cutting and pasting back into the same position

when i cut and paste or copy and paste in PS it usually pastes the item in a different position than the one it was copied from. I seem to remember that sometimes it pastes the new item in the exact same position that it was copied or cut from. Is there a way to ensure this happens.

thanks
gregory

:

when i cut and paste or copy and paste in PS it usually pastes the item in a different position than the one it was copied from. I seem to remember that sometimes it pastes the new item in the exact same position that it was copied or cut from. Is there a way to ensure this happens.

thanks
gregory

The logic is this:

After you cut or copy something, PS will paste the item to:

If there is a current active selection:(row of ants)
It will paste to the center of the current active selection.

If there is no current selection:
The dead smack center of the visible area of the image; If you are seeing the whole image in the window this will be center of the image; Else it will be the center of the portion
you are currently zoomed in.

After you select & copy something, the selection is still active so it will paste to the same area; as per rule 1 above;

But after you cut something, the selection dissapears, so it will follow rule 2;

So if you want to paste to the exact location after a cut, do a copy, paste, Ctr+Click on the newly pasted layer to bring back the selection, switch to the first layer, and do a cut.

When you make your selection and copy, if you do not deselect it, it will paste it into the selection.

eureka!!!

that's it

thank you

Or make your selection and use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + J to copy the selection to a new layer; CTRL + Shift + J to cut the selection to a new layer.

In both cases they will remain in the same place relative to your x and y axes.

ah, one less keyboard stroke

thanks

a follow up-

sometimes photoshop automatically removes the selection and moves the pastes layer off from original location. Don't know why it does sometimes and others not. But the "control J" still works.

hmmm

Gregory,

What is happening is that Photoshop always pastes in the exact center of a layer/selection.

ah, i'm seeing something. When the selection extends beyond opaque areas into transparent areas of a layer, pastes it off from the original location. Bu8t if all areas of the selection are within an opaque area. then it paste in the original location of the selection.

hmmmm