Layer effects are easy to use, fully editable, and entirely non-destructive.

What are the benefits of using layer effects? Layer styles also include any Blending Options applied to the layer, including the layer's blend mode, along with its current Opacity and Fill Opacity settings. A layer style is a collection of two or more layer effects working together to create a larger, overall look. While you'll often hear the terms 'layer effects' and 'layer styles' used interchangeably, layer effects are the individual effects themselves, like Drop Shadow, Stroke, Outer Glow, and so on. So if you make changes to a layer's contents, any effects applied to that layer will instantly update. Layer effects are live effects that link directly to the layer. There are 10 different layer effects to choose from, but they can be grouped together into three main categories- Shadows and Glows, Overlays and Strokes. Layer effects are a collection of non-destructive, editable effects that can be applied to almost any kind of layer in Photoshop. The Layers panel showing the three layers in the document. I'll be working with type layers for this tutorial, but layer effects can also be applied to pixel layers and shape layers: Here I'm using a background texture that I downloaded from Adobe Stock, and I've added the words 'LAYER' and 'EFFECTS'. If you want to follow along, open any image to use as a background, and then add some text above it. We've got a lot to cover, so let's get started!ĭownload this tutorial as a print-ready PDF! Setting up the document So before you begin, you'll want to make sure that your copy of Photoshop CC is up to date. This tutorial is exclusively for Photoshop CC 2020. I'll even show you how to add multiple copies of an effect to the same layer, how to scale layer effects to fit your image, how to save your effects as custom layer style presets, and more! We'll look at the brand new layer styles included with Photoshop CC 2020, and I'll show you where to find the missing styles from earlier versions of Photoshop.įrom there, you'll learn how to add and edit your own layer effects, and how to take full advantage of Photoshop CC 2020's amazing new gradients and patterns. In this first tutorial in my series on Photoshop layer effects, I cover everything you need to know to add layer effects and layer styles in Photoshop CC 2020! We'll start by learning the difference between a layer effect and a layer style, and how to use Photoshop's layer style presets to add instant one-click effects to your images.

Load brushes in photoshop cc