Layer  Styles  are a major addition to Photoshop  6.  Photoshop 5.5 incorporated Layer Effects  but they were nowhere near the level of complexity found in the latest version of the program.  Layer Styles  are a combination of Layer Effects, Fills, Strokes, Blend Mode s , and Overlays.  The wide range of options available gives the designer the freedom to create some unique styles.

The Styles Palette

Instead of exploring every detail of every aspect of creating different styles let’s just try creating one and see what the process involves.  Our first step is to place a Shape  in our Image Window .  You cannot create a new Style  unless you have a Shape to apply it to.  Create a new 300 x 300 document if you don’t already have one on your screen and place a capsule-shaped Rounded Rectangle in it.  To apply individual effects to the Shape you must {Double Click} on its Layer  in the Layers  Palette .  The Layer Style dialog box appears on your screen.

Take a look down the left hand side of the dialog box and you’ll see the range of options available to you. 

We’re going to create a style for the buttons in a make believe website so, for starters, {Click} on the checkbox beside Drop Shadow .  If you’re not happy with the default Drop Shadow that’s been applied to your Rounded Rectangle you can {Click} on the Drop Shadow label in the Styles  Listing in the dialog box and a number of options will appear in the middle of it.

Use the Sliders or Fields to adjust the Angle at which the Drop Shadow  sits underneath your Shape , the distance it sits from the Shape, its Spread, and its Size.  In this case the button is going to be yellow so {Double Click} on the Color Swatch beside the Blend Mode  drop down menu and change the color of the Drop Shadow to dark yellow.  Our button should now look something like this.

Next we’re going to want to apply an Inner Glow.  {Click} on the Inner Glow checkbox in the Layer  Styles  dialog box and {Double-Click} on its label to reveal its options.  We want our button to look like it’s made out of glass so we’re going to have to give it a dark glow to create the illusion of refracted light.   We’ll use a Gradient Glow so {Click} on the Gradient drop down menu and select the Black and White Gradient. 

We’ll need to tone down the black a little so {Double-Click} on the Gradient Preview to bring up the editor and change the black to a dark gray.  Change the Glow’s size to 21 by adjusting the slider under the Elements category.

Select Bevel  and Emboss  from the Styles  list and {Double-Click} on its label to reveal its options.  We want to make the button rounded and add a simulated reflection.  To do this we are going to have to create an Inner Bevel with a depth of 200, a size of 35, and a softness of 2.  We’ll also adjust the Shading by increasing the Altitude to 40, increasing the Highlight Opacity  to 93, and decreasing the Shadow Opacity to 16.

Our last step is to apply a Color Overlay to restore some of the brilliance lost when the other effects were applied.  Select a bright yellow color with a Normal Blend Mode .

We now have a button that looks like it’s made out of glass.  For even greater authenticity you could add a Contour and a Radial Gradient Overlay. 

If you need to use this particular combination, or any other combination, of Layer  Effects  on a regular basis you can {Click} on the New Style  button in the Layer Style dialog box.  The Style will now appear as a thumbnail in your Styles  Palette  and can be used any time you wish.

Explore the other features of the Layers  Styles  dialog box and try adding to, deleting from, and resetting the thumbnails in the Styles Palette .   With practice you’ll find that Styles and Shapes make a potent combination.  Both remain editable at all times making creation and editing of web content flexible and easy.