Layer Styles 1 | Introduction to layer style basics At a recent chat, I asked what sort of techniques would you like to see. There was a huge excitement at the suggestion of Styles....so I am going to do a series of lessons on using layer styles, starting from the basics and moving each lesson to more challenging uses. And...by the way...it's LEAP day! Since this only comes around once every four years, I'm going to combine a fun game with our technique scrap. 1. What are layer styles? A layer style is one or more effects applied to a layer or layer group. A layer style can be added to any layer but we use styles most often for text and elements. There are 11 layer styles included in Photoshop (if you use a different software, there are equivalent effects). 2. How do I load layer styles? It's necessary to make sure that the window for layer styles is on, so you can load, see and use your layer styles. Click on windows and then make sure you see a check mark next to Styles. Once you have the styles palette open, click the 4 lines at the top right hand corner for the drop down menu, then click "import styles..." to load a new style. You can also just drag the style from your desktop or download folder onto the photoshop icon and it will automatically appear in your list. I like to see text only, but you can choose to see thumbnails, or thumbnails plus the text. There are some default shadows and many of our designers have styles available in the store. I use the drop shadows from One Little Bird on every layout. 3. How do I use layer styles? The easiest way to use a layer style is to just click on a pre-made one and the creator has done all the work for you. Easy peasy! But...did you know, you can create your own layer style, or even modify an existing one (this will be in a future lesson). In the following example, I have created a circle, but you are not limited to shapes. Once you have your shape, text, elements, etc...., make sure you are on the layer for what you want a style added to and click layer -> layer styles to see the options (you can also click on the fx icon on the bottom of the layer palette). The most common styles I use are Drop Shadow And Stroke I combine the 2 to use for photos. I have created a style for you that combines a stroke with a drop shadow. You can DOWNLOAD HERE
