Quick question, it's been awhile

[jenjen]

Hi everyone! I haven't been on here for about a year and a half because i had another baby plus I found out I had cancer (which I am in remission now). Therefore I have forgotton alot of the methods and techniques I use to know. Not to mention that the chemo has made my memory a little bad. So anyway I want to start restoring again to get my brain working again.

My question is when you have a lot of layers going on and want to simplify by putting all your progress on a single layer without messing with any of the other layers, how do you do that? I know this is a silly question but thanks for your help!

Jennifer

Is this where I would post anymore questions I would have?

[James Penner]

Hi Jennifer,

One way to do what you're describing (if I understand you correctly) is to create a new, blank layer and use the Apply Image command (under the Image menu). Does that help?

- James

[Nanls]

Hi Jennifer and welcome back!
Shift+Command+Option+E (Mac OS) or Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E (Windows)..."Stamp Visible" merges all of the "visible" layers into one layer without altering underlaying layers. Just make sure you are on the top layer of the layers you want to merge.
Hope this helps.

~Nancy~


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www.PhotoArt123.com

[DCobb]

If you use Shift Ctrl E you flatten your image. I hold down the Alt key (using a PC) and go to the fly out on the layers palette and click on Merge Visible and it will put a new layer on top with all visible layers merged leaving all other layers just as they were--no flattening of your work.

dc

[jenjen]

Thanks for your help. I was reading a tutorial and I did it her way:

Ctrl + A
shift+Ctrl+c
Ctrl+ v

I'll try it your guys way and see what is faster.


Jennifer

[Dave.Cox]

The method that Nanls suggested, Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E or Shift+Command+option+E will create a new layer and copy all of the layers below into the new layered as a new flattened layer. I often use that as a "work in progress" layer when I am working on somthing complicated and I don't want to have to keep with which layer is affecting what.

[Nanls]

Dave,
It sounds like you and I work the same. I find it especially helpful when doing complicated composites. If I find I want to make changes to a layer, for one reason or another, after the merge I just dump the "stamp visible layer" fix the offending layer and do another "Stamp visible" layer. When I have so many layers (sometimes upwards of 20-30 layers) that I notice a lag, or I am happy with what I have accomplished so far, I will save the file, and then making certain I have the newest "stamp visible" layer selected, use the flyout on the layers menu pallet to "duplicate layer" (use "new" and then name accordingly) and then save this new file as version 2 and off I go. I can always go back to the first file if ever needed. I feel the "stamp visible" feature is one of the most useful features if you regularly work with multiple layers.


~Nancy~

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www.PhotoArt123.com

[Dave.Cox]

Yes, when I am working on something really complex like that, or with a lot of filters, that is what I do. As I come to terms with Smart objects and Smart filters, I find that I don't have to do that as much. Still, I have seen some projects where I was approaching 100 or so layers, and its nice to be able to merge them into a composite and move them to a new file. By the way, Ctrl J is the short cut key for duplicate layer. I use that a lot.