Creating adjustment layers

Adjustment layers have the same opacity and blending mode options as image layers and can be rearranged in the layer stacking order, deleted, hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as image layers. By default, adjustment layers take the name of the adjustment type.


New Fill or Adjustment Layer menu A. Fill layers B. Adjustment layers

To create an adjustment layer:

1. In the Layers palette, select the topmost layer you want to affect.
2. To confine the effects of the adjustment layer to a selected area, make a selection.
3. Do one of the following:
• To affect all the layers below the adjustment layer, click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette, and choose the adjustment type you want to create. (Note that the first three commands in the menu are fill layers, not adjustment layers.)
• To affect only one or more successive layers below the adjustment layer, Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer, and choose an adjustment type from the submenu. In the New Layer dialog box, select Group With Previous Layer, and then click OK.
4. In the [adjustment type] dialog box, set the options for the adjustment type you chose:

Levels

Specify values for the highlights, shadows, and midtones. (See Using the Levels dialog box.)

Brightness/Contrast

Specify values for Brightness and Contrast. (See Using the Brightness/Contrast command.)

Hue/Saturation

Choose which colors to edit, and specify values for Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. (See Using the Hue/Saturation command.)

Gradient Map

Choose a gradient and set gradient options. (See Using the Gradient Map command.)

Invert

Invert adjustment layers don't have options. (See Using the Invert command.)

Threshold

Specify a threshold level. (See Using the Threshold command.)

Posterize

Specify the number of tonal levels for each color channel. (See Using the Posterize command.)

If you chose the Group With Previous Layer option in step 3, Photoshop Elements groups the adjustment layer with the layer immediately below it and the effect is confined to the group. To add more layers to the group, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and position the pointer over the line dividing the bottommost layer in the group with the next layer below it (the pointer changes to two overlapping circles ), and then click. For more information, see Creating grouped layers.