Adobe Photoshop Tutorial

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3 TUTORIAL ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3 Adobe Photoshop CS3 is a popular image editing software that provides a work environment consistent with Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe ImageReady, and other products in the Adobe Creative Suite. This tutorial is an introduction to using Adobe Photoshop. Here you will learn how to get started, how to use the interface, and how to modify images with basic Photoshop tools. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Getting Started Pg. 3 Section 2: Interface Layout Pg. 6 Section 3: Palettes Pg. 7 Section 4: Toolbox Pg. 11 Section 5: Selection Tools Pg. 13 Section 6: Alteration Tools Pg. 15 Section 7: Drawing and Selection Tools Pg. 17 Section 8: Assisting Tools Pg. 18 Section 9: Color Boxes and Modes Pg. 19 Section 10: Basic Image Editing Pg. 20 Section 11: Cropping Pg. 21 Section 12: Resizing Pg. 25 Section 13: Correcting Pg. 29 Section 14: Sharpening/Softening Pg. 35 Section 15: Saving Pg. 37 Adobe Photoshop CS3 2 GETTING STARTED OPENING Begin by opening Adobe Photoshop CS3. On a PC, click Start > Programs > Adobe > Photoshop CS3, or click on the shortcut on the desktop. On a Mac, click Macintosh HD > Applications > Adobe Photoshop CS3 > Photoshop CS3 shown in Figure 1, or click the icon in the Dock. Fig. 1. Navigation to Photoshop CS3 on a Mac SETTING UP THE DOCUMENT Setting up your document correctly from the start will make your job much easier as you work through your project. This will require some advanced planning. For example, if your final output will be a brochure, you may need to set up your document to be horizontal and double-sided. To create a new document, click File > New. This will open the Document Setup dialog box (Fig. 2). Adobe Photoshop CS3 3 Fig. 2. Document Setup dialog box Here you will be able to name your file, set up the correct page size, and orientation for your document. Options include, but are not limited to: Page Size and Orientation Change the page size by typing in new values for width and height. Page size represents the final size you want after bleeds or trimming other marks outside the page. In the Preset dropdown menu you can find such common sizes as letter, legal, tabloid, etc. Typing in exact values for Height and Width gives you more control over the size and orientation of your page. Resolution Resolution is a number of pixels on a printed area of an image. The higher the resolution, the more pixels there are on the page, the better is the quality of the image. However, high resolution increases the size of the file. The standard recommended resolution for printed images is 150 - 300, for Web images - 72. Color Mode Choose a color mode that will best fit your project. For example, when making a graphic for a web site, choose RGB. When making an image for print, choose CMYK. Background Contents Choose the background: white, color, or transparent. When you have entered all of your document settings, click OK. Adobe Photoshop CS3 4 OPENING AN IMAGE FROM A DISK If the image you have is saved on a disk, select File > Open, and then navigate to the disk drive where your image is saved. Choose the image file and click Open. At this point, you may want to save your image under a different name so that you can always have the original to fall back on in case of a mistake. To save you r file, select File > Save As and type in the new name of the file in the dialogue box. Now you should be ready to go. Adobe Photoshop CS3 5 INTERFACE LAYOUT This is the layout of Adobe Photoshop interface. Menu Bar If you look at the top of the screen you will see the Menu bar which contains all the main functions of Photoshop, such as File, Edit, Image, Layer, Select, Filter, View, Window, and Help. Tool Bar Most of the major tools are located in the Tool bar for easy access. The Image The image will appear in its own window once you open a file. Image Name The name of any image that you open will be at the top of the image window as shown above. Palettes Palettes contain functions that help you monitor and modify images. By default, palettes are stacked together in groups. These are the palettes that are usually visible: Navigator, Color, Histogram, Layer. If none of the palettes are visible, go to Window in the Menu bar and choose palettes you need to work with. Adobe Photoshop CS3 6 PALETTES Below is the description of the most commonly used palettes in Adobe Photoshop CS3. Palettes used for more advanced image editing will be covered in the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Tutorial - Intermediate. NAVIGATOR The Navigator palette (Fig. 1) allows you to resize and move around within the image. Drag the slider, click on the Zoom In and Zoom Out icons, or specify the percentage to navigate in the image. Fig. 1. Navigator palette COLOR, SWATCHES, STYLE The Color palette (Fig. 2) displays the current foreground and background colors and RGB values for these colors. You can use the sliders to change the foreground and background colors in different color modes. You can also choose a color from the spectrum of colors displayed in the color ramp at the bottom of the palette. Fig. 2. Color palette In the Swatches palette (Fig. 3) you can choose a foreground or background color or add a customized color to the library. Adobe Photoshop CS3 7 Fig. 3. Swatches palette The Styles palette (Fig. 4) allows you to view, select, and apply preset layer styles. By default, a preset style replaces the current layer style. You can use the styles in the palette or add your own using the Create New Style icon. Figure 4. Styles palette HISTORY The History palette (Fig. 5) stores and displays each action performed allowing you jump to any recent stage of the image alteration. The alterations should be created during the current working session; after saving or closing the document the History palette clears all the contents. Each time you apply a change to an image, the new state of that image is added to the palette. The History palette can store up to 20 stages. However, you can always go back to the first stage, for example opening the document. It is important to know that once you click on any of the previous stages, all the changes that were made after it will be lost. Adobe Photoshop CS3 8 Fig. 5. History palette LAYERS Layers let you organize your work into distinct levels that can be edited and viewed as individual units. Every Photoshop CS3 document contains at least one layer. Creating multiple layers lets you easily control how your artwork is printed, displayed, and edited. You will use the Layers palette (Fig. 6) often while creating a document, so it is crucial to understand what it does and how to use it. A) Layer Visibility - The eye shows that the selected layer is visible. Click on or off to see or to hide a layer. B) Layer Locking Options - Click the checkered square icon to lock Transparency; click the brush icon to lock the Image; click the arrow icon to lock the Position; click the lock icon to lock all options. C) Layer Blending Mode - Defines how the layer's pixels blend with underlying pixels in the image. By choosing a particular blending mode from the dropdown menu you can create a variety of special effects. D) Fill - By typing in a value or dragging the slider you can specify the transparency of the Adobe Photoshop CS3 9 Fig. 6. Layers Palette color of the image or object. E) Opacity - By typing in a value or dragging a slider you can specify the transparency of the entire layer. F) Layer Lock - The icon shows when the layer is locked and disappears when it is unlocked. Double-click the icon to unlock the layer. G) Layer Options Menu - Click the black triangle to see the following options: New Layer, Duplicate Layer, Delete Layer, Layer Properties, etc. Some of the options are presented as icons at the bottom of the Layers palette. H) Link Layers – Can be used to link layers together. I) Layer Styles - If a layer has a style, an "F" icon shows at the bottom of the Layers palette. Click the little black triangle to see style options. J) Layer Mask - A grayscale image, with parts painted in black hidden, parts painted in white showing, and parts painted in gray shades showing in various levels of transparency. K) Layer Set - This option helps to organize images with multiple layers. Click the icon to create a folder for several layers. L) Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer - Have the same opacity and blending mode options as image layers and can be rearranged, deleted, hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as image layers. Click the icon and select an option to create a new fill or adjustment layer. M) Create New Layer - Click this icon to create a new layer. N) Delete Layer - To delete a layer, select a layer in the Layers palette and drag it to the trash can icon; or, select a layer and click the icon. Adobe Photoshop CS3 10 TOOLBOX If you used other Adobe products, such as Illustrator or InDesign, you should be familiar with the toolbox in Photoshop CS3 as it shares some of the tools from these applications. If you are a novice user of Adobe products, you should keep in mind that you might not need to use all of the tools. In this tutorial, only the basic tools will be discussed in depth. Adobe Photoshop CS3 11 Some tools in the toolbar have additional "hidden" tools. These tools have small black triangles in the right-hand corner. To view the "hidden" tools, click and hold down on any tool that has a black triangle in the corner (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. "Hidden" tools Adobe Photoshop CS3 12 SELECTION TOOLS BUTTON TOOL Marquee DESCRIPTION Selects an object by drawing a rectangle or an ellipse around it. Click the tool button, choose a rectangular or an elliptical marquee. Drag the marquee over the area of the image you wish to select. Move Used to select and move objects on the page. Click the tool button, then click on any object on the page you wish to move. Lasso Selects an object by drawing a freehand border around it. Click the tool button, drag to draw a freehand border around the are of the image you wish to select. Polygonal Lasso Selects an object by drawing a straight-edge border around it. Click the tool button, click on the starting point on the image, drag to draw a straight-edge border, click and drag again to select the are of the image you wish to select. Double-click to finish. Magnetic Lasso Selects an object by drawing a border that snaps to the edges of the defined area of the object. Click on the starting point on the image, drag around the are of the image. The tool will make fastening points at the edges. To finish selecting, drag the border to the starting point and click precisely in the point. Magic Wand Selects all objects in a document with the same or similar fill color, stroke weight, stroke color, opacity, or blending mode. By specifying the color range, or tolerance, you can control what the Magic Wand tool selects. Click the tool button, then click on the area of the image you wish to select. Crop Tool Selects and cuts parts of an image. Click the tool button, then click and drag the tool over the part of the image that you want to keep. Resize the selected area dragging the squares at the sides and corners. Click the RETURN key when your crop box is sized correctly. Adobe Photoshop CS3 13 Slice Tool Used to cut images into slices, which can be exported to a web page. Adobe Photoshop CS3 14 ALTERATION TOOLS BUTTON TOOL Healing Brush DESCRIPTION Corrects small blemishes in scanned photos. Select the tool, hold down the ALT key and left-click on the base color you need to heal. Then left-click over the blemish. Brush Tool Draws lines of different thicknesses and colors. Select the tool. Then click on the selected area, drag to draw lines. Use the Options bar to change the Brush, Mode, Opacity, and Flow. Clone Stamp Takes a sample of an image and applies over another image, or a part of the same image. Select the tool. Hold down the ALT key and left-click on a certain point of the document where you want to start your copy point. Then, put your mouse over whatever part of the new document you want the picture to go to. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse across the page to copy the picture. Art History Brush Paints over an image using the source data from a specified history state or snapshot. Select the tool, specify the Brush, Blending Mode, Opacity, Style, Area, and Tolerance. Erase Tool Removes part of an existing path or stroke. You can use the Erase tool on paths, but not on text. Select the tool, click on the part of the image you wish to erase. Drag to erase pixels. Paint Bucket Tool Fills and entire area with a specific color of your choice. Select the tool. Choose a foreground color in the Color Box. Select an area you wish to apply the color to. Click the tool button, then click on the selected area. Gradient Tool Applies a gradient fill to a selected part of the image or to an entire layer. Select an area you wish to apply gradient to, click the tool button, choose a fill in the Options bar, click on the starting point, hold the mouse down and drag to the end point. Adobe Photoshop CS3 15 Blur Tool Blurs the sharp edges of an image. Select an area where you wish to apply the tool. Click the tool button, choose the Brush, Mode, and Strength. Drag the brush along the edges. Dodge Tool Lightens areas in an image. Select the area where you wish to apply the tool. Choose the Brush, Range, and Exposure. Click on the spots you wish to highlight. Adobe Photoshop CS3 16 DRAWING AND SELECTION TOOLS BUTTON TOOL DESCRIPTION Direct Selection Tool Selects paths and path segments. Type Tool Types text on a page. Every time you click the Type Tool on a new portion of the page a new layer will be created. Select the tool, click anywhere on the path. Select the tool, click on the page and begin to type. You can specify the font and size in the Options bar. You can also resize and transform the text box by dragging the squares at the sides and corners. Use the Move Tool to move the text on the page. Pen Tool Draws smooth-edged paths. Select the tool, click on the page, drag to draw a path. Click and drag the anchor points to modify the path. Rectangle Tool Draws a rectangle shape. Other shapes that are hidden in this tool are: Rounded Rectangle Tool, Ellipse Tool, Polygon Tool, Line Tool, and Custom Shape Tool. Select the tool, click and drag on the page to draw a shape. The shape will be automatically filled with the current foreground color. Adobe Photoshop CS3 17 ASSISTING TOOLS BUTTON TOOL DESCRIPTION Notes Tool Serves as a comment feature. Usually used for electronic text edits. Select the tool, click on the spot on the page where you wish to make a comment. Type in the text box. Eyedropper Tool Takes color samples from colors on the page and displays them in the Color Boxes. Select the tool, click on the color in the image you wish to sample. The Color Box will display this color. Hand Tool Allows you to move around within the image. Select the tool, click on the spot on the page, hold the mouse button down, drag to move in the area. Magnifying Glass Tool Magnifies or reduces the display of any area in your image window. Select the tool, choose Zoom In or Zoom Out in the Options bar, click on the area of the image you wish to magnify or reduce. Adobe Photoshop CS3 18 COLOR BOXES AND MODES BUTTON TOOL DESCRIPTION Color Boxes The foreground color appears in the upper color selection box and represents a color that is currently active. The background color appears in the lower box and represents an inactive color. To change the foreground color, click the upper color selection box in the toolbox. To change the background color, click the lower color selection box in the toolbox. To reverse the foreground and background colors, click the Switch Colors icon (the arrow) in the toolbox. To restore the default foreground and background colors, click the Default Colors icon (the little black and white boxes) in the toolbox. NOTE: If you are using the Gradient Tool, the currently selected foreground and background colors will be the default colors of the gradient. Modes Edit in Standard Mode and Edit in Quick Mask Mode are used for modifying images in the unmasked or masked area. Standard Screen, Full Screen with Menu Bar, Full Screen are used for viewing larger or smaller are of the image. Edit in ImageReady is used to transfer the file for editing in Adobe ImageReady. Adobe Photoshop CS3 19 BASIC IMAGE EDITING Now that you know how to find your way around in the Photoshop interface and are familiar with the most common commands, pallets, and tools, you can start doing some basic image editing. In the next few chapters of this tutorial you will learn how to crop, resize, correct, and sharp/blur your images. Adobe Photoshop CS3 20 CROPPING Cropping is one of the most basic editing techniques that can improve your images. Cropping helps to bring out the most important features in your image and focus the viewers' attention on these features. Cropping also allows you to make your image a standard photo size. There are several ways to crop images in Adobe Photoshop: 1. Cropping with the Crop Tool 2. Cropping to a specific size 3. Cropping with the Marquee Tool CROPPING WITH THE CROP TOOL The Crop Tool allows you to make a precise selection of an image you wish to edit. To crop with the Crop Tool, follow these steps: 1. Open the image you wish to crop (see Getting Started for detailed instructions). 2. Select the Crop Tool from the Toolbox (see Selection Tools for location and description). 3. Click on your image once and drag the mouse out to make a cropping border (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Cropping border Adobe Photoshop CS3 21 4. Resize the border by dragging the squares at the sides and corners till you are satisfied with the way your image looks. NOTE: You can also rotate your cropping border. Move the cursor outside the border, you will see how it turns into a double-headed arrow (Fig. 2). Drag the arrows in the directions you wish to rotate your selection. Fig. 2. Rotating the cropping border 5. Once you are completely satisfied with your cropped image, press ENTER. CROPPING TO A SPECIFIC SIZE If you wish to print your digital photos or other images on standard size photo paper, you will have to crop your images to a specific size, such as 8x10. To crop an image to a specific size, do the following: 1. Open the image you wish to crop. 2. Select the Crop Tool from the Toolbox. 3. In the Options bar, specify the values for Width and Height (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. Crop Tool Options bar 4. Click in your image and drag the cropping border. Notice that the border is constrained - you cannot make it wider or longer than the specified values (Figure 4). For example, if you entered 8 for Width and 10 for Height, whatever size you make the border, the area within it will fit on an 8x10 photo. Adobe Photoshop CS3 22 Fig. 4. Cropping to a specific size 5. Once you are completely satisfied with your cropped image, press ENTER. CROPPING WITH THE MARQUEE TOOL If you are in a hurry and need just a simple crop, you can use the Marquee Tool and a menu command. To crop with the Marquee Tool, follow the steps below: 1. Open the image you wish to crop. 2. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the Toolbox (see Selection Tools). 3. Click in your image and drag the mouse to draw a marquee around the area you wish to crop (Figure 5). Fig. 5. Drawing a marquee Adobe Photoshop CS3 23 4. In the main menu, go to Image > Crop (Fig. 6). The image will be immediately cropped. Fig. 5. Image > Crop menu Adobe Photoshop CS3 24 RESIZING Resizing in Photoshop can help you print your images in standard photo sizes, resize and preserve the high quality of digital photos, and enlarge small images to a poster size. RESIZING TO A SPECIFIC SIZE To resize your image to a preset size, follow the steps below: 1. In the main menu, go to File > New. 2. In the New dialog box, click on the Preset dropdown menu. You will see several preset sizes, such as 2x3, 4x6, 5x7, 8x10 with the preset resolution of 300 ppi (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Preset size in the New dialog box 3. Choose the size that you wish and click OK. NOTE: All the preset sizes are in portrait orientation. If you wish to resize an image with the landscape orientation, you need to create your own preset. To create your own size, do the following: 1. Type in the values for Width and Height, for example 7x5. 2. Type in your desired resolution (150 ppi is enough for high quality printing, and 72 ppi is good for the web images). 3. Click the Save Preset button Adobe Photoshop CS3 25 RESIZING DIGITAL PHOTOS Digital photos usually have large dimensions but low resolution, 72 ppi, which effects their quality when their size is decreased or increased. When printed, the photos with the changed size will look pixilated. To resize the digital photos without loosing the quality, follow these steps: 1. Open the digital photo you wish to resize. 2. In the main menu, go to View > Rulers. You will be able to see the dimension of your photo (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. Dimensions of a digital photo - 11.111 x 8.333 3. In the main menu, go to Image > Image Size. 4. In the Image Size dialog box, check the Resample Image box off (Fig. 4). Type in your desired resolution (anything between 150 and 300 ppi). The photo is now 6.667 x 5 inches. Adobe Photoshop CS3 26 Fig. 4. Changing resolution. ENLARGING If you want to make your digital photo into a poster size image, you can do it in the Image Size dialog box. However, just increasing the dimensions will make the image appear blurry and pixilated. To enlarge the image without loosing the quality, follow these steps: 1. Open the digital image you wish to enlarge. 2. In the main menu, go to Image > Image Size. 3. In the Image Size dialog box, make sure the Resample Image box is checked off and choose Bicubic Smoother from the dropdown box (Fig. 5). Fig. 5. Increasing the size by 10 percent 4. Change the Document Size measurements to Percent. Type in 110; this will increase the size of the image by 10 percent (Fig. 5). Adobe Photoshop CS3 27 5. Continue enlarging by 10 percent till you are satisfied with the size. Adobe Photoshop CS3 28 CORRECTING Digital cameras tend to cause various problems, such as "red eye" or "hot spots", if you use flash, or underexposure, if you don't. In Photoshop, you can correct these problems, as well as adjust the overall color of your digital photo. RED EYE REMOVAL The digital camera flash is located right above the lens, which causes the "red-eye"; however, you can fix your photos easily in Photoshop. To remove the "red eye", follow the steps below: 1. Open a photo you wish to correct. 2. Select the Zoom Tool from the Toolbox. Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the eye (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Red eye zoomed in 3. Make sure your default Foreground and Background colors are black and white (Fig. 2). Fig. 2. Foreground and Background colors set to black and white 4. Click on the little black triangle of the Healing Brush Tool button and select the Red Eye Tool. Adobe Photoshop CS3 29 5. Click on the red and paint, holding down the mouse button. You will see how the red will disappear (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. Red eye corrected 6. Repeat the steps for the other eye. HOT SPOT REMOVAL Using a flash can also cause another problem - shiny areas on people's faces or the flash reflection in the shiny surfaces. To correct this problem, follow the steps below: 1. Open the photo you wish to correct. 2. Select the Clone Stamp Tool from the Toolbox. 3. In the Options bar, change the Blend Mode from Normal to Darken (Figure 4). Fig. 4. Setting the options for the Clone Stamp Tool 4. Set the Opacity to 50 percent. 5. Choose a soft-edged brush, set the diameter to 40 or 50 (Fig. 5). Adobe Photoshop CS3 30 Fig. 5. Brush settings 6. Hold down the SHIFT key and click in the clean area (without "hot spots") to get a sample of color (Fig. 6). Fig. 6. Clone Stamp selection 7. Paint over the "hot spot", the light area will gradually darken (Fig. 7). Fig. 7. Corrected image Adobe Photoshop CS3 31 ADDING FLASH If you took pictures indoors without a flash they will turn out underexposed and dark; in Photoshop, you can make your photos lighter. To fix underexposed photos, follow these steps: 1. Open a digital photo you wish to correct (Fig. 8). Fig. 8. Underexposed photo 2. In the main menu, go to Layers > Duplicate. In the Duplicate Layer dialog box, name the layer Layer 1. 3. Make sure Layer 1 is selected in the Layers palette. In the Blending Mode dropdown box, change the Blending Mode to Screen (Fig. 9). The whole image will lighten. Fig. 9. Changing the Blending Mode Adobe Photoshop CS3 32 4. Keep duplicating Layer 1 till you are satisfied with the quality of your image (Fig. 10). Fig. 10. Corrected photo COLOR ADJUSTMENT Color adjustment options in Photoshop CS3 can help you to make your digital photos look more natural. To color correct your images, follow these steps: 1. Open the image you wish to correct. 2. In the main menu, go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. You will see a dialog box displaying a diagram of the colors in your image (Fig. 11). The black triangle is for shadows, the gray is for midtones, the white is for highlights. In the Channels dropdown menu, you can choose between RGB, Red, Green, or Blue. These indicate whether your changes effect all the colors, or just one (red, green, or blue). Fig. 11. Levels dialog box Adobe Photoshop CS3 33 3.Make sure the Preview box is checked off. Choose the channel you wish to change and drag the triangles. Dragging the black triangle to the right will make the shadows in your photo darker; dragging the white triangle to the left will make the highlights in your photo lighter; dragging the gray triangle to the left will make the midtones in your photo lighter, dragging it to the right will make the midtones darker. You will be able to see the changes in your image (Fig. 12 a and b). Selecting just one color channel can alter the color of your photo completely. Fig. 12 a. Initial image Fig. 12 b. Corrected image Adobe Photoshop CS3 34 SHARPENING/SOFTENING SHARPENING If your digital photos are slightly out of focus, you can use the basic sharpening technique to make your images look crisper. To sharpen your photo, follow the steps below: 1. Open an image you wish to sharpen. Note that this technique can sharpen images that are only slightly blurry. 2. Use the Zoom Tool to make sure you are viewing your image in its full size, that is, at 100%. 3. In the main menu, go to Filter> Sharpen> Unsharp Mask. You will see the Unsharp Mask dialog box (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Unsharp Mask dialog box 4. Enter 125 for the Amount, 1 for the Radius, and 3 for the Threshold. 5. Click OK. You will see how the image has become more in focus. SOFTENING Sometimes you might not want objects or people in your photos look too sharp, in this case you can use a softening technique. To soften am image, follow these steps: 1. Open the image you wish to soften. Adobe Photoshop CS3 35 2. In the main menu, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer. You will have a new layer called Background Copy. 3. In the main menu, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. In the Gaussian Blur dialog box, type in 4.0 for Radius, or drag the slider to this position (Fig. 2). Fig. 2. Gaussian Blur 4. Make sure the Background Copy layer is selected and change its opacity to 50% (Fig. 3). The objects or people in your image will have a soft, glowing effect. Fig. 3. Opacity 5. Select the Eraser Tool from the Toolbox, choose a soft-edged brush, and erase over the areas in the face that are supposed to be sharp, such as eyes, eyebrows, lips, and teeth (Fig. 4a and b). Fig. 4a. Before Fig. 4b. After Adobe Photoshop CS3 36 SAVING Remember to save your work often. Saving frequently lessens the risk of losing the work you have been doing. To save your Photoshop document, do the following: 1. Click File > Save. 2. Navigate to the place you would like your document to be saved by using the dropdown menu and the navigation window. 3. Enter the name of your document in the Save As text field. 4. Choose a format to save your project in from the Format dropdown menu. (Fig. 1) 5. Click the Save button in the bottom right corner of the dialogue box. 6. Check to make sure that your document is saved in the place you intended. NOTE: If you save your file as PSD (default Photoshop saving format) your layers will be preserved, but the file size will be large. If you save your file as JPEG (a common image format) your layers will be flattened and become one layer. The file size though will be significantly smaller. Fig. 1 Saving a document Adobe Photoshop CS3 37