Lesson Info
20. Align Active Layers
Lessons
Introduction To Adobe Photoshop
04:05 2Bridge vs. Lightroom
06:39 3Tour of Photoshop Interface
18:21 4Overview of Bridge Workspace
07:42 5Overview of Lightroom Workspace
11:21 6Lightroom Preferences - Saving Documents
08:19 7How To Use Camera Raw in Adobe Photoshop 2020
05:10 8Overview of Basic Adjustment Sliders
13:09Developing Raw Images
30:33 10Editing with the Effects and HLS Tabs
09:12 11How to Save Images
03:37 12Using the Transform Tool
04:48 13Making Selections in Adobe Photoshop 2020
06:03 14Selection Tools
05:55 15Combining Selection Tools
07:37 16Using Automated Selection Tools
17:34 17Quick Mask Mode
05:07 18Select Menu Essentials
21:28 19Using Layers in Adobe Photoshop 2020
13:00 20Align Active Layers
07:29 21Creating a New Layer
06:15 22Creating a Clipping Mask
03:02 23Using Effects on Layers
11:24 24Using Adjustment Layers
16:44 25Using the Shape Tool
04:39 26Create a Layer Mask Using the Selection Tool
04:39 27Masking Multiple Images Together
15:15 28Using Layer Masks to Remove People
10:50 29Using Layer Masks to Replace Sky
10:04 30Adding Texture to Images
09:11 31Layering to Create Realistic Depth
05:35 32Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop 2020
05:29 33Optimizing Grayscale with Levels
10:59 34Adjusting Levels with a Histogram
03:37 35Understanding Curves
06:18 36Editing an Image Using Curves
18:41 37Editing with Shadows/Highlights Adjustment
07:19 38Dodge and Burn Using Quick Mask Mode
07:14 39Editing with Blending Modes
08:04 40Color Theory
05:59 41Curves for Color
16:52 42Hue and Saturation Adjustments
08:59 43Isolating Colors Using Hue/Saturation Adjustment
13:33 44Match Colors Using Numbers
16:59 45Adjusting Skin Tones
05:25 46Retouching Essentials In Adobe Camera Raw
10:52 47Retouching with the Spot Healing Brush
07:53 48Retouching with the Clone Stamp
06:51 49Retouching with the Healing Brush
04:34 50Retouching Using Multiple Retouching Tools
13:07 51Extending an Edge with Content Aware
03:42 52Clone Between Documents
13:19 53Crop Tool
10:07 54Frame Tool
02:59 55Eye Dropper and Color Sampler Tools
08:14 56Paint Brush Tools
13:33 57History Brush Tool
06:27 58Eraser and Gradient Tools
03:06 59Brush Flow and Opacity Settings
04:17 60Blur and Shape Tools
11:06 61Dissolve Mode
09:24 62Multiply Mode
15:29 63Screen Mode
14:08 64Hard Light Mode
14:54 65Hue, Saturation, and Color Modes
11:31 66Smart Filters
11:32 67High Pass Filter
13:40 68Blur Filter
05:59 69Filter Gallery
07:42 70Adaptive Wide Angle Filter
04:43 71Combing Filters and Features
04:45 72Select and Mask
20:04 73Manually Select and Mask
08:08 74Creating a Clean Background
21:19 75Changing the Background
13:34 76Smart Object Overview
08:37 77Nested Smart Objects
09:55 78Scale and Warp Smart Objects
09:08 79Replace Contents
06:55 80Raw Smart Objects
10:20 81Multiple Instances of a Smart Object
12:59 82Creating a Mockup Using Smart Objects
05:42 83Panoramas
13:15 84HDR
11:20 85Focus Stacking
04:02 86Time-lapse
11:18 87Light Painting Composite
08:05 88Remove Moire Patterns
06:11 89Remove Similar Objects At Once
09:52 90Remove Objects Across an Entire Image
05:46 91Replace a Repeating Pattern
06:50 92Clone from Multiple Areas Using the Clone Source Panel
10:27 93Remove an Object with a Complex Background
07:49 94Frequency Separation to Remove Staining and Blemishes
12:27 95Warping
11:03 96Liquify
14:02 97Puppet Warp
12:52 98Displacement Map
10:36 99Polar Coordinates
07:19 100Organize Your Layers
11:02 101Layer Styles: Bevel and Emboss
02:59 102Layer Style: Knockout Deep
12:34 103Blending Options: Blend if
13:18 104Blending Options: Colorize Black and White Image
06:27 105Layer Comps
08:30 106Black-Only Shadows
06:07 107Create a Content Aware Fill Action
08:46 108Create a Desaturate Edges Action
07:42 109Create an Antique Color Action
13:52 110Create a Contour Map Action
10:20 111Faux Sunset Action
07:20 112Photo Credit Action
05:54 113Create Sharable Actions
07:31 114Common Troubleshooting Issues Part 1
10:23 115Common Troubleshooting Issues Part 2
07:57 116Image Compatibility with Lightroom
03:29 117Scratch Disk Is Full
06:02 118Preview Thumbnail
02:10Lesson Info
Align Active Layers
Now, what I'd like to do is select the four layers that make up the top four images in this document, and so I need to find them, and I could look in the layers palette to figure it out. Or I could attempt to use that choice of auto select layers. The problem is, I don't want it on all the time, So let's figure out how to target on and off as needed. Watch what happens to the auto select option in the upper left of my screen. When I hold on the command key and a Mac control on Windows for the length of time that I haven't held down, that check box gets turned on. When I release the command key, it gets turned off, and therefore I can automatically switch which layer is active as long as them in the move tool And I hold on the command key. So that means I command click. When I want to make this layer active, I command click when I want that layer active, and therefore I can target layers as I please, but they'll never change without me purposefully holding down the command key and click...
ing But in my case, I need four different layers to be active at the same time. You can do that in the layers panel. Ah, a couple different methods. One is if I already had this layer active, and that's the last layer I've clicked on. If I hold down the shift key and click on another layer, it's going to select all the layers in between. The last one I had made active and the one I was clicking on when I had the shift key held down and I can add more hold, shift and click here, and it should extend it all the way down there to end up de selecting individual layers. I can hold down the command key and click that's controlling windows, and then I can toggle a layer so it's either selected or not for active or not, I should say so. That's how I could do it here in my layers panel. The problem is working in your layers panel. It's not always easy to tell what's in each layer. It's much easier most of the time to look within the main document window, so now let's figure out how to do that same thing using auto select layers. So remember, I have auto select layers up here turned off. So therefore, I have to hold on the command key and click control on Windows to switch to another document. But I want not just this layer active. I want the one next to it. If I just command click on it, it will switch which layer is active, but it won't make them both active. So here's what I do. Just add the shift key. So I'm holding down Command, which is controlling windows to say auto select, and then shift means add to or take away from what I already have. So we'll do that to the other layers that are here and now I have a total of four layers highlighted in my layers panel. Four layers are active. Well, when I have four layers active or just any time of more than one layer active up here in my options bar, I'm going to see options for aligning my layers. So if I were to click on this, it would make sure that the top edges of all those layers are in the same position. If I chose this, it would make sure the bottom edges are, or this one would center them vertically. When I want to do, though, in this case is to choose this option, and that's going to make sure the amount of space there is between these images is the same. So now we have the same amount of white space between them. I want to do the same thing to the images of the bottom. So now I need to select those four layers, and I could use the same technique command. Click on one layer to make it active than add shift. Click on the next one and the next one and the next one. But sometimes you have a large number of layers. Let's say that was 15 layers side by side. How could I get all 15 selected without having to click 15 times? Well, here's how it could be done. If you have an empty area in your document that doesn't really contain a layer, it's empty information you can command. Click as if you're using auto select layers, but then drag in. If you clicked within an empty area, then is the drag. It's going to select which ever layers this Breck tangled touches. So it should now make that layer active, this one, that one. Keep going and I could get multiple layers like that. And that was on Lee If I started my mouse in an empty area. The document and by empty I'm in an area that either contains what's known as the background. So if you look in your layers panel, this bottom, most thing that called background contains that or it looks like a checkerboard. Then I'm able to do that. I have those all selected. I'll go to the top of my screen up here where I find my alignment controls and I'll tap the one that equally spaces these horizontally. In this case, it didn't quite do what I wanted, and that's because I have mawr layers down there than I need. There were two layers that were kind of right on top of each other, and so I have more layers than I need in this pile. I'm gonna get rid of one of those layers. I'm gonna get rid of this one on the far right to get rid of a layer. Just click on its name in the layers panel and either click the trash can at the bottom of the layers panel or dragged layer to the trash can. Or if you're in the move tool. Just hit the delete key on your keyboard and you'll delete it. They don't move this over groups. Sorry. Move this over and then I'm going to select all those in, say, equally spaced them. I want to get these spaces a little closer together, so I'm going to get just one layer active, this one here, drag it over. I would say about their then get the other selected until it equally spaced them with the icon of the top of my screen. Then what I'd like to dio is now I want these two, ah, top and bottom rose to take up the majority of the width of my document. So before, when we brought over an individual layer, if we wanted to change its size, we used free transform, and when we did it change the size of just one layer. Well, if you have more than one layer selected like I currently have now, you can also go up to the edit menu, choose free transform and now you're going to be re sizing multiple layers so I can get those to span the width of my screen press returner enter. When I'm done, I want to do the same thing for the images at the top. I need to get them active. I can do that many different ways, but one of which was to hold on the command key, which means auto select layers. Click within this empty area and just drag across. Then I will transform free transform and get those to be spanning the whip press returner enter to say, I'm done now, I'd like to move this one down. I'll command click on it because remember, command click means auto Select layers and now we have that filling a good portion of our screen.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Noel Ice
I am an avid reader of photoshop books, and an avid watcher of photoshop tutorials. I have attended (internet) several hundred of presentations. In the course of this endeavor, I have found my own favorite photoshop websites and instructors. Creative Live is probably the bargain out there as well as among the top three internet course sites. I have to say with great enthusiasm that the best Photoshop instructor is Ben Willmore. There are many great ones, but truly, he is the best I have come across, and, as indicated above, I have watched literally 100s of tutorials on Photoshop. I have seen all of Ben's courses, I think, and among them, this one is the best by far, and that is saying a lot, because that makes this course the best course on Photoshop to be found anywhere. I am going back and watching it twice. Not only is it comprehensive, but Ben is so familiar with his subject that he is able to explain it like no other. This is crème de la crème of Photoshop classes. I have been wanting to write this review for some time because I have been so thoroughly impressed with everything about this class!
ford smith
Highly recommended if you want to take your Photoshop skills to the next level. Ben Willmore is clear, concise, and professional. He also has a good speaking voice that is not distracting but also keeps you engaged. Lastly, I would recommend that as you become more advanced, increasing the speed of the video (one of the options given on the menu)...especially if you've gone through the course once before and maybe want to watch it again. The double speed is very efficient as you become more advanced in Photoshop. Thanks for the help Ben!
a Creativelive Student
Wow. I cannot communicate the value of this course!! The true value in this course is how the instructor identifies workflows you'll need before you'll ever realize it, repeats important information without it becoming annoying, and explains the "why" behind the techniques so well that even if you forget the exact method, you can figure it out via the principles learned. Excellent value, excellent material, excellent instructor!!!