Open a PSD file with a few layers. Let's start from a PSD file where we have 3 layers: 2 are images (a background and a transparent backgrounded image - the Parrot) and a Text layer.

In this tutorial we will apply styles and filters to the Parrot. Select the layer and from the Filters menu select Xycod/PostworkShop.
The PostworkShop plug-in opens with the layer you selected loaded in the Compositing viewport while the remaining part will be a transparent canvas.
Apply as many styles as you want, layer, mix, and blend them. The Style Editor and the Bitmap Editor work the same way in the plug-in version that in the standalone one. Here we apply a Random painter followed by a Brightness/Contrast filter, witch a Sketch 2 style put in parallel above and blended with an Overlay blending mode.
You can also do the modifications you want in the Paint Module. (In this case we painted a few Sketch lines in white) . Note: painting in white is different from erasing!

Go backto the Compositing view to see the result. The Layers' names are uppdated, as editing the Sketch 2 filter inserted a Bitmap Editor filter after, on the same layer.

When you’re done, you have the options to:
-    Apply: "render and return to the host" button. The image in PostworkShop is rendered and sent back to PS. PostworkShop remains open but you need to call it again to work on other images/layers from PS. You can close the plug-in manually.
-    Apply and exit: "render, return to the host and quit" button. The image in PostworkShop is rendered and sent back to PS. PostworkShop will be closed. Re-call the PostworkShop plug-in to apply styles to a new layer.
The difference between these two is that while “apply” does not close the plug-in window, “apply and exit” does exit and opens a window every time you open the Xycod /PostworkShop plug-in.

-    Exit without applying.

Note: If you chose to keep PWS open for a faster start when you want to use it next time, then you have to quit it manually when you don't need it any more (when you quit Photoshop). We have no means to know when PS quits, the communication is cut between PS and PWS when we return the processed image. Please note that PWS is not a usual plug-in. The "plug-in" is just a messenger between PS and the full PWS program.

Here we will Render and return to the host:

A progress bar shows the final rendering of the modified image:

When saved, the style you have been creating by adding styles and filters to the image is saved in the History folder within the User folder. This allows you to use the same style again in the future for another layer you might call into PostworkShop from PS.

This time, PostworkShop does not close automatically: the session remains open. So to see the result, switch back to Photoshop. You will see the selected layer updated and a Smart Filters: PostworkShop applied to the layer.