Create a new blank layer. With this new layer selected and only the layers visible that you want to merge, use this shortcut:
CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E (Mac users: Command+Shift+Option+E)
Patti
Greg,
You don’t have to make a new layer. Once you have all the layers you wish to merge visible (eye highlighted, not dim) then just click the Layer palette "More" button and click on Merge Visible. Now everything will merge into the one layer in the order of the stack. You do not have to make the Background layer into a standard layer for this to work.
Bob
You don’t have to make a new layer. Once you have all the layers you wish to merge visible (eye highlighted, not dim) then just click the Layer palette "More" button and click on Merge Visible. Now everything will merge into the one layer in the order of the stack. You do not have to make the Background layer into a standard layer for this to work.
But if you do that, Bob, you loose all your layers. Using the CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E merges all visible layers into a target layer, in this case the target is the new blank layer we create.
BTW, I don’t think this "Merge visible layers to target layer" ability is anywhere on the menus, but it is on the Quick Reference card on the back under "Other layer shortcuts." I use this a lot, because I want to preserve my layers in case I want to make any changes….and so I know what in the heck I did to get the finished image! Very important when you get carried away playing in Elements, yes? 🙂
Patti
I remember that we had to use this in several tutorials, otherwise they wouldn’t come out exactly right.
The Fire one I think?
Jane
Hi Patti
It does show up under the pulldown menu for Layers in my version of PE2. Robert
CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-E does a "Stamp Visible".
There is no menu command in my PE2 for Stamp Visible… so I use the 4-finger combo.
Byron,
When I forget the 4 finger combo I do:
Select>all
Edit>Copy merged
Paste
Its marginally quicker than looking it up 🙂
Wendy
Byron is right. It’s not on any of the menus in PE2. Merge visible is there, but not "merge visible to target layer" which is how the Quick Reference card puts it. I’ve always liked keyboard shortcuts, although I do have my favorites and certainly couldn’t begin to remember them all! I’m so used to this one now, it seems very easy to me.
Patti
When you make the blank layer, then do the Stamp Visible, then you create another new/separate layer with only those layers that you left visible, in it. Only the layers that you WANT included in the new layer on top of the layer group.
I won’t tell you how long it took me to do this over and over again, before I finally got it figured out.
Indeed it could be very useful. I can see with my example picture, how this actually works now. Thank you for the discussion on this, as I finally got it. Patti, your explanation did it for me. Yes, it was needed in the Fire tutorial.
Learning more and more each day, I am,,,
Thank you,
Jane
