Layer Styles - Question

[Rusty]

If there is a way around this, I haven't figured it out yet.

I revisited my "soccer strip" image to see about a lighter colored background. I wanted to apply a small drop shadow to the filmstrip layer.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1LGYYidxKc9vDMJ1cQOqbiGzRQ5jNB0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1LGYYidxKc9vDMJ1cQOqbiGzRQ5jNB0)

As you can see, none of the three layers that contained "the images" had any kind of layer style applied. But, when I applied the drop shadow style to the "frame layer", it applied the same drop shadow to the other layers as well.

What should I do to keep this from happening?

Rusty

[TonyW]

Rusty: If I understand the problem correctly you don't want the drop shadow from the top of the frame to appear on the image in the frame - only on the background layer. The reason it's doing this is the the drop shadow drops from every edge and one edge drops on an image so you see it.

The way round it is to just turn on the eyeballs for the frame + images layers and do a Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E to create a new layer from the visible image (frame plus images) and apply the drop shadow to that - now the drop shadow from the frame plus images will only show on the background layer.

Hard to explain but give it a try.

Tony

[GaryK]

Rusty

I'm kind of at a loss. Are you saying that when you applied the layer style it automatically went to the other layers?
Or are you trying to work around the shadow on the photos as Tony suggested?

[David Asch]

I think he means the shadows falling inside the frames themselves. Tony's method is a good work-around. Another way to do it would like this (ignoring the very hasty image!):

1. Create a new layer at the very top of the stack.
2. Use the Magic Wand (and Shift key) to select the 3 frames from the filmstrip.
3. Fill the selection on the new layer.
4. Move the photos above this new layer using it as a clipping mask.

http://blacksilverpurple.net/Attachments/FilmstripTN.jpg (http://blacksilverpurple.net/Attachments/Filmstrip.jpg)

[Rusty]

I knew you guys would come thru - ANOTHER AHA MOMENT :)

I thought the shadow was being applied to the 3 image layers. After reading Tony's explanation, that is clearly not the case. And, when I think about it, if the shadow was being applied to the image, the shadow would fall outside the image, not on it. Duh.

Stamping the visible layers did the trick -- that removes the interior edges of the filmstrip picking up shadows.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/13Ecg3yGSimZsBuubKQuxg1OKKnZr_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=13Ecg3yGSimZsBuubKQuxg1OKKnZr)

Thank you all,

Rusty

[too-cool]

I'm looking for a book that will provide instructions on using layers in Photoshop elements 5. Something inline with the online training provided here, Layers 101 everything you wanted to know. Any Ideas or is there a class I can subscribe to on this forum that deals with layers? Thanks :cool:

[TonyW]

Rusty: Glad you got it to work.

Too-cool: The online training here on layers would be perfect for what you're looking for. I know that it says it's for PSE3 and 4 but it's also for PSE5 (they must have written that description before PSE5 was released).

Tony

[Cmcburnett]

Tony you are so helpful. Rusty your soccer filmstrip looks great with the drop shadow. Glad you got it to work.:)