Layering vs. Saving

[Beth Haney]

Kirk, using Layers does seem complicated at first, but if you spend some time learning and playing, you'll find they're invaluable.

In answer to your specific question about the advantage of layers over saves: Every time you save an edited version of an image, you lose the ability to go back and change and/or eliminate a specific editing task. If you use layers, you can always go back and select the one change you want to redo or get rid of without effecting any other changes you might have made.

Jay Arraich does a nice discussion of layers, both why you should use them and how to do it. You'll get a much better answer about their value from him than from me. He has lots of other good stuff on his site, too.

<http://www.arraich.com/elements/pse_wwhy1.htm>

[Pete D]

Kirk Honey,

There are too many advantages to using layers to list. Additionally there
are adjustment layers, fill layers and text layers that you just don't have
on the original....... without adding a layer!

It really is to your advantage to learn and use layers and believe me it was
not all that long ago that I and many others here had the same feelings as
you about layers. Photo Deluxe 1.0 (& other similar photo programs) seemed
like it would do everything in one layer.

But now I can see that it was like saying I can take a Polaroid, what do I
need a better camera for? The fact is that if it satisfies your needs that
is fine. But if you want to open up a whole new world of photos and photo
editing....... learn about and use layers :-) .... And you will amaze
yourself!

Pete

[kirk honey]

I looked through the tutorial and discovered that the problem could be that my pictures are not color photos. When I click the "layers" function in the Windows drop down menu, it only shows one layer for a black and white image.

[Nancy S]

Kirk,

This might help

<http://www.elated.com/tutorials/graphics/photoshop/intro_layers/>