This lesson tackles Photoshop’s most important concept: the Layer. Working in Photoshop without understanding layers is like navigating a city whose language you don’t speak.
2026 note: This lesson was recorded on Photoshop CS6 in 2014. Adobe no longer sells the CS line — Photoshop now ships via Creative Cloud subscription. About 95% of the menus and shortcuts shown in the video still match the modern version; only the iconography is a bit fresher.
What Is a Layer?
Think of layers as stacked transparent sheets. Each sheet holds a different element that you can edit without affecting the others. The top sheet always covers the ones below.
Layers Panel (F7)
- Eye icon: toggle visibility.
- Lock icons: lock position, pixels, or transparency.
- Blend Mode: how the layer interacts with the layer beneath (Multiply, Screen, Overlay…).
- Opacity: layer transparency.
- Fill: like Opacity but keeps layer styles fully visible.
Layer Shortcuts
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N— New layer.Ctrl/Cmd + J— Duplicate selected layer.Ctrl/Cmd + E— Merge with layer below.Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E— Merge all visible.Ctrl/Cmd + G— Group layers.
2026 Add-on — Smart Objects
Whenever you can, convert layers to Smart Objects. Resizing and filters become non-destructive — every transformation is reversible.
