Which layer must be selected before drawing the ellipse for subtraction?

Which layer must be selected before drawing the ellipse for subtraction?

• A. Foreground shape layer
• B. The Ellipse shape layer
• C. The document layer
• D. Background shape layer

Answer: (D)

To subtract one shape from another, you must set the operation on the layer that actually contains the shape you want to modify. Photoshop applies the Subtract path operation to the active vector shape on the selected shape layer, so you need that layer to be the one with the base shape. Selecting the background shape layer ensures the ellipse you draw will carve away from the existing shape on that layer, rather than creating or altering a different shape on another layer. If you picked a different layer, the subtraction would affect that layer instead, producing a result you don’t intend. So, start by selecting the background shape layer, then use the Ellipse Tool with Subtract as the path operation to remove the ellipse area from the base shape.

To subtract one shape from another, you must set the operation on the layer that actually contains the shape you want to modify. Photoshop applies the Subtract path operation to the active vector shape on the selected shape layer, so you need that layer to be the one with the base shape. Selecting the background shape layer ensures the ellipse you draw will carve away from the existing shape on that layer, rather than creating or altering a different shape on another layer. If you picked a different layer, the subtraction would affect that layer instead, producing a result you don’t intend. So, start by selecting the background shape layer, then use the Ellipse Tool with Subtract as the path operation to remove the ellipse area from the base shape.