Creating Layer Styles From Scratch In Photoshop 6.0

It might be prudent at this juncture (thanks Dana Carvey!) to list and give a brief description of the options we can edit when applying layer styles. The following descriptions come strait from the Help File within Photoshop 6.0, and say it better than I ever could.

Angle- Determines the lighting angle at which the effect is applied to the layer.

Anti-alias- Blends the edge pixels of a contour or gloss contour.

Blend Mode- Determines how the layer style blends with the underlying layers, which may or may not include the active layer

Choke- Shrinks the boundaries of the matte of an Inner Shadow or Inner Glow prior to blurring.

Color- Specifies the color of a shadow, glow, or highlight. You can click the color box and choose a color.

Contour- With solid color glows, allows you to create rings of transparency. With gradient filled glows, allows you to create variations in the repetition of the gradient color and opacity. With bevel and emboss, contour allows you to sculpt the ridges, valleys, and bumps that are shaded in the embossing process. With shadows, allows you to specify the fade.

Depth- Specifies the depth of a bevel and is a ratio of size. It also specifies the depth of a pattern.

Gloss Contour- creates a glossy, metal-like appearance and is applied after shading a bevel or emboss.

Gradient- Specifies the gradient of a layer effect.

Highlight or Shadow Mode- Specifies the blend mode of a bevel or emboss highlight or shadow.

Jitter- Varies the application of a gradient's color and opacity.

Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow- Controls the drop shadow's visibility or occlusion in a semitransparent layer.

Noise- Specifies the amount of random elements in the opacity of a glow or shadow as you enter a value or drag the slider.

Opacity- Sets the opacity of the layer effect as you enter a value or drag the slider.

Pattern- Specifies the pattern of a layer effect.

Position- Specifies the position of a stroke effect as Outside, Inside, or Center.

Preview- Displays a preview of the layer style in the image as you change the layer effect settings. This option is in the Layer Style dialog box.

Range- Controls which portion or range of the glow is targeted for the contour.

Size- Specifies the amount of blur or the size of the shadow.

Soften- Blurs the results of shading before compositing to reduce unwanted artifacts.

Source- Specifies the glow source for an inner glow.

Spread- Dilates the boundaries of the matte prior to blurring. Useful on small, thin features such as cursive descenders or ascenders on type face, which tend to disappear in the presence of a large blur.

Style- Specifies the style of a bevel.

Technique-

1. For bevel and emboss, Smooth uses a blur-based technique that is smooth and is useful on all types of mattes, whether their edges are soft or hard. It does not preserve detailed features at larger sizes. Chisel Hard uses a distance measurement. It preserves detailed features more so than the Smooth technique. Chisel Soft uses a modified distance measurement technique and, while not as accurate as Chisel Hard, it is more useful on a larger range of mattes. It preserves features better than the Smooth technique.

2. For glows, Softer uses a blur-based technique to create a glow and is useful on all types of mattes, whether their edges are soft or hard. At larger sizes, it does not preserve detailed features. Precise uses a distance measurement technique to create a glow and is primarily useful on hard-edged mattes from anti-aliased shapes such as type. It preserves features better than does the Softer technique.

Texture- Allows you to specify a pattern used to texture the bevel effect.
That gives you the nuts and bolts of what can be edited and what each effect actually accomplishes. Now let's make our own Layer Style using what we've just learned!

To start with we need an image. Though I'm back to working with text today the same technique applies to photos as well. I'm going to create an image with a white background, and insert a black text layer.

Let's begin:

Create a new image in Photoshop. Mine is 9.5x6.5 inches, 72 dpi, white background. Hit 'D' to restore the default colors (Black foreground, white background)

Select the type tool and place some text on your image. For this example I'm using a font called 'Creampuff', 180 points in size, crisp.

By now you should all know how I hate changing my primary layer/image, so let's duplicate the text layer. That being both said on my part and done on yours, lets continue. (Is it me or do I sound like a schoolmarm today?)

Go to your Styles Palette. Open the Styles Menu, replace your existing styles with the default styles. Delete these (except the first one), as we will want to save our custom styles in their own category.

Go back to your Text Layer Copy. Now we will begin to apply effects! Click the 'Add a Layer Style' icon on the bottom of the Layers Palette

Here we go. Select Blending Options to open the Layer Styles Pop Up window. We can now begin applying effects by selecting a style from the left column and adjusting the settings in the center. Something as simple as a drop shadow can be saved as a style, or a multitude of effects generating metallic effects, glossy plastic and the like can also be saved as a style. You have a lot of leeway here... play it simple or let your imagination run wild!

I can't really show you all the effects I applied to this image, but it was a combination of Bevels (using a sharp metallic style curve), Color Overlays, Drop Shadow with a funky curve applied, and an inner stoke for edge definition. The primary purpose for this installment wasn't for effects... you will have to check out the re-launch of Action Fx for that next week! The meat of this topic will be dealt with now.

Once you are happy with the effect you've created you will want to save it for use later. To do this open the Blending Options Window again. Along the right hand side you will see a 'New Style' Button:

Did you notice the nice little thumbnail example of our Layer Style? I love that! Anyway, click the New Style button. In the pop up you may name your style, as well as choose to Include Layer Effects and Layer Blending Options. I usually leave these selected to prevent the loss of a step or effect.

Remember a few paragraphs ago when I had you delete the Styles in the default styles palette? View the Layer Styles palette again and you should see your style there, ready to be re-applied to a fresh batch of text, a button, or anything your heart desires. After you have made a few of these, click the arrow in the upper right to open the Layer Styles menu and save your batch of styles. Now you can load and use these anytime or send them to your buddies. Not only is this very cool, but cuts the time trying to capture that effect again.

I've not heard as yet how different systems or browsers are handling the .ASL file extension. I've had some trouble (1 in 50 cases) transferring .atn, or action, files online.

To avoid this problem try to compress them in both PC and Mac readable formats to be unzipped on the downloader's system.