There are times one needs to ‘merge’ or ‘render’ a layer with its own layer effects so as to create a ‘flattened’ layer. I found a work around for this which is to create a new empty layer below and then merge down.
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I had already tried Layer : Layer Style : Create Layer before posting, but this actually splits the layer and it’s effects into mulitple discreet layers of their own rather than merging or ‘flattening’ into a single layer with the effects rendered.
Certainly I could use this, link the layers and then merge linked but that’s seems more cumbersome than my existing work around.
I think you’ve discovered the best ways of doing this. You could possibly make an action out of either or both methods and then do it in one keystroke.
Thanks. I will do just that. It just seemed such a basic operation that I felt it must be hiding there somewhere that I had overlooked.
Mind you everybody’s individual working methods are full of ‘basic’ requirements (or basic idiosyncrasies) which, if they were all included, would cause PS to collapse under it’s own weight ;^)
Recently I asked the same question as it is something I use often. Making an action wasn’t quite as obvious as it seems at first but the result was simple.
Start recording the action…
1. Control Click on the layer you wish to ‘flatten’ and choose Show/Hide all other layers 2. New Layer 3. Merge Visible 4. Repeat step 1
The problem is to avoid actions that record specific layer names. I was begining to go quietly crazy. Your solution is the answer to a maiden’s prayer.
One drawback of this merge technique is that you lose the original layer name. When I recorded my script I finished by right clicking the new layer and selecting ‘Layer Properties’ I named the new layer ‘Type Layer Name’ clicked OK and then stopped recording. In the actions palette I expanded my new action and clicked in the box to the right of the tick box to toggle dialogue ‘On’ for the last instruction ‘Set Current Layer’. My action now exits with an open layer property dialogue box inviting me to ‘Type Layer Name’.
I am capable of getting quite anal sometimes ………. ;^)
You can move back to the original layer using the bracket keys. Assuming it’s the top layer, Shift-Option-] will get you to the top. (Move Current layer>Front layer) Add that to your action before merging and you won’t have to worry about losing the name.
Check out those bracket key combos. You can do a lot of things with them and for actions they are ideal because the ignore the layer names.
Just put an empty new layer above your existing layers. Turn the visibility off in all layers — except the layer and its effects that you want to affect. Select the empty Layer. Then "merge-up". ("Merge Visible" or Cmd Shift E.) Delete the un-needed original Layer and its Effects.
This can prove difficult on occasions. I am an Englishman living in Belgium. I use English photoshop but I have a French keyboard because I need to type French. This makes nonsense of many of the combos – the square bracket, for example, doesn’t exist on my keyboard.
Using ‘Edit – Keyboard’, I have re-mapped the combos you suggest to keys that I have available but they don’t seem to quite work as you suggest. My equivalent of the Cmd+bracket combos don’t move my selection to another layer they move the currently selected layer to a new position. Now this is really dumb and embarrassing, but search the help files and manuals as much as I can, I cannot find out how to navigate in the layers pallette using the keyboard (ie; simply move the selection up and down)
The losing the name problem exists because ‘Merge Visible’ destroys the name regardless of order. To preserve name you need to ‘Merge Down’. This needs my new layer to be below the named layer I want to merge. I can do that that with with the key combo you suggest. What I can’t manage at present is to then move my layer selection up one to select the original layer to be merged.
OK yes; You have made me discover that my reply to Ed was not quite accurate. Merging using "Merge Visible" doesn’t necessarily destroy the original layer name – it keeps the name of whichever is the selected layer at the time of the merge. This means I need to re-select the original layer to be merged first.
That still leaves me with the keyboard navigation problem outlined to Ed, if I want to record an action.
Your last line, however, puzzles me. "Delete the un-needed original Layer and its Effects if no longer needed." The original layer disappears in the merge and is no longer there to be deleted – or kept if needed. Mind you this does make me realise that I should maybe duplicate my original layer before merging thus preserving a copy of it un-merged.
Yes it is Alt. This is a constant source of confusion. Thanks for the clarification Ed. I can check this out in more depth now. I have to admit that I checked Ann’s suggestion using the mouse, selecting that way on the assumption that it would be equivalent when it came to the actual merge. It would seem that that may well not be so.
Regardless of keyboards, you’ve given me the important key – which is what to look for and confirmation that, given the right manner of application, the suggested techinques will work.
Clearly its down to me now to find the correct equivalents. My thanks to both you and Ann for your advice.
David: The original layer, and its effects’ will survive the "Merge Visible" if: you are in the new empty Layer that you made; and you hold down the Option key while doing the "Merge Visible".
You should end up with both a merged layer AND with the original layer still intact.
Rats! I’d been looking for this. I’ve just switched from Elements where there is a nice little command in the Layer menu called "Simplify". I find it’s really odd that this is missing from CS as it does exactly what David wants. I used to use it a lot in Elements. Susan S
"The original layer, and its effects’ will survive the "Merge Visible" if: you are in the new empty Layer that you made; and you hold down the Option key while doing the "Merge Visible". "
Ann
Now that is absolutely clear and wonderfully useful. Works a dream. Not only what I wanted from my first question but the bonus of preserving the original layer with it’s effects as well!
I find "merging-up" (which Adobe likes to call "Stamp Visible" for some reason?) incredibly useful.
It is also an excellent idea to finish a file with a Merged-Up layer at the top of the stack so that you can use it for sharpening and discard and replace it with a new one when you want to use the image for a different purpose and change the sharpening.
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