Layers

[mljrbg]

I've been meaning to ask this question for a long time. When working with several layers and making an edit why does it change on all layers? Example: I'm making a collage that has about 10 layers. I want to put a vignette on one picture only. Even with that layer highlighted it puts the vignette on the whole picture. I'm sure there is a simple answer!! ;)

[jjvera00]

Any time you have a layer, or an adjustment layer, all layers below it are affected. If you want only one layer affected, by anything above it, you need to group them together. To group the two layers together, click the top layer then press Ctrl+G.

For example:

Top Layer: Yellow Flower
Middle Layer: Red Car
Bottom Layer: Blue Boat

You want to change the Yellow Flower to a Pink Flower, so you put a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer above and make adjustments to the Hue Slider.

So now you have:

Top Layer: Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
2nd Layer: Yellow Flower (now Pink)
3rd Layer: Red Car (now a DIFFERENT color)
Bottom Layer: Blue Boat (now a DIFFERENT color)

Select the top Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer, press Ctrl+G. This will group the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to the Yellow Flower Layer and keep it Pink. The Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer will now ONLY affect the Yellow Flower layer and the layers below will not be affected.

[mljrbg]

Thanks Johnny. I knew it had to be an easy fix!!

EDIT: It worked like a charm!! Thanks.

[Bayla]

I'm not sure I understand how that applies to Mary Lou's original question about applying a vignette to one photo in a collage.

I just quickly made a collage of about eight photos on a background layer, and I could apply a vignette to any of the photos in the layers palette without it affecting any of the other layers.

Bayla

[jjvera00]

From my understanding of Mary Lou's question, she created the vignette effect on the top most layer (probably a blank layer???). This then affected everything below it.

I guess I could have said to just apply the vignette ONLY to the picture (or layer) you wanted it too.

Mary Lou, how were you apply the vignette???

[mljrbg]

I did the vignette to one of the layers in the middle and it darkens all of the layers except the top layer even the one I am working on. Also when I crop a layer it crops out everything leaving only the layer I am cropping. I have always had this issue.

[TonyW]

I suspect that it's the difference between the canvas (the whole image area) versus an individual image layer which presumably , because it's a collage, has the image surrounded by transparency. Some things like cropping work on the whole canvas and I suspect the way you're doing the vignette is doing it to the whole canveas and not just the image piece of an individual layer. If you want to crop an individual image layer where the layer has transparency you'd need to use the rectangular marquee tool on that layer, invert the selection and delete.

And, like Johnny says, to confine an adjustment layer to working on one layer which only has a piece of the whole canvas on it you need to group the adjustment layer.

You always have to consider what is on a layer and what isn't (the transparency piece).

Tony

[Bayla]

If you want to crop an individual image layer where the layer has transparency you'd need to use the rectangular marquee tool on that layer, invert the selection and delete.



Aha. That explains it: that was the way I was doing it.

Bayla

[TonyW]

Bayla: That would do it. I spent a good part of my life using transparencies on overhead projectors so the concept of layers and transparency and canvas and background came rather easily. It is tough to explain though.

Tony