Manipulating layers etc.

[paint.net.fool]

OK. Please excuse the ignorance. I have no idea how to manipulate different layers.

Example, I can create a blank canvas. Then I want to place an image on this canvas. Once I do that, it seems as though the image and original canvas become one image. Anything I try to do to one layer, the other is affected. I have tried selecting only one layer at a time but I still can't get it to work.

I don't know how to resize an image without affecting the image below it either.

If I open a picture directly, it becomes a background layer. Then I try to open another image, or paste one on top and it takes the place of the original.

I have no idea what I am doing.

If anyone can give me some tips for just starting out, I would greatly appreciate it.

If a question like this has already been posted and answered, please direct me to that topic, I can't seem to find the answer so far. Maybe I am not looking hard enough.

Thank you.

[Crazy Man Dan]

Example, I can create a blank canvas. Then I want to place an image on this canvas. Once I do that, it seems as though the image and original canvas become one image. Anything I try to do to one layer, the other is affected. I have tried selecting only one layer at a time but I still can't get it to work.

If you'd like your pasted image on a new layer, create a new layer before pasting. When you paste an image, you paste into the layer that is currently selected, overwriting anything that was already there.

Certain things, like Layers -> Adjustments options and Effects are layer-specific, but there are also adjustments, like Canvas and Image sizing, that affect the whole document.

I don't know how to resize an image without affecting the image below it either.

Paint.NET works with universally sized layers, meaning that every layer is the size of the canvas. If you'd like to resize the content of one layer without effecting the image size as a whole, select the entire of the layer (Rectangle select or [Ctrl]+[A]), switch to the Move Selected Pixels tool (Black Arrow), and grab a nub. Hold Shift to constrain the proportions, then drag it to however small you need it.

If I open a picture directly, it becomes a background layer. Then I try to open another image, or paste one on top and it takes the place of the original.

Paint.NET currently uses SDI, or Single Document Interface. That means that only one document can be open in one instance of Paint.NET at once. If you'd like to open a second image, use the File -> New Window or File -> Open in New Window features. (Thankfully, MDI will be implemented in the next major release! )

I hope that helps!

Dan Larson

[paint.net.fool]

OK, thanks. I'm gonna give it another go. I'll return.

[paint.net.fool]

Aaarrrrggghhhhh!! I have no idea what I was doing wrong before! I followed your directions perfectly and of course it works like a charm. Exactly as I had expected. I thought I did the same thing before but I guess not. Thank you so much.

[Crazy Man Dan]

Your welcome!

[Gortok]

My problem with Layers is that I currently have an image, and I want to put text on this image (in a new layer).

So I do the following:

Open Image.

Create New Layer.

Type Text in New Layer.

Now here's where it gets tricky.

When I try to emboss the text, it transforms the entire image into one giant embossed image across all layers. It does this whether or not I select the layers to be 'visible'.

Can anyone direct me as to how to manipulate text without affecting the layers underneath?

[aatwo]

it doesnt emboss all the layers, it embosses the whole of the selected layer. So if the layer you are embossing is the top layer it might look like it is embossing all of the layers.

If you use the selection tools to select just the text and then do the emboss effect it should work how you want it to.

[Crazy Man Dan]

Actually, what it's doing is embossing the entirety of the layer. Since it's on top, the embossed layer shows over everything.

The only way I could see around this is to take your Magic Wand with a low Tolerance setting and select the medium grey and delete it.

Edit: Yeah aatwo, that works as well.

[Gortok]

Thank you all for your assistance. I never realized how handy the Magic Wand is (I'm new to Paint .NET). My issues are fixed, danke.

Oh, and I suppose this is 'by design', but when I erase some pixels from a top layer, pixels from a lower layer show through (which is the behavior I was hoping for.) Kinda neat.

Yea, that may sound silly to the experts out there, but I'm very new to all of this, so I'm having some 'oh duh' moments.

[Rick Brewster]

Oh, and I suppose this is 'by design', but when I erase some pixels from a top layer, pixels from a lower layer show through (which is the behavior I was hoping for.) Kinda neat.

That's about as "by design" as they come