Home | Helps |Layers palette

By jamesvalue

Layers palette

The Layers palette, is a very important features in paint shop pro and it should always stays open while the program is running , if you discover it closed at the program start-up, you can open it through view>palettes>Layers (F8) .

A Psp8 layers palette.

From Paint shop pro8 help

Types of Layers
There are five types of layers: background, raster, vector, mask, and adjustment.
The icon before the layer name on the Layer palette shows the type of layer.
In addition, you can create layer groups, and promote selections to layers.
Paint Shop Pro supports up to 500 layers.
The actual number of layers allowed in an image may be limited by the amount of memory in your computer.

Note: Only greyscale and 16 million color images can have multiple raster layers.

Images of any color depth can include multiple vector layers.

Raster Layers
Raster layers are layers with raster data only.
Raster data is composed of individual elements, called pixels, arranged in a grid.
Each pixel has a specific location and color.
Photographic images are composed of raster data.
If you magnify raster data, you can see the individual pixels as squares of colors.
Use raster layers for displaying subtle changes in tones and colors.
Or, use raster layers for objects and raster text on which you want to apply raster-only commands and tools.
The effects commands, the painting tools, and many other tools apply only to raster layers.
Saving multi-layered images: When you create multi-layered images, you must save them in .PspImage format (Paint Shop Pro’s native format) to maintain all layer information.
When you save to most other formats, all layers are merged into one background layer. When you save to .PSD (PhotoShop) format, the image maintains raster and adjustment layers, but vector layers are converted to raster layers.
Raster data must be on raster layers (a regular raster layer or the background layer).
If you try to use a raster tool while a vector layer is selected, Paint Shop Pro prompts you to convert the vector layer into a raster layer.

Adjustment layers
Adjustment layers are correction layers that adjust the color or tone of underlying layers.
Each adjustment layer makes the same correction as an equivalent command on the Colors > Adjust menu, but does not change image pixels like the command does.
Adjustment layers cannot be the bottom layer. You will not be able to delete other layers if deleting them causes an adjustment layer to become the bottom layer. For more information, see Using Adjustment Layers.

Mask Layers
Mask layers show or hide portions of underlying layers.
A mask is basically an adjustment layer that modifies opacity.
Use masks to create sophisticated effects.
For example, mask all details around the main subject in a photograph, or use a mask to create a picture frame that fades away at the center to reveal the subject. Mask layers cannot be the bottom layer.
You will not be able to delete other layers if deleting them causes a mask layer to become the bottom layer.
For more information, see Working with Masks.

Vector Layers
Vector layers are layers with only vector objects (lines and shapes), vector text, or vector groups. Vector objects and text are composed of geometric characteristics—lines, curves, and their locations.
When you edit vector objects and text, you edit these lines and curves, rather than editing individual pixels.
Vector graphics and vector text maintain their clarity and detail when scaled to any size or printed at any resolution.
Use vector layers to create objects or text that you can easily edit.
To display the names of vector objects on a vector layer, click the plus sign in front of the layer name on the Layer palette.
Vector objects must be on vector layers.
If you create a vector object while a raster layer is selected, Paint Shop Pro creates a vector layer just above the current layer.
In addition, you cannot move a vector layer to a non-vector layer.

Background Layer
The background layer is the bottom layer of an image. It is named “Background” on the Layer palette and cannot be renamed. When you import file formats such as JPEG, GIF, or PNG into Paint Shop Pro, they are one layer—the background layer.
The background layer contains raster data but cannot display transparency.
You cannot change its order in the stack, its blend mode, or its opacity.
To move a background layer higher in the stacking order, promote it to a regular raster layer.
If you create a new image with a transparent background, it does not have a background layer and its bottom layer is a raster layer named “Raster Layer 1”. You may move this layer anywhere within the stacking order, or change its opacity or blend mode.

Home | Helps | Layers palette

 

Web site dedicated to Paint shop pro8

 

 

This site uses tons of "png" images. If you have trouble viewing them an upgrade to a newer browser version should correct those problems (by JimL)