1. Adobe InDesign CS5 - Illustrated Unit F: Working with Layers

2. Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Place an object on a layer
Change layer options
Create a new layer
Duplicate a layer
Lock and hide a layer
Move an object to another layer
Change layer order

3. Placing an Object on a Layer
New InDesign documents
Start out with an empty layer, named Layer 1, on the Layers panel
Placed as a page item on Layer 1
Each additional item is placed on Layer 1, but on one level higher than the last
Expanding layers
Allows you to view all objects and the order they are stacked

4. Placing an Object on a Layer
Figure F-1: Viewing the rectangle frame on Layer 1

5. Placing an Object on a Layer
Figure F-2: Layers panel

6. Changing Layer Options
Layers on the Layers panel
Each has a unique selection color assigned to it
Selection color is the color of the bounding box that appears around selected objects on that layer
Naming layers
Layer names can be changed
Helpful to describe a layer’s content

7. Changing Layer Options
Figure F-3: Layer Options dialog box

8. Changing Layer Options
Figure F-4: Selecting the map image

9. Two ways to create new layers:
Creating a New Layer
Two ways to create new layers:
Click Create new layer button on the Layers panel
Click Layers panel list arrow
Then click New Layer
New Layer dialog box
Identical to Layer Options dialog box

10. When you have more than one layer in an InDesign document
Creating a New Layer
When you have more than one layer in an InDesign document
Arrange commands are applied only to page items on the currently active layer
Send to Back, Bring to Front, Send Backward, and Bring Forward

11. Creating a New Layer FIGURE F-5:
Viewing the Current Store Locations layer
FIGURE F-6:
Location of first green circle

12. Creating a New Layer Figure F-7: Copying the green circle Figure F-8:
Four current store locations

13. Duplicating a Layer Duplicating a layer Duplicated layers
Choosing a layer in the Layers panel and creating an exact copy of the layer and the objects on it
Duplicated layers
Can be renamed and objects can be removed, modified, or added
Will have the same name as the layer that used to create it, followed by “copy”
Also assigned the same selection color

14. Duplicating a Layer
Figure F-9: Duplicate layer on Layers panel

15. Duplicating a Layer
Figure F-10: Repositioned circle

16. Duplicating a Layer
Figure F-11:
Positioning the dark blue circles

17. Locking and Hiding a Layer
You can lock and hide an entire layer or individual page items
Locking protects the layer or items from being moved, selected, or deleted
Objects on locked layers cannot be selected
Hiding can help focus on one layer without being distracted by others
Also helps to see what the document would look like without the objects on that layer, without having to delete them

18. Locking and Hiding a Layer
Figure F-12: Hidden Future Store Locations layer

19. Locking and Hiding a Layer
Figure F-13: Locking the map item on the United States Map layer

20. Locking and Hiding a Layer
Figure F-14: Viewing the locked page item

21. Moving an Object to Another Layer
Existing page items can be moved from one layer to another
To move an object to a new layer:
Select the object on the page
Drag the Indicates select items icon in the Layers panel to a new layer
Merging layers
Objects on each of the layers that are merged become objects on a single layer

22. Moving an Object to Another Layer
Figure F-16: Selected circle

23. Moving an Object to Another Layer
Figure F-17: Moving the <circle> page item to the Flagship Store Locations layer

24. Moving an Object to Another Layer
Figure F-18: Viewing the Flagship Store Locations layer

25. Order of layers on the Layers panel
Changing Layer Order
Order of layers on the Layers panel
Identical to vertical stacking order of InDesign objects on the page
Top layer represents top object(s)
Bottom layer represents bottom object(s)
To change the order of layers, drag the layer to a new location in the panel
Release the mouse button when a black line appears above the layer you are dragging to

26. Paste Remembers Layers command
Changing Layer Order
Paste Remembers Layers command
Located on Panels options menu
Used to paste layers into a document
Useful if you plan on using the same layer structure in another document

27. Changing Layer Order Figure F-20: Figure F-19:
Moving the Opening layer
Figure F-19:
Placed starburst graphic

28. Changing Layer Order
Figure F-21: Repositioned starburst

29. Changing Layer Order
Figure F-22: The finished map