Adobe 29180155 User Guide - Page 103

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 98 User Guide 3 Do one of the following: • Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button at the top of the Layers palette, and choose the fill type you want to create. (The first three options listed in the palette are fill layers, the others are adjustment layers.) • Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > [fill type]. In the New Layer dialog box that appears, click OK. Solid Color Creates a layer filled with a solid color chosen from the Adobe Color Picker. Gradient Creates a layer filled with a gradient. You can choose a predefined gradient from the Gradient menu. To edit the gradient in the Gradient Editor, click the color gradient. You can drag in the image window to move the center of the gradient. You can also specify the shape of the gradient (Style) and the angle at which it is applied (Angle). Select Reverse to flip its orientation, Dither to reduce banding, and Align With Layer to use the layer's bounding box to calculate the gradient fill. Pattern Creates a layer filled with a pattern. Click the pattern, and choose a pattern from the pop-up palette. You can scale the pattern and choose Snap To Origin to position the origin of the pattern with that of the document window. To specify that the pattern moves with the Fill layer as it is relocated select Link With Layer. When this option is selected, you can drag in the image to position the pattern while the Pattern Fill dialog box is open. To create a new preset pattern after editing pattern settings, click the New Preset button . To edit an adjustment or fill layer 1 In the Editor, open the adjustment or fill options dialog box by doing one of the following: • Double-click the adjustment or fill layer's leftmost thumbnail in the Layers palette. • Select the layer in the palette and choose Layer > Layer Content Options. • Select the layer in the palette and choose Layer > Change Layer Content and select a different fill or adjustment layer from the list. 2 Make your changes, and click OK. Merging adjustment layers You can merge an adjustment or fill layer in several ways: with the layer below it, with other selected layers, with the layers in its own group, with the layers it's linked to, and with all other visible layers. You cannot, however, use an adjustment layer or fill layer as the base or target layer for a merge. When you merge an adjustment layer or fill layer with the layer below it, the adjustments are simplified and permanently applied to the merged layer. The adjustment no longer affects other layers below the merged adjustment layer. You can also convert (simplify) a fill layer to an image layer without merging it. Adjustment layers and fill layers with masks (the layer's rightmost thumbnail in the Layers palette) that contain only white values do not add significantly to the file size, so you don't need to merge these adjustment layers to conserve file space. See also "To merge layers" on page 92 "To simplify a layer" on page 87