How to adjust only 1 layer at a time in PSD file

RB
Posted By
Roger_Beck
Aug 21, 2007
Views
888
Replies
19
Status
Closed
This seems really simple but I have called 3 photographer friends and they all say they don’t know how to do it either. I simply want to work on only one layer in a psd file but when I apply an action to that layer, it affects the layer below it, even though neither of them are the background layer or are linked.

desktop <http://www.rogerbeck.com/Untitled-2.jpg>
action details <http://www.rogerbeck.com/Untitled-3.jpg>

I think it might have something to do with some of them being named "background" but am not sure. The action I was applying had some flattening but those are turned off. I even copied just the parts of the action I needed to another action, but that didn’t work.

thanks for any advice, roger

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B
Bernie
Aug 21, 2007
What happens if you remove steps 3 and 4?
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 21, 2007
Step 3 is Soft Light mode and Step 4 is 20% opacity. It looks like those are part of the effects for the action.

I did try it with those two unchecked, but it still applied the remaining effects to the layer below the active layer, which is the bride.
GD
george_dingwall
Aug 21, 2007
You appear to be using adjustment layers in the action. Unless you prevent it, adjustment layers apply to all the layers beneath them.

To make the adjustment layer apply only to the layer you are working on, create the layer then move the cursor to the boundary line between the adjustment layer and layer beneath. Now press and hold the ALT key and the curson change to 2 interlinked circles. click the mouse and the adjustment layer will only apply to the layer you applied it to.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 21, 2007
Thank you George, on my PC I pressed Ctrl while over the layer, and it was selected. Makes sense, just part of how PS works. Thanks again.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 21, 2007
I’m sorry, I dont know what I did but it isn’t working now. I tried what you suggested, moving the cursor to the border line between the 2 layers and pressing the Alt key. Nothing happened. Did you mean the border line between the 2 images in the open file or in the layers palette? Can you be more specific?

thanks, roger
B
Bernie
Aug 21, 2007
you have to Alt-click, not just press the Alt key
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 21, 2007
Thanks, yes, i tried that and it didnt work. I have the layer selected. I press Alt and then select. Nothing happens. When I release the mouse the page de-selects, and the Start menu come up.
I
ID._Awe
Aug 21, 2007
Roger: Have you tried hiding all the layers that you do not want the action to work on?
GD
george_dingwall
Aug 22, 2007
Hi Roger,

After you create your adjustment layer, make sure the adjustment layer is highlighted in the layers pallet.

Now move the mouse cursor to the boundary line between the adjustment layer and the layer immediately beneath it in the layers pallet.

Now press and hold the ALT key. The cursor will change to what looks like two interlocking circles.

Now click the mouse once. When you release the mouse, the layers beneath the one with the adjustment layer will return to normal.

I hope this is specific enough for you.
B
Bernie
Aug 22, 2007
I have the layer selected. I press Alt and then select. Nothing happens.

Alt-click on the line between the two layers like this:

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1QfTgLxsBGpKCZYJiv vUhxbZhYOHv>
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 22, 2007
OK! Thanks guys. I have a Compaq keyboard from who knows where. The Windows key is just to the right of the Alt key and works like you said, the Alt key does not, but the Alt-Ctrl combo does work for redo/undo. So, the selected layer shows like your example and creates a clipping mask. But the layer is now not visible in the image and when I run the action on that layer, even though it is not visible, it still applies the action to the layer beneath. How do I apply actions to just that layer while it is visible?
I
ID._Awe
Aug 22, 2007
Roger: Highlight the layer you want the action to run on and hide all the other layers.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 22, 2007
When I do that I get this. The selected layer is not visible whether or not the other layes are visible. is ther some other setting I am missing?
JR
John_R_Nielsen
Aug 22, 2007
It’s called a clipping mask. It clips the visibiltiy of the upper layer to the transparency of the base layer.

As George said, you would clip the adjustment layer to the layer you want to restrict its effect to. However, event though one of the steps in your action is "Make adjustment layer", there is no adjustment layer in the Layers palette. In the screenshot above, you have the layer with the man clipped by the layer with the woman. Since they don’t intersect, the man is not visible.

The question is, where did the adjustment layer go? There’s likely a "Merge down" happening somewhere. Could you post a screen grab of an expanded view of your action (click on the right-pointing triangles)? That would make it easier to track down the problem.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 22, 2007
Yes, now I think I have it. You just have to "clip" all the other layers "below" the active layer. Something like that. It does work for me now, thanks for taking the time.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 22, 2007
Maybe not so much. I have a document with many layers and want to apply an action (that includes an adjustment layer) to just the top layer in the file without affecting the layers below it. Is this possible? How can it not be possible? How do you adjust layers and apply actions that have adjustment layers in PS without affecting other layers?

This is before doing anything. I want to apply an action (that creates 2 adjustment layers) to the top layer only. I tried clipping all of the layers below the image, did not work. I tried clipping the active, top layer, and it disappears. Which layers do I clip to do this?
JR
John_R_Nielsen
Aug 22, 2007
Like I said, there is no adjustment layer in your Layers palette, yet your action creates them. Something in the action is removing them. A screen shot of an expanded view of the action will help to see where the problem is.
RB
Roger_Beck
Aug 22, 2007
Lets say I want to apply a Cross Processing filter to the top layer of the guy and not affect the other layers. I didnt change anything, so when I applied this filter it was applied to all layers. Only 1 of the actions’ 2 adjustment layers is showing since they are so long, but there is nothing in them besides curves and color/contrast changes. You can see the 2 adjustment layers at the top of the layers palette in the final image.
JR
John_R_Nielsen
Aug 23, 2007
You need to make a clipping mask, with the adjustment layer above the layer you want to restrict it to. Your layer palette should look something like this:

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