all images are required to have, and it's very limited in what one can do with it.

So create a new layer so it isn't so limited. Right click on the Background layer and it gives you a lot of options. The main ones you really need are "New Vector Layer" and "New Raster Layer." The adjustment layers are more complicated crap, I've rarely ever used them, so don't worry about it. There's also "Duplicate," which will create an exact copy of the layer you have selected (which, in this case, is the Background layer). Delete... well, deletes the layer. Ooh, brain cells lost there. Properties tells you... drumroll... the properties of the layer. Don't worry too much about that yet. View, Merge, simple stuff - most people with brain cells can figure it out. Note how the Background layer has the extra option that other layers don't when you click it - Promote to Layer - if you do that, the BG layer doesn't become as limited in what you can do with it. But don't worry about that - you can create new layers instead - having a Background layer is good.

Okay, when you create a new layer, you can do so with either a Vector layer or a Raster layer. Let me explain the difference between the two. With raster layers, which is what is mostly used (what I use all the time, at least), the image is made by 1 x 1 pixels. Even if you use the same color for the whole image, it's still divided into 1 pixel by 1 pixel. With vector layers, if you color a whole area in with one color, it saves space by grouping it all into one instead if dividing it up by pixels. Also, when you resize vector layers, the image doesn't lose any quality as you might with raster layers.

A bit confusing, I know. The bottom line is, vector layers are better if you're doing a very simple layer with only a few colors. It would save you more space there. However, if you're doing any sort of complicated image, use raster layers. (Or just use raster layers, period, like I do. They work fine.) Anyway, enough wasting space - we'll only be using raster layers here.

So you've right clicked on the Background layer. Select the option that says New Raster Layer. A window pops up. Just ignore all the properties for now, and click OK. See how a new layer pops up - it's titled "Layer1." Leave Layer1 highlighted and draw anything on your blank image. (I drew a flower!)

Isn't it purty? xD *cough* Bare with me, I'm almost done. Look to the window on your layer palette on the right. Note how you can actually do stuff with Layer1. Try decreasing the opacity to 50%. Note how the flower (or whatever you drew) turns more transparent and blends in with the background.

Try clicking the little glasses right next to the layer names on the palette. Once you click them, that layer is no longer viewable so you can just see what one layer looks like ^_^; Before you actually extract (save) the image, or maybe if you just want to merge a couple layers together, go to Layers > Merge > Flatten Image, and all your layers will become one layer.

Here's what your layers palette should have looked like at the end of the flower image.

The last thing that's really important that you need to know is the Layer Type, which as you can see in the above image is currently set to normal. This will write over whatever you have in layers below it. If you set the layer type to multiply, it will coincide with the layers below it. Experiment with layer types to figure out other cool layer tricks.

I guess that's all the very basic things I can teach you. Feel free to experiment around with more things on layers yourself - I'm sure you can, now that you have the basic concept.

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