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Using Photoshop’s Layer Comps to improve workflow

James Thornton

James Thornton

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Track version changes with Layer CompsMuch of the reason for Photoshop‘s worldwide success is down to the fact that it was one of the first graphics editors to make use of layers. The ability to compose an image using different overlays gives you near unlimited power, and credit to Adobe, the layers panel makes it very easy to manage the layers you’re using. However, there is a way to make it even easier to work on layered projects through the ‘Layer Comps’ feature within the CS version of the app.

Instead of having to create multiple documents in order to track changes to a project, Layer Comps allow you to manage different versions of your graphics from a single workspace. Photoshop Lab provides a very succinct introduction to the feature, explaining how it can be use to bolster your workflow.

One ingenius Layer Comps utility locked within Photoshop that not too many people know about is the ‘Layer Comps to PDF’ tool, which lets you export the different stages of your design to PDF to share with others. Having seen this in action, I can see this being a great tool for Web and graphic designers who are being constantly hassled by clients to provide updates on progress, or who want alternative mock-ups of a design.

James Thornton

James Thornton

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