Paint Shop Pro Layers The special feature is working with layers

Layers are very special when it comes to graphic design, as it allows us to build graphics in multiple levels. When we work with layers we have the freedom for designing custom graphics for business logos, header designs, website layouts, holiday cards, scrapbooking, and more. The Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 program features the use of layers which makes it the perfect software for all of our graphic design projects.

You can see below that we started off with a basic rounded vector square shape that includes a 5px white border, and a black fill (image 1). In Paint Shop Pro, we have the ability to duplicate our layers, and this allowed for us to duplicate our square vector shape. After duplication, we closed the original, and changed the properties of the duplicate to remove the gradient fill (image 2). We then added a drop shadow to the duplicate layer white frame, and then merged it to become a raster layer (image 3). In the layer pallet sample below you will not see the fame and the shadow merged, as we wanted you to see that the shadow must sit beneath the frame layer (image 7). We then opened the original vector, changed the properties to remove the white border, but set the properties to have the light blue gradient fill. This gave us a nice 3D effect to the button frame (image 4). Now the last thing to do was add our image, and a shadow. To add an image to our button so that it would sit above the gradient filling we made the background blue fill layer active by clicking on it and then added the new layer. We then added a tube of a cartoon bird onto that layer (image 5). The final step we added a drop shadow the the tube layer (image 6).

Image 1	Image 2	Image 3	Image 7
Image 4	Image 5	Final Image 6

Back when we were children we would draw images like the one shown below. Even when we were five years old we knew that we would have to color in the sky, and then add our clouds. We also knew that the birds in the sky had to go in front of the clouds so that we could see them. Working with layers in Paint Shop Pro, our layer pallet will contain all the pieces to our picture. The layer pallet will hold our pieces in order, but we work from the bottom up in a layer pallet. Just like when we were five, we started from the bottom up on our clean piece of paper.

Review the example below, and I'm sure it will inspire you to go back to the easy days of our childhoods, and draw that pretty sun photo. Ahh, this may sound silly, but if you truly want to learn more about Paint Shop Pro, and layers, then you truly can benefit from such an exercise.

Simple Sample of Layers		Paint Shop Pro Layers with no technical mumbo jumbo, no exercises to do... just watch and learn. Paint Shop Pro Layers Tutorial
Layer 1 = Blue Sky Layer 2 = Sun Layer 3 = Clouds Layer 4 = Grass Layer 5 = Tree Layer 6 = Grass to cover tree base Layer 7 = Cat in grass Layer 8 = Girl in grass

Paint Shop Pro Layer Tutorial Video Presentation on PSP Layers

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