MasterPhotoshop CS4 with this visual, hands-on guide to using layers, under the expert guidance of digital imaging specialist Richard Lynch. Layers, Photoshop's most powerful feature, is the core of a nondestructive image-editing workflow.

Step-by-step instructions and practical examples illustrate how to.

* Polish: correct and enhance color, fix composition problems, and repair damage or flaws
* Manipulate: isolate image areas for changes, adjustments and experimental concepts
* Understand: use all forms of layer blending, including transparency, clipping masks, opacity/fill, layer masks, layer modes, channel targeting, Blend If, and Effects/Styles

The accompanying DVD comes complete with a generous library of practical actions based on techniques from the book that add functional power to Photoshop, along with practice images for all the exercises in the book.

This focused, highly accurate, comprehensive, and practical guide offers invaluable advice for all users of Adobe Photoshop CS4.

* Unleash the full power of Layers in Photoshop for limitless non-destructive creative image editing
* Step-by-step real-life projects take you through every aspect of the layers tool, including masking, blending, and modes, all in the context of a practical photoshop workflow
* Ancillary CD contains all the practice images used in the book

Summary: A detailed and useful book
Rating: 5

The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Layers Book: Harnessing Photoshop's most powerful tool

I am somewhat familiar with Photoshop and its capabilities, but this book really opened my eyes to what can be done with layers and has really changed my work flow when editing images. There is more information here about layers than I thought was possible, and some of the techniques described are pretty advanced, but for now this has become my goto book on Photoshop.