Grouping Layers in PS CC

[bnnrcn]

I have tried to group layers in order to use only one psd file for different versions of an image, but I couldn't manage it. I created 2 groups with different layers by making them visible and invisible but they don't work as they should be. Obviously I have made a mistake. Does anybody know how to group layers? My photoshop book doesn't say very much about it either. I will also look for some videos on the internet to see if I can get some more information about it.

[John 2]

Binnur, I use CS6 but I'm guessing it will be the same for CC. You can add a new consolidated layer to your layer stack using the following command:
Select the top layer in your stack and hit Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E. It should add a new layer which consolidates all of the layers below it. Your original layers will still be there though. If you just want to save that layer, hide the original layers and save it under a new file name so that you don't lose the originals. Hope this helps.

[FrankMi]

Hi Binnur, If your goal is to use a single PSD to save different version of an image, you can do that without grouping layers but the downside of saving large numbers of layers (grouped or not) in a PSD is that your file size can become extremely large as you are, in effect, saving multiple copies of the image in a single file.

Grouping Layers is handy for moving the stack of layers or applying something like an Adjustment Layer to a set of layers or to tidy up the layers window. To group layers, select the layers you want to group and use Ctrl+G or click the Group Icon at the bottom of the Layers Pane.

As I do a lot of experimenting with PP technique, I often create a large number of layers so that I can return to almost any point in my PP. This allows me to pick up and take a different approach from almost any point in the process and if I have inadvertently introduced an unwanted condition, such as excessive noise, I can return and see exactly where the problem was introduced.

To keep the PSD file from becoming too large, I will save a version the PSD once I have about 10 layers, then delete the lower 9 layers and continue processing. I will sometimes end up with as many as 4 or 5 numbered versions. Hope this helps!

Edit, I just saw John's post and realized that you might not be referring to Grouping Layers but rather to consolidating (or merging) layers. If that is the case then using Stamp Visible (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E) as he describes above will combine all of the layers that are visible when looking at the selected layer, into a new layer. However, it will only consolidate what it can see from that layer down in the stack. For example, if you are using a Mask to reveal part of the layer below, Stamp Visible will merge what is "Visible", the current layer and the parts of the one below revealed by the mask that are visible. Nothing below that point will be included.

[Manfred M]

Binnur - I'm a little confused as to why you want to have several different edits of the same image stored in the same Photoshop file. Doing so is certainly possible and you can create a "group" with all of the layers associated with a particular part of the edit, that can be turned off and on to display the specific parts of the edit.

I personally prefer to create separate files to do this. This may cost a bit more storage space, but is a far cleaner approach as one does not have to remember which elements of the edit that have to be turned off or on to get a specific effect to show through.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you John,Frank and Manfred.

After warning me with your comments about working with different files I turned back to my book to see if I got something wrong. I actually saw that the book mentioned about layer comps not layer groups. It allows you to create different layer comps for the same image. For instance if you want to make two photos with either English or French writings on it you create two seperate layers for each writing and you make the rest of the edit with other layers. Then, you create two layer comps , one with the English writing layer and the other with the French writing layer.The books mentiones a 'Create a New Layer Comp ' button but I couldn't find it I was triying to get to know this function actually but I think I mixed things up

[FrankMi]

Thank you John,Frank and Manfred.

After warning me with your comments about working with different files I turned back to my book to see if I got something wrong. I actually saw that the book mentioned about layer comps not layer groups. It allows you to create different layer comps for the same image. For instance if you want to make two photos with either English or French writings on it you create two seperate layers for each writing and you make the rest of the edit with other layers. Then, you create two layer comps , one with the English writing layer and the other with the French writing layer.The books mentiones a 'Create a New Layer Comp ' button but I couldn't find it I was triying to get to know this function actually but I think I mixed things up

Ah-ha! Layer Comps are yet another feature. Where Stamp Visible combines what can be seen into a single layer and Group Layers makes a stack of the selected layers, A Layer Comp is a snapshot of the current layer visibility, position, and appearance of the selected layers. Layer comps capture the document as it currently appears. It can be selected from the Windows menu items.

Because Layer Comps are more typically used to do things like create a brochure that could contain multiple images, you would rarely use this technique for the typical post processing of a single image.

If you would like to get more information and see an example of how it might be used in creating publications, take a look at this link: http://www.gwashingtonhs.org/ourpage...eate_comps.pdf

[bnnrcn]

Thank you very much Frank I was looking for it under Layers menu and I couldn't find it . After your answer I found it under Window menu. I will play with it to understand how it works.Thank you very much for the link also

Ah-ha! Layer Comps are yet another feature. Where Stamp Visible combines what can be seen into a single layer and Group Layers makes a stack of the selected layers, A Layer Comp is a snapshot of the current layer visibility, position, and appearance of the selected layers. Layer comps capture the document as it currently appears. It can be selected from the Windows menu items.

Because Layer Comps are more typically used to do things like create a brochure that could contain multiple images, you would rarely use this technique for the typical post processing of a single image.

If you would like to get more information and see an example of how it might be used in creating publications, take a look at this link: http://www.gwashingtonhs.org/ourpage...eate_comps.pdf