Hanarky

Hi,

each time, I start a new tutorial, the same question arises, that I couldn't solve till now.

I start a new document, there I get automatically a locked background layer. Okay. Often it tells me, chose as background color that color and as foreground color that color. Here the problem starts. I generally choose for the background layer white as background and black as foreground in the tools palette before opening a new document. What is the layer, according most tutiorials, that I should make the color-settings. The first layer or the background layer itself?
Then I never was able to figure out, what use the two settings (foreground and background) in a certain layer have. I mean, when I have a pic with let's say 7 layers, so they are all transparent, else I couldn't see the complete pic, except in those shapes or structures, where I filled a color in.
I read a lot about layers and think, I have understood most, but this here still stays a puzzle to me.
Can someone help me to understand better?

Hanarky

jpfitness

I am not entirely sure what your asking but I hope the image below helps

I always start with a transparent background regardless of what I am working on ..... I started a new document with the background selected and found indeed that the layer is locked (you forget things when you don't use them that often he he he)
but even if you wanted to unlock the locked layer just double click on the layer and click ok
sfm

jpfitness

I also have a small psd where I sent to someone to explain why layers could help them with what they were doing - perhaps it could help here just click on the note in the middle of the image for the message
sfm

jpfitness

argh forgot to zip it first doh! try again he he he
sfm

Hanarky

sfm, thanks for your answer

I looked at your pic and it explains the thing with the background layer to me. Not sure, how to explain, what I mean. In any case, since you don't have the "original" background layer, that is created with every new document, I assume, it is not necessary to keep it. When I want my complete pic have a background with let's say red, I just can make a new layer about that and consider that as my background layer and delete the original, or I unlock the original and fill it with red. Right?

To the second part of my question, best explained again with your pic. You have for example an orange circle. I would do it so. I fill the foreground color in my tool-palette with orange and then create a new layer, make a circle and fill it with the foreground-color. Then I have an orange circle on a black (I made a layer below that with black background) layer. My question is now, what for is the square with the background-color in the tools-palette good for use in a normal layer or even this orange circle layer, when I have already a background layer for my complete picture? What for do I need that? It is not such a problem, since I know, how to fill the circle with the color I want. But I want to understand things.
I know in general, how to use layers. I put each shape or text on a own layer, only merge the ones, I know, they will stay and don't change anymore. Lol, but maybe I only think too complicated, but I hope I could now better explain what is my problem in understanding

Hanarky

Hanarky, I think you misunderstand something.
If a tutorial asks you to set the foreground color to red and the background color to green, then you just do that in the toolbar. The tutorial doesn't want you to change the color of a layer by filling it with a particular color, they just want you to set the fore- or/and background color, nothing else

jpfitness

I will try to answer - hope I am on the right track here ha ha ha

since you don't have the "original" background layer, that is created with every new document, I assume, it is not necessary to keep it.
because I click transparent my original background layer is transparent and is unlocked

When I want my complete pic have a background with let's say red, I just can make a new layer about that and consider that as my background layer and delete the original, or I unlock the original and fill it with red. Right?
yes you can or if your new doctument is transparent fill with red this way you don't have to delete or unlock anything

To the second part of my question, best explained again with your pic. You have for example an orange circle. I would do it so. I fill the foreground color in my tool-palette with orange and then create a new layer, make a circle and fill it with the foreground-color.
no I would just click on the new layer that you have created and use a brush for a circle

Then I have an orange circle on a black (I made a layer below that with black background) layer. My question is now, what for is the square with the background-color in the tools-palette good for use in a normal layer or even this orange circle layer, when I have already a background layer for my complete picture? What for do I need that? It is not such a problem, since I know, how to fill the circle with the color I want. But I want to understand things.
and here you loose me....... I am not sure what you mean...... the background in the tools pallet is there ready for you to use if you want, nothing happens to your document - like an automatic fill background type of thing - to fill your document you would have to tell ps that you want to fill your background with either the forground colour (alt delete) or background colour (ctrl delete) is this what you are asking?
sfm

Hanarky

hehe, thanks again.

the first part of my question is now clear

the second part almost, lol. My question didn't refer to a special pic. It was more a general question how to use the foreground /background colors in the palette.
What I learned from your answer now is, that it is indifferent, if I choose to fill a shape in a certain layer with the foreground-/ or backgroundcolor. They are only two possibilities to fill it with color. Which one I choose is my decision. Now right?
It always confused me to have two possibilities how to fill a selection or shape with color (refered to the option in the toolbar). So I thought, maybe I have to take always the foreground-color for certain shapes or features and the background-color for other shapes or structures and the choice I make, has an influence on my adding other shapes or styles in further layers. Obviously it is not so.
Thanks for all help, really appreciate that

Hanarky

P.S. I have understood, that I have to set the colors before in the tools-palette. That was not the problem.

Hanarky

Oh well, I hope I don't enerve you too much. I think, I have now the right terms to describe the problem.

I have for example a tutorial. It says: make a new document, make your background black (or another color), create a new layer, make a circle and fill that circle with red color. Since I am only experienced with filling shapes trough using the foreground-/background feature in the tools-palette by now I always have the problem, if I should fill the foreground-color square or background-color square with red to fill my shape with. That's all about it. But from the last answers, I think, it is completely up to me, which one I choose. Lol, I hope, now I expressed it more clear.
Hope, you don't take me all for a complete dummy [confused]

gymmie

You're not a dummy at all, Hanarky And welcome to the forums!

Yes, you can fill a selection, or an entire layer, with either the foreground color (Opt/Alt-delete) or the background color (Cmd/Cntrl-delete).

If you want to fill something that's not selected, be sure to click on Lock Transparency on the top of the Layer Palette, or you'll fill the entire layer instead.

You can also fill with 50% grey or a pattern, black or white no matter what colors you have on the toolbar: Edit Menu > Fill and choosing an option. (To get to that dialog quickly, Shift-Delete.)