ACA Working with Layers and Selections 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Photoshop feature lets you group multiple layers so they can be moved and transformed together?
- Layer mask
- Layer group (folder) (Correct answer)
- Adjustment layer
- Smart Object
Correct answer: Layer group (folder)
Layer groups (folders) let you organize and move multiple layers as a single unit.
Question 2: What happens when you Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) the eye icon of a layer in the Layers panel?
- The layer is deleted
- All other layers are hidden, showing only that layer (Correct answer)
- The layer is locked
- A new layer is created above it
Correct answer: All other layers are hidden, showing only that layer
Alt/Option-clicking the eye icon hides all other layers so only the clicked layer is visible.
Question 3: In Photoshop, what does the 'Refine Edge' (or 'Select and Mask') tool help you do?
- Add a drop shadow to a selection
- Improve the edges of a selection, especially around hair and fur (Correct answer)
- Convert a selection to a path
- Fill a selection with a gradient
Correct answer: Improve the edges of a selection, especially around hair and fur
Select and Mask (formerly Refine Edge) fine-tunes complex selection edges like hair, fur, and feathered borders.
Question 4: Which layer blending mode makes white pixels transparent and dark pixels opaque, useful for texture overlays?
- Screen
- Multiply (Correct answer)
- Overlay
- Dissolve
Correct answer: Multiply
Multiply blending mode darkens the image by multiplying colors, making white fully transparent.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a clipping mask in Photoshop?
- To clip the canvas to the document bounds
- To confine a layer's visibility to the shape of the layer directly below it (Correct answer)
- To hide portions of an image using a black-and-white mask
- To merge all visible layers into one
Correct answer: To confine a layer's visibility to the shape of the layer directly below it
A clipping mask uses the shape and transparency of the layer below to define where the upper layer is visible.
Question 6: Which keyboard shortcut inverts an active selection in Photoshop?
- Ctrl+D / Cmd+D
- Ctrl+I / Cmd+I
- Ctrl+Shift+I / Cmd+Shift+I (Correct answer)
- Ctrl+Alt+D / Cmd+Option+D
Correct answer: Ctrl+Shift+I / Cmd+Shift+I
Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Shift+I on Mac) inverts the current selection, selecting what was previously unselected.
Question 7: What does the 'Flatten Image' command do in Photoshop?
- Removes all adjustment layers
- Merges all visible layers into the Background layer and discards hidden layers (Correct answer)
- Converts all layers to Smart Objects
- Locks all layers in the document
Correct answer: Merges all visible layers into the Background layer and discards hidden layers
Flatten Image merges all visible layers into a single Background layer and permanently removes hidden layers.
ACA Working with Layers and Selections 2
Which Photoshop feature lets you group multiple layers so they can be moved and transformed together?