Working with Layers Part I: Layer Sets

This tutorial is an introduction to working with layer sets and a continuation of understanding layers.

In this psd.net finished tutorial design (which is available for download; go here to get free access) we are looking at the layers palette. Here you can see that I’ve created different layer sets.

Layer sets are simply folders and help you organize your layers (also so the palette doesn’t become so cluttered).

You can open and close layer sets by clicking on the arrow. You can drag any layer into a layer set. Once you have a layer or layers that are in a layer set you can move them all at once around the document when the layer set itself is highlighted in the layers palette.

Here I am moving all of the layers at once.

You can still move and work on individual layers separately by highlighting a layer within the layer set. You can then move it around to where you’d like it to be. For text layers you can double click on the layer icon to enter the text editing field for changes.

You can also hide layers within a layer set by clicking on the seeing eyeball to turn off the layers visibility. It’s important to note that you can still move it around when it’s invisible and it will also move with all of the layers when you move a layer set.

You can also hide entire layer sets by turning the visibility off. If all layers are turned ‘on’ within the layer set then you just click the layer set visibility to bring all of them ‘back’ from the netherworld.

You can right click on a layer set (as with layers themselves) and choose layer set properties.

Here you can name the layer set (or you can double click on the name itself) or even add a color to help organize and make things perrtier.

Often times I’m so busy with designing that I don’t name my layers. Some people find it annoying to see lots of layer13, layer35, etc.’s but it’s up to you if you want to name your layers. Sometimes I’ll do it after designing to help clean things up or just on a few layers when I need to distinguish it from the others.

Linking layers is easy and allows them to be moved or transformed together. Just click on the link space when you want to link another layer to the currently highlighted layer. Remember you can also right click anywhere on the document when you are on the moVe tool to choose from layers that are right beneath that point.

Note that these layers are linked together within the layer set and those are the only ones that are moving.

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