Page 42 - CS6_PS_Look_Inside

5. Press Return/Enter to finalize the placement of the first file.

After finalizing, the
first file no longer
shows the bounding Note:
box handles.
If you have the entire
The second file Adobe Creative
automatically appears,
ready to be finalized. Suite, Smart Objects
provide extremely tight
integration between
Adobe Photoshop and
6. Press Return/Enter again to finalize the placement of the second file. Adobe Illustrator. You
can take advantage
of the sophisticated
The two placed files vector-editing features in
are stored on layers Adobe Illustrator, and
named based on the
placed file names. then place those files into
Photoshop without losing
The placed files are
Smart Object layers. the ability to edit the
vector information.

7. Save the file and continue to the next stage of the project.
Right now, you have a fairly incomprehensible mess of four raster images and three
vector objects all piled on top of one another. You will start to make sense of these files
in the next stage.

Stage 2 Managing Layers

Your ad file now has most of the necessary pieces, but it’s still not an actual design — just a pile of
images. When you composite images into a cohesive design, you almost certainly need to manipulate
and transform some of the layers to make all of the pieces work together.
Photoshop includes a number of options for managing layers: naming layers for easier recognition,
creating layer groups so multiple layers can be manipulated at once, moving layers around on the
canvas, transforming layers both destructively and non-destructively, controlling individual layer
visibility, and arranging the top-to-bottom stacking order of layers to determine exactly what is visible.
You will use all of these options in this stage of the project.

nAMe lAyers And lAyer groups

It’s always a good idea to name your layers because it makes managing the file much
easier — especially when you work with files that include dozens of layers. Even with
only four unnamed layers in this file (counting the Background layer), it would be
tedious to have to toggle each layer on to find the one you want.
1. With aftermath.psd open, review the Layers panel.

50 Project 1: Composite Movie Ad