Multiple layers and "Group with previous"

BD
Posted By
Ben_Darby
Jul 26, 2004
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241
Replies
4
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Closed
I’m looking for some advice on how to best accomplish this task:

I have a text layer and a gradient fill layer. I choose Layer -> Group with Previous with the gradient layer active, and my text is filled with the gradient. So far, I’m doing great…

But is there a way to group the gradient fill with more than one text layer, without duplicating the gradient layer? I suppose I could move the layers around and regroup them as I print each text layer, but I’m wondering if there is a better way.
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TF
Terri_Foster
Jul 26, 2004
Ben,

One way would be to create one single layer with the stamp visible command then group this layer of merged text with the gradient. You probably want to keep your text editable. So here’s what I would do: Type out everything that’s going to have the gradient applied. Don’t worry about how many layers it’s on. Okay so the trick is to turn off any eyes for anything you don’t want the gradient applied to. When you’ve only got what is necessary showing, go to the layers palette and click on the More button next to the palette close button. Press in the alt key and while holding the alt key in select Merge Visible. This is a little tricky because you must have the alt key depressed when you do this or it just merges all the layers. You should now have a merged copy of all your text layers AND your original text layers. You probably already know you don’t want to simply text unless you have to for editing purposes. Simplified text can lose it’s clarity if transformed along with being a bigger task to edit. Okay, to turn off all those extra layers of text just hold in the alt key and click on the merged layer of text’s eye icon in the layers palette. To turn on the text if necessary, works the same way…alt key and click eyeball. All that’s left is to pull your gradient and ctrl G (shortcut for Group with Previous).

Terri
BD
Ben_Darby
Jul 27, 2004
Terri,

Thanks for your help. You’ve taught me a couple of new tricks.

But I guess I didn’t fully explain my situation. The different text layers in my case are essentially different pages of text, not to be viewed at the same time. If I merge them, I just get one big blob.

Since they are separate pages, though, I can just rearrange the layers as I print them.
TF
Terri_Foster
Jul 27, 2004
Actually, a Layer Style would really really be the best option. Have you looked on the Exchange? I’m not sure other than Gradient what you are looking for but there’s a set of styles on the Exchange called XPbar Style Styles that are really nice gradient based styles. (They look duo tone in the windows bar choice colors just so you know whether you even want to dig them up…if you do try typing in the name XPbar Style in the Adobe Exchange search bar or you’ll be digging for a long long time through styles.)

Terri
BD
Ben_Darby
Jul 28, 2004
Oh, a Layer Style would be great. Wish I could make my own.

The XP Bar style looks neat; I might download it for future use. I sort of like what I have done already, so I think I’ll stick with manually adjusting the layers for this project.

Thanks for the help!

Ben

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