Together, layers and masks make up a large portion of the work most photographers do in Photoshop, both for subtle and complex edits. However, if you are just beginning to work in Photoshop, these two irreplaceable tools may not be completely intuitive. In this tutorial, I will cover the basics of using layers in Photoshop and discuss layer masking – laying the groundwork for far more advanced post-processing adjustments.

This tutorial consists of six segments:

1. Introduction

2. Duplicate Layer

3. Adjustment Layer

4. New Transparency Layer

5. Text Layer

6. Layer Masks