Scraps Of Mind

The Secrets of Styles

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Guest Post by Melothria.

What is a Style?

A Style or Layer Style, is a range of layer settings and options. So when you choose to add to a shape, for example a drop shadow, a pattern, some color and a bit of emboss, you’ve created a new Style.

You can:

copy this Style to another layer (copy/paste)

save it to use it later, or

save it by creating a new file with a .asl extension. This is a new Style file.

Styles can be saved in ASL file format. ASL files work in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. I use Photoshop but I found a quick tutorial for installing and using styles in PSE.

One ASL file can contain multiple styles. ASL files are located in the Styles folder of the Adobe/Photoshop/Presets folder.

Styles appear in the Photoshop Styles palette and if you don’t see it on your Photoshop screen, you can make the palette visible by clicking on Styles in the Windows menu. By default the Styles pallette is set to appear next to the color palette on your Photoshop screen.

Photoshop comes with default styles already installed. If you click on the little downward arrow top-right on the styles palette, you can choose to load and try some styles.

For example, if you are on a layer (ie the layer is active) on which you have typed a sentence and you click on a style, it will be applied to your text.

Have you got ‘Styles’?

The Internet is full of little (and big) places where you can find Styles for free. You can download ASL files thatwill generally contain several different Styles. Place your ASL file in the correct folder (described above) and then load the Style you want to use in your software.

Unfortunately these free Styles are most often aimed at webdesign and they are as cute as… the default Photoshop Styles…

Digital Scrapbooking online stores offer Styles that will enable you to add beautiful effects on your elements and texts. Using Styles, you can add a wide range of effects to your elements and texts like glitter, metal, paint, reflections, glass, textile and so much more.

You could also play with your layer’s options yourself, modify all settings (and there are a lot) and save your work when you’ve made something you like. You can then share your ASL files with your friends.

Create your own Style

Let’s say you’ve played for a while in the layer options and you came up with a beautiful effect on a shape, it doesn’t look like anything special but it’s beautiful or maybe, you’ve managed to create some very realistic effect.

What you have to do is:

While being on the layer on which you have set the options for this new style, go to the styles palette and click on ‘New Style’. You will be asked to provide a name for the Style and choose if you want to include in your styles the layer effects and blending options or not. You have saved your style.

If you have made several new styles, you might want to save them in an ASL file. Make your own ASL file by clicking on ‘Save Styles’ and choose to save in the appropriate Styles folder.

Hope you found this helpful.

Scraps of Mind would like to sincerely thank Melothria for this Guest Post. Melothria runs Digital Arts Cafe where she shares her fabulous digital scrapbooking creations (including great freebies).

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