Layer Styles can provide an ideal way to get the quality, speed, and flexibility that make for successful Photoshop solutions. With Layer Styles you can design, save, and reapply an almost limitless number of combinations of colors, tones, gradients, strokes, and images (in the form of patterns and textures), plus the dimensionality of bevels, shadows, glows, and "reflections." Once you've designed and saved it as a preset, a Style also provides you with the extremely practical opportunity to apply it to any other type, graphic, or photo and have it automatically conform to the shape of the new recipient.

The Layer Style dialog box is the "Erector set" that lets you experiment with the hundreds of variables that make up a Style, starting from scratch or modifying an existing preset Style. When you develop a Style you like, you can save it as its own preset by clicking the New Style button and naming your new creation.