The Wonders of Fill Layer vs. Opacity Layer

Opacity and fill both have very different effects on a layer, but you have to do something special in order to see what that Difference is. You will only see the effects of using fill if you have activated some layer FX, such as Drop Shadow or Bevel And Emboss. When using these layer FX, dropping the fill will make what ever is actually on the layer lower in visibility, while leaving the FX just as they were. Opacity is the master switch, and will bring the visibility of everything up or down!

Opacity and fill both have very different effects on a layer, but you have to do something special in order to see what that Difference is. You will only see the effects of using fill if you have activated some layer FX, such as Drop Shadow or Bevel And Emboss. When using these layer FX, dropping the fill will make what ever is actually on the layer lower in visibility, while leaving the FX just as they were. Opacity is the master switch, and will bring the visibility of everything up or down!