Re-editing edited photos

[Shari]

I hope I can make sense of this. I took a photo of a puppy this morning. I changed the background and cropped it and added text. Finished. Then I saved as save as. OK now I want to crop it even further and try a breakout with the puppy. When I start the breakout tutorial it asks to duplicate the photo. My last layer is a layer with my initials. What I want to know is when I have edited a photo can I save it so that when I go to do something else with it can I start the from edited photo that has been saved? I find it gets confusing with all the previous layers to start a turorial. Does anyone understanding what I am asking? Thanks.
Shari

[Byron Gale]

Shari,

Do you mean that you would like to begin editing your "second session" on a composite of the final result of your "first session"?

If so... add a new blank layer to the top of your layer stack, and make sure this layer is highlighted in the Layers palette. Then press CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-E. This "stamps" a flattened composite of your image onto the new layer without actually flattening your image. Then, you can copy that layer to a new document as the Background.

Sorry if I've gone down the wrong path...

Byron

[Shari]

Oh - thank you Byron. That has mystified me for a long time and I often just give up on the tuts.
Shari

[SleeveTugger]

I follow what you're saying, my question is....will that same process work in PSE3, or just 4?

[Ellen]

It works in pse 3 and 1 for that matter. Or make a new layer on top > press and hold alt(windows here) and go to the more arrow > scroll down to merge visible and there's the composite.

[Wendy]

Yes it works the same way in all the versions :)

Shari ... if you want to duplicate it without your initials on it (and sometimes they do get in the way for new work) all you do is just switch its eyeball off before you do the copy :)

Wendy

[WingAnimal]

Byron (and all) -- This is a cool step that I will try when I get home. I need to ask another question to clarify and take it a step further. Can I then just leave that layer at the top and continue working from there or do I need to copy it to a new document?

[Wendy]

Hi Norm ...

I would copy it to a new document ... otherwise if the new effect you were trying out was a multilayered one it could end up as a hugh file.

When I want to copy a multi layered file to a new file but just as one layer ... I tend to do this:

Select>All
Edit>Copy Merged
then File>New>Image from Clipboard

... and there you go ... quick and easy :)

Wendy

[WingAnimal]

Okay... cool. Thanks Wendy! You are right... it probably would create a huge file if I just kept growing on that same one. And for what reason would I do that? None that I can think of. I guess I hadn't had my coffee when I asked that question. Now it's time to head for my second cup. :)