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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> adjustment layers in Photoshop
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12/09/2006 09:50:38 PM · #1
perhaps it has been asked and answered here somewhere or it is in PS help or in the books, but I just can't find it anywhere. Suppose I have several image 'layers' and I want to apply a certain effect (levels, hue, whatever) as an 'adjustment' layer, but not to all stack of 'layers' which are underneath but only to one of them. Is there a way to do it?

Thanks!
12/09/2006 10:11:53 PM · #2
So here is what I do but I know this isn't the best way to do it. If I have multiple 'layers', I will go to the one I want to change and then go to
Image->adjustments->curves(for example). This will only affect the layer you have selected. Sometimes I will duplicate the layer first and hide in case I don't like the changes and can go back and start over. But there must be a way that is better to allow you to select the adjustmen to re-edit it. hope that helps, I am going to keep an eye on this thread for thr "right" way to do it.
Joe
12/09/2006 10:13:11 PM · #3
yup, on a mac in CS2 you create the new 'adjustment' layer then alt/option click the line between 'layers' in the 'layers' palette. I know you can do it in earlier versions of PS but I don't recall how....(I do think I recall that it is a different)

more specifically, create an 'adjustment' layer just above the layer you want to modify then alt/option click between the two in the 'layers' palette...you'll get a little arrow thingy showing that the 'adjustment' is just to the layer below

Message edited by author 2006-12-09 22:15:50.
12/09/2006 10:28:32 PM · #4
Originally posted by LevT:

perhaps it has been asked and answered here somewhere or it is in PS help or in the books, but I just can't find it anywhere. Suppose I have several image 'layers' and I want to apply a certain effect (levels, hue, whatever) as an 'adjustment' layer, but not to all stack of 'layers' which are underneath but only to one of them. Is there a way to do it?

Thanks!


Lev
I think what you want to do is to create a clipping mask
If you go to say Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves the new layer box pops up. If you select "Use previous layer as clipping mask" your adjustments will only effect the layer directly underneath.
Or you could Alt click on the line between, as jaxond mentioned, if you already have the 'adjustment' layer created
Hope this helps : )
12/10/2006 08:12:08 AM · #5
CTRL+ALT+Click between the 'layers' on a PC will link that 'adjustment' layer to only that layer
12/10/2006 05:58:54 PM · #6
If your wanting to affect several 'layers', or one layer with several 'adjustment' 'layers' -- but not all the 'layers' you have so far, create a layer set, change the blending mode to 'Normal' and add as many 'layers' as you like to it.

Default blending mode for a set is 'Pass Through' which treats all 'layers' within the set as if the set wasn't there. The set is strictly for organization purposes.

Changing the set's blending mode to anything else treats the set 'layer' as a composite of all the 'layers' within the set. In other words, the 'layers' are flattened (internal to PS) and the resulting layer is put in the place of the set.

David
12/10/2006 08:31:00 PM · #7
Originally posted by David.C:

If your wanting to affect several 'layers', or one layer with several 'adjustment' 'layers' -- but not all the 'layers' you have so far, create a layer set, change the blending mode to 'Normal' and add as many 'layers' as you like to it.
David


Yep. In PS CS2, it's called a "group." Select the 'layers' you want: pixel 'layers', adjustments, whatever, and then click the little triangle in the upper right corner of the 'layers' palette, and choose "new group from 'layers' ..."

You can also create an empty group by choosing "new group" and then move 'layers' into it manually.
12/11/2006 03:31:26 AM · #8
Thank you guys for the excellent advices! As far as I can tell, both clipping masks and layer groups set in a non-Pass through mode produce the same effect, however I found grouping 'layers' more logical and easier to keep track of. By the way, Ctr-Alt-Click produces the same effect (creates Clipping Mask) as just Alt-click.
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