image

imageHow to Create a Psychedelic Tiger Illustration in Photoshop


9. Keep layers to a minimum

Back then, you had serious bragging rights if you had a 100-layers PSD – because it means you put a lot of time and attention to your artwork. Now it just means that you’re not efficient. With all the non-destructive editing techniques Photoshop CS6 has to offer, you no longer have to resort to a bunch of raster layers. Find ways to keep the layers to a minimum using Smart Objects, Smart Filters, clipping masks, etc.

imagePhotoshop Video Tutorial: How to Make Your Photos Look Hipster


10. End your bad habits. Practice non-destructive editing techniques

All these tips are useless if you have a habit of working quick and messy. Bad habits are easy to form but harder to live with. Good habits are harder to form but easy to live with. Changing your habits is one of the most difficult things for designers – because why learn new nondestructive editing techniques when old ones work just fine?

Nondestructive editing can feel like more work and it certainly felt that way when I first started. But after a few practices, I found that they actually made my workflow easier and faster. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be using non-destructive techniques without even thinking of it and that’s when you become better at Photoshop. End your bad habits and start using nondestructive editing techniques today.

imageFreebie: 32 Light Abstract Backgrounds for Inspirational Quotes

Pages: 1 2 3

9 responses to “10 Important Nondestructive Editing Techniques for Photo Manipulators”

  1. Rob Avatar
    Rob

    Wow! Just learning and this is great info. Thanks

  2. Maidul Islam Avatar
    Maidul Islam

    Have a nice work…………thanks for sharing.

  3. DzulmarEGG Avatar
    DzulmarEGG

    Thanks! Great tips and trick!

  4. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    I find Point 4 completely rubbish to be honest. No pun intended. But the two effects are quite different – while the first one is a really nice film effect, and the second one looks like a cheap downloaded free preset.

    1. Mel Avatar
      Mel

      The shadows are getting clipped in the first one with many layers as a result of using too many adjustment layers. 
       
      She is simply stating that there’s no point creating a bunch of adjustment layers so that you “get lucky” on a film effect. Rather, understand what each layer does exactly so you don’t end up with so many layers

    2. Jeff Adams Avatar
      Jeff Adams

      To me, they’re similar enough to necessitate the fewer layers. 
       
      But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to say that the article could use a better example for the bad effect. Could have just used any one of those random vintage-look Photoshop action because 9/10 of them are a bunch of accidental layers: Duplicate layer, change blend mode, merge down, add color layer, change blend mode, merge down, etc etc.

  5. suruha Avatar
    suruha

    If folks would realize the advantages of the Smart Object feature, they’d never go back! Great run-down! Thank you!

    Su

    1. Jeff Adams Avatar
      Jeff Adams

      Second this… I cringe when I see people brag about how many layers their PSD has

  6. Srboljub Dimitrijevic Avatar
    Srboljub Dimitrijevic

    Beautiful Thank You

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from Photoshop Tutorials

Get the latest Photoshop tutorials, download and updates delivered to your inbox.

Continue reading