> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ OCTOBER 2019[ 60 ]
- USING THE LAYERS PANEL FILTERING OPTIONS
After a few hours working on a project and 100 layers later, the layer-
filtering bar along the top of the Layers panel can be a helpful feature
in locating specific layers. By default, the Pick a Filter Type drop-down
menu at the top left of the panel is set to Kind with a series of icons
to the right of it. By clicking on one of the icons, you can filter layers
by pixel layers, adjustment layers, type layers, shape layers, and smart
object layers.
There are several more great filtering options in the Pick a Filter
Type drop-down menu. Each option will give you a different set of
criteria by which you can filter layers. You can filter layers by Name,
Effect (layer styles), Mode (blend modes), Attribute (visible, locked,
layer mask, etc.), Color (layers that you’ve color coded), Smart Object,
Selected (only shows the active layers), and Artboard. So even if you
can’t remember the name of a specific layer, you can use the filter
options to help make your search easier.
more organized, and spend less time looking for specific layers, I create
layer groups. For example, I create a “Hair” group with all my hair layers.
(Note: Even inside layer groups, don’t forget to name your Layers.) Later,
when I need to continue working on my subject’s hair, I simply expand
my “Hair” group, and there are all the layers with which I want to work.
As with many things in Photoshop, there are multiple ways to
create layer groups:- Select the layers that you want to group (see previous tip), and
then drag those layers to the Create a New Group icon (folder)
at the bottom of the Layers panel. You can also Option-click
(PC: Alt-click) the Create a New Group icon after you select your
layers to bring up a dialog where you can name the group. - Select all the layers you want to group, Right-click on one of the
selected layers, and choose Group from Layers. - Click on the Create a New Group icon, and then click-and-drag
layers in the Layers panel directly into the group folder. - Select all the layers you want to group, and press Command-G
(PC: Ctrl-G). - ARRANGING LAYERS FROM THE KEYBOARD
When working on compositing or design projects, the order of layers
is key to the right composition. To quickly move layers up or down
in the layer stack, select the layer(s) you want to move in the Layers
panel, hold the Command (PC: Ctrl) key, and then tap the Left or
Right Bracket keys ([ ]) to move the layer(s) down or up, respectively.
(You can’t move the Background layer unless you first unlock it by
clicking its lock icon.)
To move a selected layer to the top of the layer stack, press Com-
mand-Shift-] (PC: Ctrl-Shift-]). To move a selected layer to the bottom
of the layer stack, press Command-Shift-[ (PC: Ctrl-Shift-[). - SELECTING LAYERS IN THE LAYERS PANEL
The ability to select any layer without a single mouse click is one of the
best Adobe Photoshop features. To select any layer, hold the Option
(PC: Alt) key, and then tap the Left or Right Bracket key ([ ]). Each time
you tap the Left Bracket key, it will select the next layer down in the
stack; each time you press the Right Bracket key, it will select the next
layer up in the stack. To select multiple layers, throw in the Shift key,
and every time you tap one of the Bracket keys, it will add the next
layer in the layer stack to the selected layers.
If you’d prefer to select multiple layers using your mouse, click
on the first layer to make it active, and then Shift-click any other
layer. All the layers in-between the first and last selected will be
selected. To select multiple layers individually, click on the first
layer you want selected, hold the Command (PC: Ctrl) key, and then
click on each layer you want selected. - CREATE A LAYER GROUP
Creating layer groups makes it easier to work with multiple layers at the
same time. My painting projects often have more than 150 layers. After
around the first 15 layers, I don’t always remember which layer is which
(even when I rename them, it’s difficult to remember all of them). To be
COMMAND-[ COMMAND-]