1.

To begin, start the Photoshop CS program and use the Shift +Ctrl +O keys to open the Photoshop CS file browser.

2.

When the browser opens, navigate to the Photoshop samples folder (this folder should be available by default when the browser opens) and open the Flower Image by double clicking on the image thumbnail. When the image appears, close (X) the file browser.

3.

Your Photoshop CS screen should look something like this.

The next task is to make a duplicate image to practice with. Choose Image ->Duplicate from the menu bar to invoke the duplicate image dialog. Accept the default name Flower copy by clicking the OK button in the dialog box.

When you see the duplicate image on your screen close (X) the original image.

4.

If you examine the Layers palette for this image, you will see that it contains five layers.

You will also notice that there are descriptive titles for the layers, and in some cases, there are icons associated with a given layer. 

For example, the top layer named title has the styles icon () associated with it. This means that there has been a style effect applied to this layer. If you click on the small arrow just to the right of the styles icon, the arrow will turn down and a list of the style effects that have been applied will be shown.

5.

For the next step, click the New Layer icon located just to the left of the trash can, (it looks like a small note pad), to create a new layer.

You can see the new layer, named Layer 1 by default at the top of the list in the layers palette. Since this layer is highlighted in blue, we know it is the active layer.

6.

The next step is to perform a simple image edit that will be applied to your new layer. Choose the basic Brush tool from the toolbox, (located just to the right of the healing brush/patch tool group). By dragging your mouse pointer, draw a rough oval around the title Gardening Chi. Your screen should look something like the image that follows.

Now, let’s give this layer a more descriptive name than Layer 1. Double click directly on the name Layer 1 in the layers palette.

You will see the name highlighted in blue with a flashing cursor next to it.

Type the name oval in the highlighted area and press the Enter key to commit the name change. Your Layers Palette should now look like this.

7.

Now that you have created and renamed a new layer, it is time to delete it. Single click on the new layer to make sure it is active (highlighted in blue). Next, put your mouse pointer on the blue part of the oval layer in the layer palette, and drag down to the trashcan in the lower right. When you drag the layer over the trash can your mouse pointer should be a hand, (indicating that this is a legitimate place to move your layer). When you see the hand over the trashcan, release your left mouse button and the layer will be deleted.

Notice that the oval layer is gone!

8.

To recover the layer, immediately choose Edit->Undo Delete Layer from the menu bar before performing any other actions. If you do this, the layer will be recovered and located at the top of the layer list where it was originally located.

If you performed other actions after deleting the layer, you will have to choose Edit->Step back from the menu bar, or delete the Delete history item from the menu bar to recover the layer. The problem with these methods is that any actions you performed after deleting the layer will be lost.

9.

Choose File->Save As from the menu bar. In the save as dialog, change the format from PSD to JPEG by selecting the JPEG option from the Format drop list.

Save the file under the name Practice6 in your practice folder.

When the JPEG Options box appears, make sure that the Quality is set to Maximum and press the OK button.

Next, close the Flower copy image. If you are asked to save changes, click No.

10.

Open your Photoshop CS file browser, and navigate to your practice folder.

Open the Image you just saved (Practice6) by double clicking the thumbnail in the browser.

When the image opens, have a look at the layers palette.

Because the image was saved as a JPEG and not a PSD, there is only one layer available. You have lost the ability to work with the individual layers that the PSD file contained.

11.

Close Photoshop CS by using the Ctrl + Q shortcut.