Adobe Photoshop CS4 - Manual (Page 512)

505 USING PHOTOSHOP CS4
Web graphics
Last updated 1/10/2010
A layer-based slice is updated when the source layer is modified.
Layer-based slices are less flexible than user slices; however, you can convert (“promote”) a layer-based slice to a user
slice. See “
Convert auto and layer-based slices to user slices ” on page 505.
1 Select a layer in the Layers panel.
2 Choose Layer > New Layer-based Slice.
Don’t use a layer-based slice when you plan to move the layer over a large area of the image during an animation,
because the slice dimension may exceed a useful size.
Convert auto and layer-based slices to user slices
A layer-based slice is tied to the pixel content of a layer, so the only way to move, combine, divide, resize, and align it
is to edit the layer—unless you convert it to a user slice.
All auto slices in an image are linked and share the same optimization settings. If you want to set different optimization
settings for an auto slice, you need to promote it to a user slice.
1 Using the Slice Select tool, select one or more slices to convert.
2 Click Promote in the options bar.
You can promote an auto slice in the Save For Web & Devices dialog box by unlinking it. See “ Work with slices in the
Save For Web & Devices dialog box ” on page 516
View slices and slice options
You can view slices in Photoshop and the Save For Web & Devices dialog box. The following characteristics can help
you identify and differentiate between slices:
Slice lines Define the boundary of the slice. Solid lines indicate that the slice is a user slice or layer-based slice; dotted
lines indicate that the slice is an auto slice.
Slice colors Differentiate user slices and layer-based slices from auto slices. By default, user slices and layer-based slices
have blue symbols, and auto slices have gray symbols.
In addition, the Save For Web & Devices dialog box uses color adjustments to dim unselected slices. These adjustments
are for display purposes only and do not affect the color of the final image. By default, the color adjustment for auto
slices is twice the amount of that for user slices.
Slice numbers Slices are numbered from left to right and top to bottom, beginning in the upper-left corner of the
image. If you change the arrangement or total number of slices, slice numbers are updated to reflect the new order.
Slice badges The following badges, or icons, indicate certain conditions.
• User slice has Image content.