Layers

Layers are really important to have when you're making anything in Paint Shop Pro. They make it easier to edit images and allow you to do some interesting things.

You'll typically only use raster and vector layers. There are a few other types of layers you can use in PSP, but I'd recommend sticking with these two.

Vector
Vector layers are used for text and things made with the shape or pen tool. You can resize and turn objects on vector layers without them losing quality and edit them easily. However, you cannot use the eraser tool and most options from the top menu will not work. If you try to perform an action designed for raster layers on a vector layer, the program will ask you if you'd like to convert it to one. If you choose to, you will no longer be able to do the things you were able to when it was a vector.

Raster
Raster layers are used for brush work, photos, and almost everything that isn't done with vector. Objects in raster layers lose a bit of their quality when resized or rotated, but you can you the eraser tool and apply effects from top menu.

Background
I don't really like background layers. They can't be moved anywhere in your list of layers. Anything copied and pasted into the program will be a background layer. There's an option in the Layer menu that allows you to promote the background layer to a raster layer. I'd recommend doing that any time you have one.

The Layer Menu

The layer menu is located across the top of the program. I've never found the need to use a few of the options and others are better performed using the palette, so I'll only explain a select few.

Most of them are fairly self-explanatory. Any of the ones that say New ___ Layer will add a new, blank layer of that kind to your image. Duplicate makes a copy of the layer you're currently on. Convert to Raster Layer will convert your vector layer to a raster layer. Easy enough.

The Merge option has four more options you could pick from. Merge Down will merge your current layer with the one below it. You can't merge a raster layer to a vector layer below it, but you can merge a vector layer to a raster layer below it. Any two layers of the same kind could be merged together. Merge all (flatten) will merge all of your layers into one background layer. As mentioned before, I don't recommend having background layers. Merge Visible merges all the layers into one raster layer. I never find the need to use groups, so I won't explain the Merge Group option.

Layer Palette

The layer palette should appear under your color palette on the right side of the program. If it's not there, press F8. This may be different in other versions of the program. Go to View >> Palettes >> Layers to get it to show if F8 fails.

All your layers should show on this palette. You can easily arrange them by dragging and dropping them into different positions.

There is a dropdown menu at the top of the palette that supplies you with blending options. Just mess with the options and see what they do. Some can create really cool effects. The bar next to the dropdown menu with the number 100 in it is used for setting the opacity of the layer. By moving the slider to the left, you can lesser the opacity of a certain layer.