Adjustment Layers + Selections

What are they?

• Adjustment layers allow you to change an entire layer or a selected part of a layer in a separate layer above the one on which you are working
• They provide flexibility because you can easier turn them off and on or delete them, without changing the original layer
• The real advantage of adjustment layers is that you can click on the adjustment icon in the layer any time and reconfigure the adjustment settings
• The adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the layers panel is a circle that is half black and half white
• Or click Layer>New Adjustment Layer. This method also lets you apply a blending mode to the adjustment layer.
• Alternatively, you can apply a blending mode AFTER you create the adjustment layer. There is a blending mode dropdown list that is available once you make the adjustment layer active.
• Select any of the available adjustments -- solid color, gradient, pattern, levels, curves, color balance, brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, selective color, channel mixer, gradient map, invert, threhold, posterize
• In the top layer in the figure below (Hue/Saturation), the first icon is for the adjustment and the second shows the layer mask. If you want to adjust hue/saturation configuration, you click on the left icon in the layer. The other adjustment layers do not have selections active
• Adjustment layers are stacked. Be sure you have the top adjustment layer active before you add an adjustment layer. If you change the order of the adjustment layers, the effects may be unpredictable.
• You can adjust the opacity of the adjustment layer.
• If you have multiple images that need the same adjustments, you can drag adjustment layers from one image to another

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Adjustment layer masks:

• Every adjustment layer has a mask which is the white square to the right in the layer
• The hue/saturation layer in the illustration below has a layer mask, since it was done on a selection.
• You can also paint in a layer mask with black paint after you create the adjustment layer.
• If you want to remove the layer mask, paint the mask with white paint.

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Limiting the brightness range of the adjustment effect

• Once you have applied an adjustment layer, you can limit its effect on the brightness range of the image
• Right-click on the right side of the layer
• Select Blending Options on the pop-up menu
• Drag the This Layer and Underlyling Layer sliders at the bottom of the center column in the layers blending window to change the brightness range that is affected by the adjustment.
• The left end of the slider governs the dark areas of the layer and the right end governs the light areas

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Example