![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ikedabarry.com\/InkTex\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Tut-003-Plane.jpg\" "\\"Tut-003-Plane\\"")
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Before beginning this tutorial on Layer Blending and Smart Objects, I first made three different images to use:<\/p>\n
They are all PNGs with transparent backgrounds, and all documents are the same width and height.<\/p>\n You can download them here:<\/p>\n plane.png<\/a><\/p>\n bird.png<\/a><\/p>\n bike.png<\/a><\/p>\n 1) Let’s start with a texture. I chose this one<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2) Now add a layer of solid colour below the ‘Texture’ layer.<\/p>\n 3) I set the texture layer Blending Mode to ‘Overlay’. You can choose any Blend Mode you like.<\/p>\n 4) Now paste in ‘Plane.png’ on a layer above the ‘Texture’ layer.<\/p>\n 5) With the ‘Plane’ layer selected, right-click and select ‘Group Into New Smart Object’.<\/p>\n Or go to the Layer menu, select Smart Objects>Group Into New Smart Object.<\/p>\n 6) With the ‘Plane’ layer selected, click on the ‘Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer’ button (the black-and-white circle at the bottom of the Layers palette) and select Solid Colour…<\/p>\n You could also go to Layer>Fill Layer…>Solid Colour… to do the same thing. I filled the layer with white.<\/p>\n 7) Hold down the Ctrl button and click on the ‘Plane’ and ‘Colour Fill 1’ layers to select them both.<\/p>\n Drag them onto the ‘Create A New Layer’ button (second from the right at the bottom of the Layers palette).<\/p>\n Or, with both layers selected, go to Layer>Duplicate…<\/p>\n 8) We’re going to add a stroke to the ‘Plane Copy’ layer by double-clicking on it to open the Layer Style palette.<\/p>\n You can also go to Layer>Layer Style>Blending Options…<\/p>\n With the Layer Style palette open, click on ‘Stroke’ at the bottom of the Styles list.<\/p>\n Set the Colour to white.<\/p>\n The size depends on how big your image is. Start with something hefty and not too fine. You can always come back and adjust the Stroke Size later.<\/p>\n 9) Now select the ‘Plane Copy’ layer and nudge it up and to the right, to off-set it from the ‘Plane’ layer.<\/p>\n Make sure the Move Tool (keystroke: v) is selected.<\/p>\n You can hold down the Shift key and use the arrow keys to move in larger increments.<\/p>\n 10) Copy the ‘Texture’ layer by using either method mentioned in Step 7.<\/p>\n Drag the new ‘Texture Copy’ layer to the top of the stack of layers.<\/p>\n Set its Blending Mode to Exclusion (or any mode you like).<\/p>\n Clip this layer to the ‘Colour Fill 1 Copy’ layer by right-clicking and selecting ‘Create Clipping Mask’ (keyboard shortcut Alt+Ctrl+G) or going to Layer>Create Clipping Mask.<\/p>\n The white coloured ‘Plane’ layer is off-set from the ‘Plane Copy’ layer, adding some weight to the white stroke.<\/p>\n The Exclusion Blend Mode on the ‘Texture Copy’ layer acts on the white of the ‘Colour Fill 1 Copy’ layer.<\/p>\n Take a minute to turn off\/on visibility of individual layers to see what happens.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now let’s take a look at the power of Smart Objects.<\/p>\n 11) Right click on the ‘Plane’ layer and select ‘Replace Contents…’ Navigate to where you saved ‘Bird.png”, select it and click on ‘Place’.<\/p>\n You can also go to Layer>Smart Objects>Replace Contents…<\/p>\n The ‘Plane’ layer changes to the ‘Bird.png’ image, complete with fill and any other effects.<\/p>\n The ‘Plane Copy’ layer changes, too, because it is a copy of\u00a0 the original ‘Plane’ layer. It also retains its white stroke.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nLayer Blends<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSmart Objects<\/h1>\n