Opening Multiple Filters in PS-CS6

[gerryp123]

What's your opinion as to the best way to open a group of (say, Topaz) filters hosted by PS-CS6 ? I'd like to return to each filter as needed for re-adjustments, so they should probably be opened as "smart filters". Also, it would be nice if each filter had its own mask for selective adjustments.

After duplicating the Background Layer do I open all filters within a single layer? (In this case the single associated mask applies to all of the filters)?

Do I create a new layer for each smart filter? (Can each filter have its own mask)?

Something else?

Please advise. Thanks

[dje]

Hi Gerry

You can do at least some of what you want with Smart Objects/Filters. This is the only way I know that allows re-visiting the filters for later adjustment. You will end up with quite large PSD files though.

Create a Background layer copy and convert it to a Smart Object. This can be done in various ways but one way is to Select Filter, Convert for Smart Filter and this will convert the Background copy into a Smart Object.

Now make a selection on this layer. Then apply a filter and a Smart Filter will be created with the selection as a mask. Then apply another filter and a second Smart Filter will be created, under the same mask. I'm not sure there's any way to create separate masks for different filters but others may know.

Note that the selection must be made before the first filter is applied to create a mask.

As I don't have any external filters installed, I can't try this with Topaz or other external filters but presumably they will work with Smart Objects.

This is the sort of screen view you get. (Click on image for enlarged view). The buildings in the centre have been selected as the mask. See the white and black areas on the thumbnail next to Smart Filters in the layer tab on the right hand side.
Dave

[gerryp123]

Thanks!\I was hoping for a separate mask for each filter (by opening each in a separate layer), but perhaps not possible.

[dje]

Gerry someone with more expertise than me may be able to answer that. I tried creating a second duplicate layer and converting it to a Smart Object with a different mask but the problem was that with this layer above the first, it hid the edits in the first.

Dave