Photoshop Layers and Masks 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which panel in Photoshop allows you to view, create, and manage layers?
- Channels panel
- Layers panel (Correct answer)
- Properties panel
- History panel
Correct answer: Layers panel
The Layers panel is the central hub for creating, viewing, hiding, locking, and organizing all layers in a Photoshop document.
Question 2: What does a layer mask painted with black do to that layer?
- Reveals the layer content
- Hides the layer content (Correct answer)
- Deletes the layer content
- Locks the layer content
Correct answer: Hides the layer content
Black on a layer mask hides (conceals) the corresponding pixels of the layer, while white reveals them.
Question 3: Which blending mode makes a layer's dark pixels transparent, allowing lighter layers below to show through?
- Multiply
- Screen (Correct answer)
- Overlay
- Luminosity
Correct answer: Screen
Screen blending mode inverts, multiplies, and inverts again, effectively hiding dark areas and letting light from underlying layers show through.
Question 4: What is the keyboard shortcut to merge all visible layers into a new layer while keeping originals intact in Photoshop (Windows)?
- Ctrl+E
- Ctrl+Shift+E
- Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Correct answer)
- Ctrl+Shift+F
Correct answer: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Option+Shift+E on Mac) stamps all visible layers into a new merged layer without deleting the originals.
Question 5: Which type of layer applies non-destructive edits like Curves or Hue/Saturation to all layers below it?
- Smart Object layer
- Fill layer
- Adjustment layer (Correct answer)
- Background layer
Correct answer: Adjustment layer
Adjustment layers apply corrections (Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation, etc.) non-destructively to all underlying layers in the stack.
Question 6: What happens when you Ctrl+click (Cmd+click) a layer thumbnail in the Layers panel?
- Opens layer options
- Loads the layer's transparency as a selection (Correct answer)
- Duplicates the layer
- Rasterizes the layer
Correct answer: Loads the layer's transparency as a selection
Ctrl+clicking (Cmd+clicking on Mac) a layer thumbnail instantly loads that layer's non-transparent pixels as an active selection.
Photoshop Layers and Masks 1
Which panel in Photoshop allows you to view, create, and manage layers?