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Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature | 
 enlarge | Author: Matt Kloskowski
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Category: Book
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $22.86
You Save: $17.13 (43%)
New (42) Used (7) from $22.86
Rating:  90 reviews
Sales Rank: 1244
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 7.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0321534166
Dewey Decimal Number: 006.696
EAN: 9780321534163
Publication Date: February 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When Photoshop guru Matt Kloskowski was asked why he wrote this book, he replied, “It’s simple: I wanted to write the Photoshop book that I wished was around when I was learning Photoshop”. You’ve always known that layers were the key to understanding Photoshop, and now you have a resource to show you exactly how. With Matt’s clear, easy-to-follow, and concise writing style you’ll learn about:
- Working with and managing multiple layers
- Building multiple layered images
- Blending layers together
- Exactly which of the 25+ Blend Modes you need to worry about (there’s just a few)
- Layer Masking and just how easy it is.
- Using layers to enhance and retouch your photos
- All of the tips and tricks that make using layers a breeze.
If you want to finally understand layers in Photoshop, this book is the one you’ve been waiting for.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 85 more reviews...
 Laying It On June 3, 2008
Conrad J. Obregon (New York, NY USA)
32 out of 33 found this review helpful
No photographer can unleash the full power of Photoshop to make an image look like the photographer's vision without understanding the power of layers. (At the very least layers allow the Photoshop user to make selective adjustments to an image, without actually changing the underlying data.) Yet many Photoshop books treat layers in bits and pieces rather than as an integrated whole so that the photographer has a hard time grasping the overall concept. That's where a book aimed solely at layers comes in.
Matt Kloskowski's book deals with all the major applications of layers. The subjects include the nature of layers, blending layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, type and shape layers, enhancing and adjusting photos with layers, layer styles and smart layers. It's all here, but in a short simple quick form. (I'm sure there are more esoteric things to learn about layers; at least one pair of authors has a book on layers that is over 750 pages long!) Most photographers will find that this book has all they need to know about the subject.
The author's text takes the form of tutorials. One can either download files for these tutorials or work with one's own pictures. The tutorials are short, well illustrated and have plenty of white space. If you make a mistake at an early step you won't have to backtrack through twenty or thirty steps to find out where you went wrong. Even if you work out each tutorial, this book will not take more than ten or twenty hours to complete, and it will teach you almost everything you need to know about the subject. Along the way, Kloskowski teaches the reader about other Photoshop tools, as when he integrates a discussion of gradients into a lesson on blend modes, or deals with selections in a tutorial on layer masks.
The author has an easy-going, breezy, humorous style, but those put off by the style of his mentor, Scott Kelby, probably will not be offended here.
Normally, as I go through a book, I make notes in the margin when I discover an error. I'm happy to report that I made no notes in the margin of this book.
For experienced Photoshop users this book will contain nothing new. Perhaps they'll have to look at the 750 page tomes. However, for the photographer who doesn't have a firm grip on the use of layers in Photoshop, this book will help him or her to master the subject.
Great tips, good podcast companion May 18, 2008
Richard C. Drew (Oak Lawn, IL USA)
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
The first three chapters can be skipped if you are an experienced PhotoShop user - really basic stuff. After that, there are some great hints, tips, and techniques. Great companion to his PodCast series.
If you use Photoshop, you should read this book. February 24, 2008
J. Revell (Manassas, VA)
33 out of 38 found this review helpful
Matt does a fantastic job of demystifying layers in this well organized, well thought out book. From his explanation of what a layer is, all the way through the most complex layer techniques, Matt keeps everything simple and straightforward. I have seen him instruct in person and this book follows in the same style as his classes. Each chapter builds upon the last and moves you from the simple to the challenging while building your knowledge of each layer tool or technique.
So here is what I really like, the chapters or lessons are chock full of follow along exercises that demonstrate the concepts being explained (you can download all of the images used to follow along). Next is the fact that Matt doesn't delve to deeply into the math behind the tools. He just shows you that this does this and that does that. As I always say, "I don't need to know how the engine works, just how to drive the car."
What I don't like, it's just too short. This isn't a bad thing with the book, it's just that I enjoyed the lessons so much that I wish there were more of them. The great thing about layers is that people are always discovering new ways to use them. I guess that leaves room for a sequel.
Excellent introduction to Photoshop layers May 22, 2008
Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
There is little that is actually new in this book. Rather what Kloskowski has done is to create a little self-tutoring course in using Photoshop layers - and he has done a good job of it.
Photoshop layers is a confusing subject because there are so many different types of layers and so few really good basic introductions to them.
Kloskowski, in an act of brilliance, doesn't cover every kind of layer or layer technique. He concentrates on the basics - and that really makes Photoshop layers a lot easier to grasp and learn.
In nine chapters, Kloskowski covers Layer Basics, Blending Layers, Adjustment Layers, Layer Masks, Type And Shape Layers, Enhancing Photos With Layers, Retouching With Layers, Layer Styles and Smart Layers. There are lots of examples - though sometimes the accompanying descriptions are rather abbreviated - and you can download the required graphics from the companion website.
Overall, this is one of the better books to emerge lately from the Scott Kelby factory. Worth the money it costs and, more importantly, the time it takes to learn what it has to teach.
Jerry
Down and Dirty... August 11, 2008
Macbraeburn (San Francisco, CA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Those folks longing for the next "Down & Dirty" book from Scott, it does not appear it will happen. Bummer. But this is the next best thing from Matt in the same walk and talk. Creative recipe how-to's and easy to understand on the subject of the all important layers, blend modes, masks. Highly recommend...
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