I remember discovering this. Great, isn't it? If we are throwing tips around, you could keep things more editable and flexible if you put the gradient above the text layer and alt-clicking on the line between the layers. The gradient layer should jump a little to the right and should only show it's gradient where there are pixels in the underlying layer. That could come in handy if you want to use a filter on the gradient that needs pixels from outside the area the text covers (some kind of displacement). And, not to forget, there is in the latest two version of PS a 'Gradient Overlay' layer effect that keeps your gradient editable 'till 2285 at least... And, on the ctrl-clicking and alpha channels, if you shift-ctrl-click on multiple layers, you can make combined selections of multiple parts of your image. You can also use the alt and command instead of shift, to take out parts of your selection or make a... urm... a, you know (what is it called), when you have two selections and only keep where they overlap. Once you get used to it (and also the advantage of having partial transparancy, like aprilgem said), you will use the magic wand less and less (I could very well live without it). The ctrl-click to make a selection can also be performed on alpha channels, but also on color channels (and paths). Sometimes I hide all layers but, like, three, and ctrl-click on the 'rgb channel', which creates a grayscale-like selection. If you click on the 'create new alpha channel' button, you will have a greyscale representation of the rgb picture, which can come in handy when manipulating colors, highlights or shadows or as starting point for a mask. Or as a start for advanced alpha channel manipulation by filters (I would, for instance, use that technique for the bloody letters of your nice Trome picture, I love those guys). Ctrl-clicking on the alpha channel gives you the selection to put on a new layer and add layer effects too. Sorry I got carried away on this. I hope I can provide even more things that make PS even more fun (and easy). The magic wand is a rough tool, that you will use less and less once you discover hidden powers like this. One last thing... I discovered years to late that alt-clicking on a layermask makes you jump into the mask, which you can then see and manipulate and filter what you want. Or just watch it...