Non-destructive editing techniques in Photoshop

“Non-destructive editing techniques” describe ways to modify and adjust layers without actually changing the pixel content of the layer. This is a roundabout way to save time in Photoshop – you don’t actually save time on the front end, but you save lots of time and trouble on the back end if you need to go back and make new edits!

Let me give you an example of the difference between “destructive” and non-destructive editing. One common modification for pumping up the contrast on a photo is to use the Image > Levels command and dragging the outer sliders towards the center:

his permanently changes the photo (i.e., once you save and close it, there’s no going back), so it’s an example of destructive editing.

To change the levels non-destructively, you can add an Image Adjustment layer in the Layers palette. Click the Create new adjustment layer icon in the bottom of the Layers palette and choose Levels.

The same Levels dialog box will come up and you can make the same changes, but instead of permanently changing the photo layer, you’ll see an additional layer come up in the Layers palette.

The beauty of adding the adjustment layer is that you can always go back and change the adjustment by double-clicking on the Levels 1 thumbnail. Or, you can turn it off by clicking the eye icon to hide the layer. Or, you can remove it completely by deleting the layer! You can add more adjustment layers on top of this one to continue to make “changes” to the photo – all without touching the original photo. In contrast, using the Levels command directly on an image means that if you change your mind and want to redo your adjustments, you’d have to start over with a fresh copy of the original photo.

Other tips for non-destructive editing:

1. Use adjustment layers for photo-type adjustments. Most of the adjustment-type changes you would make to an image layer can be done using adjustment layers for non-destructive editing, as I’ve shown in the Levels example above.
2. Use vector shapes with layer style effects. Using the marquee tool to create a rectangle selection, filling it with the paint bucket tool, and adding a gradient using the gradient tool, results in a pixel- or raster-based layer where you’d pretty much have to recreate the layer if you wanted to make significant shape or color changes. In contrast, creating a vector rectangle and applying a gradient layer effect allows you to change the shape of the rectangle or change the gradient effect at any point very easily.
3. Use layer masks to hide portions of layers. Using the eraser tool will permanently remove information from a layer. Instead, add a layer mask and use it to hide the parts of the layer that you don’t want to show. You can then always go back and edit the layer mask to hide or show more of the original picture or remove the layer mask altogether.

Labels: Photoshop
Non-destructive editing techniques in Photoshop