Tutorial Objective

In this tutorial we'll show you how to use Layer Presets to increase productivity and to quickly achieve a desired solution for your photos.

Step One - Open an Image

In this tutorial we'll work with a studio portraiture. Open a similarly styled photo then click the Select Layer Preset button (A) at the top of the interface.

Step Two - About the Preset Dialog

When you click the Select Layer Preset button the Preset Catalog appears onscreen. Along the left side of the Presets catalog (A) you will see a list of categories. These correspond to the effect categories you see under the Select Effect menu. You will also see example images (B) that represent the preset. Use the scroll bar (C) to view more presets. You can also use the center mouse-wheel to scroll through the list of presets.

Step Three - Select a Preset

When you move your mouse over the Preset (A) you'll see the Original image appear. This lets you see the difference between the effect and the original image. When you click on the Preset it highlights blue to show it is selected. For this tutorial click on the Color Tone Combined with Afternoon Sun.iqp Preset (as shown below) and then click the OK button (B).

Step Four - New Effects are Applied

After you click the OK button the Preset will start building the effect. The Layers Palette (A) will show each effect saved when the preset was captured. Each effect will have the same settings and will be stacked in the same layer order. The photo will be updated (B) showing the results.

One thing to remember with Presets is that some onscreen controls, such as Gradient Paths and Effect Ellipses, save the X and Y position located on the photo they were originally saved from. This means that if you have a landscape aspect ratio and save a preset with it, when you apply the preset to a portrait aspect ratio it will have to guess the closest position and angle for the Gradient Path and Effect Ellipse to be rendered. Expect to make some minor adjustments in this area. Another thing to remember is that Presets remember all Brush Strokes. If you brush over a photo to add or remove an effect using the Brush-Off / Brush-On tools, the places you stroke will be captured with the preset. An easy way to make a 'Generic' preset is to simply clear the brush strokes from your Effect Layers before you capture the presets. On the Brush Palette there is a button called Clear Brush Strokes. All you have to do is press this button once on each layer in your stack and then save the preset. You can then build your own preset library and there are no custom strokes saved.

Step Five - Add Another Effect

Let's add another effect to the photo. Go under the Select Effect menu and choose the Soft Black and White effect under the Smoothing category. Change the Opacity (A) on the Layer Palette to 75%.

Step Six - Save the Preset

Now lets save the Layer Preset. There are two ways to save a preset. The fastest way is to click the Save Layer Preset button (A) at the top of the interface. The second way is to click the small down arrow on the Layer Palette (B). Either way will open the Save Preset dialog.

Step Seven - Organizing Presets

When you click the Save Layer Preset button you're shown a Save Preset Dialog (A). The presets are saved in the Mystical 2.0/Effect Presets/Layers directory. Don't save presets anywhere else or they won't be shown by the Presets Catalog (like you see when you click the Select Layer Preset button). You can create a new folder in here and the presets can go in it.

Create a new folder called Tutorial (A) and save the preset inside it (shown below). Name the preset (B) My New Preset and then click the Save button (C).

Step Eight - Open a New Photo / Apply the Preset

Now let's open another photo and apply the preset to it. Once you have the new photo open click the Select Layer Preset button (A) at the top of the interface.

The Presets Catalog will appear onscreen. Look along the left side and you'll notice the new directory name you created: Tutorial (A). Click on the Tutorial name and the preset you saved in this directory will show up in the main window (B). Click on the My New Preset (it will highlight blue) and press the OK button (C).

The preset will build the effects onto the photo and you'll see them listed on the Layer Palette (A). You will then see the effects added to the photo (B).

Finishing Touch

Compare the originals with the final images below. The preset was saved from the Original 1 image after the effects were applied to it and then it was reapplied to the Original 2 image. The results are very consistent between the two images.

Original 1 ~ Afternoon Sun - Color Tone - Soft Black and White - Saved as Preset ~ Original 2 ~ Preset Applied to Original 2

Summary

Presets are a great way to capture a result and reapply it to other photos. Use them as solutions whereby you combine different looks together and want to keep the same settings. You can save presets into any of the folders the software ships with or you can create your own folder and place the presets you save into them. Remember to clear any brush strokes from Effect Layers using the Brush Palette > Clear Brush Strokes button as presets remember brush strokes. When you reapply a preset that has a Gradient Path or Effect Ellipse applied to it, you may need to adjust the postion of the paths if the aspect ratio of the new photo is different from the one the preset was saved from.