Photoshop layers question

[Ballistics]

When you are making multiple adjustments to an image such as adding blur, dodging and burning, etc. how do you make different layers for different things without the order mattering?


For example, I take a raw headshot and open it in PS. I want to remove blemishes, so I duplicate the background layer and use the heal tool. After that's done, I want to smooth out the skin. So I create another layer and smooth out the skin. 10 layers later I have completed my image, but I think I may want to change the eyes. But in order to do that, I have to hide 9 others in order to see the that adjustment layer. How do I make it so each layer is only the adjustment, and not a complete duplicate of the previous layer?

 

[ryanwaff]

Well it depends on what tool you are using, for example, the spot healing brush tool you can make a new, blank layer. Then after selecting the spot healing tool, check 'sample all layers' then heal like normal. This then takes all the 'healed' data and puts it on the blank layer, which means that you can still see all the previous layers things around it.

But for some tools, like the dodge and burn tool, there is no 'sample all layers' so you can either edit directly on the background layer, or duplicate it, add a mask, invert the mask, then use a white brush to paint over the areas you want to dodge on the mask, then you can dodge or burn normally on the duplicated layer..

There are many others ways to do this, but that is how I work, masks are your best bet...

Oh wait, just thought of something more

You could also use a selection tool of your preference, to select the areas that you wish to edit, then just move those onto a new layer (ctrl+j) which CAN work, but only if you are quite good at selections

Hope this helps?

Ill do some more thinking, see what I can come up with

 

[Ballistics]

Well it depends on what tool you are using, for example, the spot healing brush tool you can make a new, blank layer. Then after selecting the spot healing tool, check 'sample all layers' then heal like normal. This then takes all the 'healed' data and puts it on the blank layer, which means that you can still see all the previous layers things around it.

But for some tools, like the dodge and burn tool, there is no 'sample all layers' so you can either edit directly on the background layer, or duplicate it, add a mask, invert the mask, then use a white brush to paint over the areas you want to dodge on the mask, then you can dodge or burn normally on the duplicated layer..

There are many others ways to do this, but that is how I work, masks are your best bet...

Oh wait, just thought of something more

You could also use a selection tool of your preference, to select the areas that you wish to edit, then just move those onto a new layer (ctrl+j) which CAN work, but only if you are quite good at selections

Hope this helps?

Ill do some more thinking, see what I can come up with

Thanks for the reply! So if I make 6 layers, there's no way for the order of the layers to be irrelevant? As in, if I made an adjustment the 3rd layer down that I want to hide, that's not possible?
Kind of like adjustment layers but that aren't limited to the listed adjustments.

 

[ryanwaff]

Theoretically it can be possible, but I'm not quite understanding you when you say you "want to hide"? Hide as in alter something on the third layer?

 

[Ballistics]

Theoretically it can be possible, but I'm not quite understanding you when you say you "want to hide"? Hide as in alter something on the third layer?

I'm sorry about the poor explanation. I don't have the lingo down yet.

Imagine you have an image with six layers.
On each layer you changed 1 thing.

Layer 1 - Hair
Layer 2 - lips
Layer 3 - Eyes
Layer 4 - Smoothed out skin
Layer 5 - Blemishes
Background Layer.

Now, your looking at the image and you think that the eyes aren't edited properly for whatever reason. So you want to see what the image looks like without the eyes edited,
so you want to hide that image. By doing so, you click the little "eye" button next to the layers 1-3 to hide them. But that also hides the edits you did to the hair and lips.

I want to just be able to hide (clicking the little eye symbol next to the layer) the eye layer without hiding anything else.

 

[GraceNFaith]

If you're sure you're not going to make any other changes to the layers you can always just merge the layers. It'll help tidy things up a bit as well.

 

[12sndsgood]

if its a layer you want to hide just hit the little eye button next to the layer, that will hide it from view and then rehit it to make it visable again. or maybe im not understanding the question right.

 

[ryanwaff]

Theoretically it can be possible, but I'm not quite understanding you when you say you "want to hide"? Hide as in alter something on the third layer?

I'm sorry about the poor explanation. I don't have the lingo down yet.

Imagine you have an image with six layers.
On each layer you changed 1 thing.

Layer 1 - Hair
Layer 2 - lips
Layer 3 - Eyes
Layer 4 - Smoothed out skin
Layer 5 - Blemishes
Background Layer.

Now, your looking at the image and you think that the eyes aren't edited properly for whatever reason. So you want to see what the image looks like without the eyes edited,
so you want to hide that image. By doing so, you click the little "eye" button next to the layers 1-3 to hide them. But that also hides the edits you did to the hair and lips.

I want to just be able to hide (clicking the little eye symbol next to the layer) the eye layer without hiding anything else.

Not a problem

Yes, what you are talking about is very possible, through either the use of masks or the selection method.

So you have your layers

Layer 1 - Hair -every thing masked out except the hair
Layer 2 - lips - everything masked out except the lips
Layer 3 - Eyes - everything masked out except the eyes
Layer 4 - Smoothed out skin -this layer would probably have to be the first one, as it covers the most amount of your editing plane. (ie: make this layer 5)
Layer 5 - Blemishes - make this layer 4
Background Layer.

then if you wish to hide the eyes layer to see what they would look like unedited, simply just click the little eye of layer 3 and it will be hidden, revealing the eyes on the background layer.

 

[ryanwaff]

It will work as long as each layer only has specific parts of the image visible, ie: eyes layer is JUST the eyes visible, hair layer is JUST the hair etc.

 

[MTVision]

When you are making multiple adjustments to an image such as adding blur, dodging and burning, etc. how do you make different layers for different things without the order mattering?

For example, I take a raw headshot and open it in PS. I want to remove blemishes, so I duplicate the background layer and use the heal tool. After that's done, I want to smooth out the skin. So I create another layer and smooth out the skin. 10 layers later I have completed my image, but I think I may want to change the eyes. But in order to do that, I have to hide 9 others in order to see the that adjustment layer. How do I make it so each layer is only the adjustment, and not a complete duplicate of the previous layer?

Do you just keep duplicating the same layer over and over again?

 

[Ballistics]

Theoretically it can be possible, but I'm not quite understanding you when you say you "want to hide"? Hide as in alter something on the third layer?

I'm sorry about the poor explanation. I don't have the lingo down yet.

Imagine you have an image with six layers.
On each layer you changed 1 thing.

Layer 1 - Hair
Layer 2 - lips
Layer 3 - Eyes
Layer 4 - Smoothed out skin
Layer 5 - Blemishes
Background Layer.

Now, your looking at the image and you think that the eyes aren't edited properly for whatever reason. So you want to see what the image looks like without the eyes edited,
so you want to hide that image. By doing so, you click the little "eye" button next to the layers 1-3 to hide them. But that also hides the edits you did to the hair and lips.

I want to just be able to hide (clicking the little eye symbol next to the layer) the eye layer without hiding anything else.

Not a problem

Yes, what you are talking about is very possible, through either the use of masks or the selection method.

So you have your layers

Layer 1 - Hair -every thing masked out except the hair
Layer 2 - lips - everything masked out except the lips
Layer 3 - Eyes - everything masked out except the eyes
Layer 4 - Smoothed out skin -this layer would probably have to be the first one, as it covers the most amount of your editing plane. (ie: make this layer 5)
Layer 5 - Blemishes - make this layer 4
Background Layer.

then if you wish to hide the eyes layer to see what they would look like unedited, simply just click the little eye of layer 3 and it will be hidden, revealing the eyes on the background layer.

So I make the edits and then add a layer mask? Or vice versa?

 

[Big Mike]

So I make the edits and then add a layer mask? Or vice versa?

Doesn't really matter.

Also, note that many edits you might make, don't need to be done on a duplicated layer, just a new (blank) layer.

 

[Ballistics]

When you are making multiple adjustments to an image such as adding blur, dodging and burning, etc. how do you make different layers for different things without the order mattering?

For example, I take a raw headshot and open it in PS. I want to remove blemishes, so I duplicate the background layer and use the heal tool. After that's done, I want to smooth out the skin. So I create another layer and smooth out the skin. 10 layers later I have completed my image, but I think I may want to change the eyes. But in order to do that, I have to hide 9 others in order to see the that adjustment layer. How do I make it so each layer is only the adjustment, and not a complete duplicate of the previous layer?

Do you just keep duplicating the same layer over and over again?

No, I duplicate the previous layer, make an edit, then duplicate the edited layer. Make another adjustment then duplicate. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[Ballistics]

So I make the edits and then add a layer mask? Or vice versa?

Doesn't really matter.

Also, note that many edits you might make, don't need to be done on a duplicated layer, just a new (blank) layer.

Ok so, here's where I run into a wall. I duplicate the background layer and add a layer mask. I make my adjustments to the image in this layer. Now what? What do I do with the mask?

 

[Judobreaker]

Keep it.
There's no edits in the part of the image you masked out so there's no reason to show those parts of the image anyway.
When you keep the mask that layer will simply show the area of the image you edited and nothing more.