Barbercrop - Photoshop Template

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Photoshop Templates Code

Photoshop artboards

The layout is built using Photoshop Smart Objects for all basic elements, which means that in order to customize it you do not need much effort. One time to change the item and these changes will be displayed for all similar elements in the layout.

The template uses a Photoshop Artboard, it’s very convenient to see all the available sizes in one file. You can copy and drag items from one artboard to another.

Photoshop layers are like sheets of stacked acetate. You can see through transparent areas of a layer to the layers below. You move a layer to position the content on the layer, like sliding a sheet of acetate in a stack. You can also change the opacity of a layer to make content partially transparent

Transparent areas on a layer let you see layers below.

You use layers to perform tasks such as compositing multiple images, adding text to an image, or adding vector graphic shapes. You can apply a layer style to add a special effect such as a drop shadow or a glow.

Organizing Photoshop layers

A new image has a single layer. The number of additional layers, layer effects, and layer sets you can add to an image is limited only by your computer’s memory.

You work with layers in the Layers panel. Layer groups help you organize and manage layers. You can use groups to arrange your layers in a logical order and to reduce clutter in the Layers panel. You can nest groups within other groups. You can also use groups to apply attributes and masks to multiple layers simultaneously.

For some great tips for working with layers, see the tutorial video Organize with layers and layer groups.

Photoshop layers for non-destructive editing

Sometimes layers don’t contain any apparent content. For example, an adjustment layer holds color or tonal adjustments that affect the layers below it. Rather than edit image pixels directly, you can edit an adjustment layer and leave the underlying pixels unchanged.

A special type of layer, called a Smart Object, contains one or more layers of content. You can transform (scale, skew, or reshape) a Smart Object without directly editing image pixels. Or, you can edit the Smart Object as a separate image even after placing it in a Photoshop image. Smart Objects can also contain smart filter effects, which allow you to apply filters non-destructively to images so that you can later tweak or remove the filter effect. See Nondestructive editing and Work with Smart Objects.

Video layers

You can use video layers to add video to an image. After importing a video clip into an image as a video layer, you can mask the layer, transform it, apply layer effects, paint on individual frames, or rasterize an individual frame and convert it to a standard layer. Use the Timeline panel to play the video within the image or to access individual frames. See Supported video and image sequence formats.

Photoshop Layers panel overview

The Layers panel in Photoshop lists all layers, layer groups, and layer effects in an image. You can use the Layers panel to show and hide layers, create new layers, and work with groups of layers. You can access additional commands and options in the Layers panel menu.

Photoshop Layers panel

A. Layers panel menu B. Filter C. Layer Group D. Layer E. Expand/Collapse Layer effects F. Layer effect G. Layer thumbnail 

Display the Photoshop Layers panel

  1. Choose Window > Layers.

Choose a command from the Photoshop Layers panel menu

  1. Click the triangle in the upper-right corner of the panel.

Change the size of Photoshop layer thumbnails

  1. Choose Panel Options from the Layers panel menu, and select a thumbnail size.

Change thumbnail contents

  1. Choose Panel Options from the Layers panel menu, and select Entire Document to display the contents of the entire document. Select Layer Bounds to restrict the thumbnail to the object’s pixels on the layer.

Note:Turn off thumbnails to improve performance and save monitor space.

Expand and collapse groups

  1. Click the triangle to the left of a group folder. See View layers and groups within a group.

Filter Photoshop layers

At the top of the Layers panel, the filtering options help you find key layers in complex documents quickly. You can display a subset of layers based on name, kind, effect, mode, attribute, or color label.

Filter layers options in the Layers panel
  1. Choose a filter type from the pop-up menu.
  2. Select or enter the filter criteria.
  3. Click the toggle switch to switch layer filtering on or off.

Convert background and Photoshop layers

When you create a new image with a white background or a colored background, the bottommost image in the Layers panel is called Background. An image can have only one background layer. You cannot change the stacking order of a background layer, its blending mode, or its opacity. However, you can convert a background into a regular layer, and then change any of these attributes.

When you create a new image with transparent content, the image does not have a background layer. The bottommost layer is not constrained like the background layer; you can move it anywhere in the Layers panel and change its opacity and blending mode.

Convert a background into a Photoshop layer

  1. Double-click Background in the Layers panel, or choose Layer > New > Layer From Background.
  2. Set layer options. (See Create layers and groups.)
  3. Click OK.

Convert a Photoshop layer into a background

  1. Select a Photoshop layer in the Layers panel.
  2. Choose Layer > New > Background From Layer.Any transparent pixels in the layer are converted to the background color, and the layer drops to the bottom of the layer stack.Note:You cannot create a background by giving a regular layer the name, Background—you must use the Background From Layer command.

Duplicate Photoshop layers

You can duplicate layers within an image or into another or a new image.

Duplicate a Photoshop layer or group within an image

  1. Select a layer or group in the Layers panel.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Drag the layer or group to the Create a New Layer button .
    • Choose Duplicate Layer or Duplicate Group from the Layers menu or the Layers panel menu. Enter a name for the layer or group, and click OK.

Duplicate a Photoshop layer or group in another image

  1. Open the source and destination images.
  2. From the Layers panel of the source image, select one or more layers or a layer group.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Drag the layer or group from the Layers panel to the destination image.
    • Select the Move tool , and drag from the source image to the destination image. The duplicate layer or group appears above the active layer in the Layers panel of the destination image. Shift-drag to move the image content to the same location it occupied in the source image (if the source and destination images have the same pixel dimensions) or to the center of the document window (if the source and destination images have different pixel dimensions).
    • Choose Duplicate Layer or Duplicate Group from the Layers menu or the Layers panel menu. Choose the destination document from the Document pop‑up menu, and click OK.
    • Choose Select > All to select all the pixels on the layer, and choose Edit > Copy. Then choose Edit > Paste in the destination image. (This method copies only pixels, excluding layer properties such as blending mode.)

Create a new document from a Photoshop layer or group

  1. Select a layer or group from the Layers panel.
  2. Choose Duplicate Layer or Duplicate Group from the Layers menu or the Layers panel menu.
  3. Choose New from the Document pop‑up menu, and click OK.

Sample from all visible Photoshop layers

The default behavior of the Mixer Brush, Magic Wand, Smudge, Blur, Sharpen, Paint Bucket, Clone Stamp, and Healing Brush tools is to sample color only from pixels on the active layer. This means you can smudge or sample in a single layer.

  1. To smudge or sample pixels from all visible layers with these tools, select Sample All Layers from the options bar.

Change transparency preferences

  1. In Windows, choose Edit > Preferences > Transparency & Gamut; in Mac OS, choose Photoshop > Preferences > Transparency & Gamut.
  2. Choose a size and color for the transparency checkerboard, or choose None for Grid Size to hide the transparency checkerboard.
  3. Click OK.

Edit text in Photoshop

  1. Do one of the following to select a type layer:
    • Select the Move tool  and double-click the type layer on the canvas.
    • Select the Horizontal Type tool  or the Vertical Type tool . Select the type layer in the Layers panel, or click in the text flow to automatically select a type layer.
  2. Position the insertion point in the text, and do one of the following:
    • Click to set the insertion point.
    • Select one or more characters you want to edit.
  3. Enter text as desired.
  4. Do one of the following to apply your changes to the type layer:
    • Select a new tool.
    • Click a layer in the Layers panel. (This action auto-commits changes and also selects the layer.)
    • Click the Commit button  in the options bar.
    To cancel the changes, click the Cancel button  in the options bar or press ESC. 

Specify curly or straight quotes

Typographer’s quotes, often called curly quotes or smart quotes, blend in with the curves of the font. Typographer’s quotes are traditionally used for quotation marks and apostrophes. Straight quotes are traditionally used as abbreviations for feet and inches.

  1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Type (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Type (Mac OS).
  2. Under Type Options, select or deselect Use Smart Quotes.

Apply anti-aliasing to a type layer

Anti-aliasing produces smooth-edged type by partially filling the edge pixels. As a result, the edges of the type blend into the background.

Anti-aliasing set to None (left), and Strong (right)

When creating type for display on the web, consider that anti-aliasing greatly increases the number of colors in the original image. This limits your ability to reduce the number of colors in the image and thus to reduce the size of the image file. Anti-aliasing may also cause stray colors to appear along the edges of the type. When reducing file size and limiting the number of colors are most important, it may be preferable to avoid anti-aliasing, despite the jagged edges. Also, consider using larger type than you would use for print. Larger type is easier to view on the web and gives you more freedom in deciding whether to apply anti-aliasing.

Note: When you use anti-aliasing, type may be rendered inconsistently at small sizes and low resolutions (such as the resolution used for web graphics). To reduce this inconsistency, deselect the Fractional Width option in the Character panel menu.

  1. Select the type layer in the Layers panel.
  2. Choose an option from the anti-aliasing menu  in the options bar or the Character panel. Or, choose Layer > Type, and choose an option from the submenu.NoneApplies no anti-aliasingSharpType appears at its sharpestCrispType appears somewhat sharpStrongType appears heavierSmoothType appears smoother

Check and correct spelling

When you check the spelling in a document, Photoshop questions any words that aren’t in its dictionary. If a questioned word is spelled correctly, you can confirm its spelling by adding the word to your personal dictionary. If a questioned word is misspelled, you can correct it.

  1. If necessary, in the Character panel, choose a language from the pop‑up menu at the bottom of the panel. This is the dictionary Photoshop uses to check spelling.
  2. (Optional) Show or unlock type layers. The Check Spelling command does not check spelling in hidden or locked layers.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Select a type layer.
    • To check specific text, select the text.
    • To check a word, place the insertion point in the word.
  4. Choose Edit > Check Spelling.
  5. If you selected a type layer and want to check the spelling of only that layer, deselect Check All Layers.
  6. As Photoshop finds unfamiliar words and other possible errors, click one of the following:IgnoreContinues the spelling check without changing the text.Ignore AllIgnores the questioned word during the rest of the spelling check.ChangeCorrects a misspelling. Make sure that the correctly spelled word is in the Change To text box and click Change. If the suggested word is not the word you want, select a different word in the Suggestions text box or enter the correct word in the Change To text box.Change AllCorrects all instances of the misspelling in the document. Make sure the correctly spelled word is in the Change To text box.AddStores the unrecognized word in the dictionary, so that subsequent occurrences are not flagged as misspellings.

Find and replace text

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Select the layer containing the text you want to find and replace. Place the insertion point at the beginning of the text you want to search.
    • Select a nontype layer if you have more than one type layer and you want to search all layers in the document. Note:In the Layers panel, make sure the type layers you want to search are visible and unlocked. The Find And Replace Text command does not check spelling in hidden or locked layers.
  2. Choose Edit > Find And Replace Text.
  3. In the Find What box, type or paste the text you want to find. To change the text, type the new text in the Change To text box.
  4. Select one or more options to refine your search.Search All LayersSearches all layers in a document. This option is available when a nontype layer is selected in the Layers panel.ForwardSearches forward from an insertion point in the text. Deselect this option to search all the text in a layer, regardless of where the insertion point is placed.Case SensitiveSearches for a word or words that exactly match the case of the text in the Find What text box. For example, with the Case Sensitive option selected, a search for “PrePress” does not find “Prepress” or “PREPRESS.”Whole Word OnlyDisregards the search text if it is embedded in a larger word. For example, if you are searching for “any” as a whole word, “many” is disregarded.
  5. Click Find Next to begin the search.
  6. Click one of the following buttons.ChangeReplaces the found text with the revised text. To repeat the search, select Find Next.Change AllSearches for and replaces all occurrences of the found text.Change/FindReplaces the found text with the revised text, and then searches for the next occurrence.

Assign a language for text

Photoshop uses language dictionaries to check hyphenation. Language dictionaries are also used to check spelling. Each dictionary contains hundreds of thousands of words with standard syllable breaks. You can assign a language to an entire document or apply a language to selected text.

Examples of hyphenation for different languages

A. “Cactophiles” in English USA B. “Cactophiles” in English UK C. “Cactophiles” in French 
  1. Do one of the following:
    • To enter text using a specific language dictionary, choose the dictionary from the pop‑up menu in the lower left corner of the Character panel. Then enter the text.
    • To change the dictionary of existing text, select the text and choose the dictionary from the pop‑up menu in the lower left corner of the Character panel.
  2. In the Character panel, choose the appropriate dictionary from the pop‑up menu in the lower left corner of the panel.Note:If you select text with multiple languages or if the type layer has multiple languages, the pop‑up menu in the Character panel will be dimmed and it will display the word “Multiple.”

Scale and rotate type

Adjust the scale of type

You can specify the proportion between the height and width of the type, relative to the original width and height of the characters. Unscaled characters have a value of 100%. Some type families include a true expanded font, which is designed with a larger horizontal spread than the plain type style. Scaling distorts the type, so it is generally preferable to use a font that is designed as condensed or expanded, if one is available.

  1. Select the characters or type objects you want to change. If you don’t select any text, the scale applies to new text you create.
  2. In the Character panel, set the Vertical Scaling option  or the Horizontal Scaling option .

Rotate type

  1. Do the following:
    • To rotate type, select the type layer and use any rotate command or the Free Transform command. For paragraph type, you can also select the bounding box and use a handle to rotate the type manually.
    • To rotate multiple characters in vertical Asian text, use the tate‑chu‑yoko.

Rotate vertical type characters

When working with vertical type, you can rotate the direction of characters by 90°. Rotated characters appear upright; unrotated characters appear sideways (perpendicular to the type line).

Original type (left) and type without vertical rotation (right)
  1. Select the vertical type you want to rotate or unrotate.
  2. Choose Standard Vertical Roman Alignment from the Character panel menu. A check mark indicates that the option is selected.

Note: You cannot rotate double‑byte characters (full‑width characters available only in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fonts). Any double‑byte characters in the selected range will not be rotated.

Change the orientation of a type layer

The orientation of a type layer determines the direction of type lines in relation to the document window (for point type) or the bounding box (for paragraph type). When a type layer is vertical, the type flows up and down; when a type layer is horizontal, the type flows from left to right. Don’t confuse the orientation of a type layer with the direction of characters in a type line.

  1. Select the type layer in the Layers panel.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Select a type tool, and click the Text Orientation button  in the options bar.
    • Choose Layer > Type > Horizontal, or choose Layer > Type > Vertical.
    • Choose Change Text Orientation from the Character panel menu.

Rasterize type layers

Some commands and tools—such as filter effects and painting tools—are not available for type layers. You must rasterize the type before applying the command or using the tool. Rasterizing converts the type layer into a normal layer and makes its contents uneditable as text. A warning message appears if you choose a command or tool that requires a rasterized layer. Some warning messages provide an OK button you can click to rasterize the layer.

  1. Select the type layer and choose Layer > Rasterize > Type.

 

Color panel overview

The Color panel (Window > Color) displays the color values for the current foreground and background colors. Using the sliders in the Color panel, you can edit the foreground and background colors using different color models. You can also choose a foreground or background color from the spectrum of colors displayed in the color ramp at the bottom of the panel.

The Color panel may display the following alerts when you select a color:

Color panel

A. Foreground color B. Background color C. Slider D. Color ramp 

Change the color model of the Color panel sliders

To change the color model of the color panel sliders, choose the Sliders option from the Color panel menu.

Change the spectrum displayed in the Color panel

Choose an option from the Color panel menu — RGB SpectrumCMYK Spectrum, or Grayscale Ramp, to display the spectrum of the specified color model. To change the spectrum displayed in the Color panel, you can select:

To change the spectrum of the color ramp quickly, shift-click the color ramp until you see the spectrum you want.

Select a color in the Color panel

  1. In the Color panel, click the foreground or background color box to make it active (outlined in black). When the background color box is active in the Color panel, the Eyedropper tool changes the background color by default.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Drag the color sliders. By default, the slider colors change as you drag. To turn off this feature, navigate to Preferences > General and deselect Dynamic Color Sliders.
    • Enter values next to the color sliders.
    • Click the color selection box, choose a color using the Color Picker, and click OK.
    • Position the pointer over the color ramp (the pointer becomes the eyedropper), and click to sample a color. Alt-click to apply the sample to the non-active color selection box.

Select a color in the Swatches panel

Updated in Photoshop 21.0 (November 2019 release)

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The Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) stores colors that you use often and display a default set of swatches that you can work with. You can add or delete colors from the panel or display different libraries of colors for different projects.

Apply swatches to layers

To apply a color swatch to text layers or shape layers, do any of the following:

To apply a color swatch to pixel layers, drag a swatch from the Swatches panel on a pixel layer in the Layers panel. Photoshop automatically creates a fill layer on top of the pixel layer.

Organize swatches into groups

To organize swatches under a new group:

  1. In the Swatches panel, click the Create New Group icon. 
  2. Specify a group name and click OK. 
  3. Drag a swatch or use the Shift key to select multiple swatches to drag them inside the Group.

To create nested groups:

  1. Select a group in the Swatches panel.
  2. Drag the selected group and place it under another group.  

Show legacy swatches

To show legacy swatches, open the Swatches panel menu and select Legacy Swatches.

What is a selection in Photoshop?

A selection is the area of an image that you define for manipulation of any kind, allowing you to isolate one or more parts of an image. By selecting specific areas, you can edit and apply effects and filters to portions of your image while leaving the unselected areas untouched.

You can make a selection with various selection tools, commands, and the Select and Mask workspace in Photoshop. When you make a selection, a border appears around the selection area. You can move, copy, or delete pixels inside the selection border, but you can’t touch areas outside the selection border until you deselect the selection. 

Select all pixels on a layer

To select all pixels on a layer within the canvas boundaries, do the following:

  1. Select the layer in the Layers panel.
  2. Choose Select > All.

Deselect a selection

Do one of the following:

Reselect the most recent selection

Choose Select > Reselect.

Understand Smart Objects

Smart Objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. Smart Objects preserve an image’s source content with all its original characteristics, enabling you to perform nondestructive editing to the layer.

In Photoshop, you can embed the contents of an image into a Photoshop document. In Photoshop, you can also create Linked Smart Objects whose contents are referenced from external image files. The contents of a Linked Smart Object are updated when its source image file changes.

Linked Smart Objects are distinct from duplicated instances of a Smart Object within a Photoshop document. With Linked Smart Objects, you can use a shared source file across multiple Photoshop documents which is a familiar and welcome concept for web designers.

Smart Object benefits

With Smart Objects, you can:

You can’t perform operations that alter pixel data—such as painting, dodging, burning, or cloning—directly to a Smart Object layer, unless it is first converted into a regular layer, which will be rasterized. To perform operations that alter pixel data, you can edit the contents of a Smart Object, clone a new layer above the Smart Object layer, edit duplicates of the Smart Object, or create a new layer.

Note: When you transform a Smart Object that has a Smart Filter applied to it, Photoshop turns off filter effects while the transform is being performed. Filter effects are applied again after the transform is complete. See Apply Smart Filters.

Regular layer and a Smart Object in the Layers panel. The icon in the lower-right corner of the thumbnail indicates a Smart Object
(Photoshop) A linked Smart Object in the Layers panel

Create embedded Smart Objects

You can create embedded Smart Objects using several methods: by using the Open As Smart Object command; placing a file (Photoshop CS6) or placing a file as embedded (Photoshop, and Photoshop CS6), pasting data from Illustrator; or converting one or more Photoshop layers to Smart Objects.

  1. Do any of the following:
    • (Photoshop) Choose File > Place Embedded to import files as Smart Objects into an open Photoshop document.
    • Choose File > Open As Smart Object, select a file, and click Open.
    • (Photoshop CS6) Choose File> Place to import files as Smart Objects into an open Photoshop document. Note:Although you can place JPEG files, it’s better to place PSD, TIFF, or PSB files because you can add layers, modify pixels, and resave the file without loss. (Saving a modified JPEG file requires you to flatten new layers and recompress the image, causing image quality degradation).
    • Choose Layer > Smart Object > Convert to Smart Object to convert a selected layer into a Smart Object.
    • In Bridge, choose File > Place > In Photoshop to import a file as a Smart Object into an open Photoshop document.
    • Select one or more layers and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert To Smart Object. The layers are bundled into one Smart Object.
    • Drag PDF or Adobe Illustrator layers or objects into a Photoshop document.
    • Paste artwork from Illustrator into a Photoshop document, and choose Smart Object in the Paste dialog box. For the greatest flexibility, enable both PDF and AICB (No Transparency Support) in the File Handling & Clipboard section of the Preferences dialog box in Adobe Illustrator.

Create Linked Smart Objects | Photoshop

Note: The Linked Smart Object feature is available in Photoshop CC version 14.2 (January 2014) and later.

In Photoshop, you can create Linked Smart Objects. The contents of Linked Smart Objects are updated when the source image file changes. Linked Smart Objects are particularly useful for teams or in cases where assets must be reused across designs.

Follow these steps to create a Linked Smart Object:

  1. Choose File > Place Linked.
  2. Select an appropriate file and click Place.

The Linked Smart Object is created and is displayed in the Layers panel with a link icon ().

Note: You can also create a Linked Smart Object in an open document by dragging and dropping the appropriate file while keeping the following key pressed:

(Windows) Alt key
(Mac OS) Option key

To change this default behavior, turn off Preferences > General > Always Create Smart Objects While Placing.

File size savings using Linked Smart Objects

Since Linked Smart Objects maintain a dependency on an external file rather than embedding a source file within the containing document, they often result in significantly smaller file sizes. While Linked Smart Objects do not store the original file in the containing document, they still store a flattened and scaled version of the image data from the original file. In some cases, the size of this data may be much larger than the size of the original file, making the file size savings seem negligible.

Update Linked Smart Objects

If an external source file changes while a Photoshop document referencing it is open, the relevant Linked Smart Object is automatically updated. However, when you open a Photoshop document containing out-of-synch Linked Smart Objects, you can update the Smart Objects:

Linked Smart Objects whose source images have changed are visually highlighted in the Layers panel:

Out-of-sync Linked Smart Objects are highlighted in the Layers panel.

Note: You can update all linked Smart Objects in the current Photoshop document by choosing Layer > Smart Objects > Update All Modified Content.

Linked Smart Objects with missing external source files are highlighted in the Layers panel.

Note: While detecting changes to Linked Smart Objects or updating a Linked Smart Object, Photoshop looks only at the immediate linked file. Links nested inside Smart Objects are not updated.

To resolve a Linked Smart Object with a missing external source, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the Linked Smart Object layer icon and choose Resolve Broken Link.
  2. Navigate to the new location of the missing object.
  3. Click Place.

View Linked Smart Object properties

With a Linked Smart Object layer selected in the Layers panel, choose Window > Properties.

The following properties are displayed:

You can perform the following actions directly from within the Properties panel:

Embed Linked Smart Objects

Do one of the following:

Note: Choose Layer > Smart Objects > Embed All Linked to embed all Linked Smart Objects in the Photoshop document.

Package Linked Smart Objects

You can package the Linked Smart Objects in a Photoshop document, such that their source files are saved to a folder on your computer. A copy of the Photoshop document is saved along with the source files in the folder.

  1. Choose File > Package.
  2. Select a location where you want to place the source files and a copy of the Photoshop document.

Any audio or video Linked Smart Objects in the document are packaged as well.

Note: You must save a file before packaging the Linked Smart Objects that it contains.

How Photoshop locates linked files

Photoshop always looks for linked files in the last-known relative location. If the linked file is not found in that location, Photoshop looks for it:

This behavior allows you to move, copy, and share project folders and files with minimal risk of encountering broken links.

Note: The Resolve Missing Assets dialog always displays the last-known absolute path of missing source files.

Convert an embedded Smart Object to a Linked Smart Object

You can convert an embedded Smart Object to a Linked Smart Object. Transforms, filters, and other effects applied to the embedded Smart Object are preserved when it is converted.

Do the following:

  1. Select an embedded Smart Object layer in the Photoshop document.
  2. Choose Layer > Smart Object > Convert To Linked.
  3. Select the location on your computer where you want to save the source file. Enter a name for the file, including a supported extension. For example, link_file.jpg.

Filter the Layers panel by Smart Objects | Photoshop

  1. In the Layers panel, select Smart Object from the filtering pop-up menu.
Filter layers by Smart Objects
  1. Click one of the following icons:

Note: You can use the toggle switch () to turn off layer filtering.

Duplicate an embedded Smart Object

  1. In the Layers panel, select a Smart Object layer, and do one of the following:
    • To create a duplicate Smart Object that is linked to the original, choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy, or drag the Smart Object layer to the Create A New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. Edits you make to the original affect the copy and vice versa.
    • To create a duplicate Smart Object that isn’t linked to the original, choose Layer > Smart Objects > New Smart Object Via Copy. Edits you make to the original don’t affect the copy.
    A new Smart Object appears in the Layers panel with the same name as the original and “copy” as a suffix.

Edit the contents of a Smart Object

When you edit a Smart Object, the source content is opened in either Photoshop (if the content is raster data or a camera raw file) or the application that handles the placed format by default (for example, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Acrobat). When you save changes to the source content, the edits appear in all linked instances of the Smart Object in the Photoshop document.

  1. Select the Smart Object from the Layers panel, and do one of the following:
    • Choose Layer > Smart Objects > Edit Contents.
    • Double-click the Smart Objects thumbnail in the Layers panel.
    • In the Properties panel, click Edit Contents.
  2. Click OK to close the dialog box.
  3. Make edits to the source content file, then choose File > Save.Photoshop updates the Smart Object to reflect the changes you made. (If you don’t see the changes, make the Photoshop document containing the Smart Object active.)

Replace the contents of a Smart Object

You can replace the image data in one Smart Object or multiple linked instances. This feature lets you quickly update a visual design, or replace low-resolution placeholder images with final versions.

Note: When you replace a Smart Object, any scaling, warping, or effects that you applied to the first Smart Object are maintained.

  1. Select the Smart Object, and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents.
  2. Navigate to the file you want to use, and click Place.
  3. Click OK.The new content is placed in the Smart Object.

Convert an embedded or linked Smart Object to layers

Introduced in Photoshop 21.0 (November 2019 release)

You can convert an embedded or linked smart object back into its component layers directly into a Photoshop document. If there are multiple layers in the Smart Object, the layers are unpacked into a new layer group within the Layers panel. Transforms and Smart Filters on Smart Objects containing more than a single layer are not retained when you unpack. 

Convert a Smart Object back into its component layers
  1. Select the Smart Object layer from the Layers panel.
  2. Do any of the following:
    • Right-click (Win) / Control-click (Mac) the Smart Object layer and select Convert To Layers from the context menu. 
    • From the menu bar, choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert To Layers.
    • In the Properties panel, click Convert To Layers.
    • From the Layers panel’s options menu, choose Convert To Layers
  3. The layers are unpacked into a layer group in the Layers panel.

Rasterize an embedded or linked Smart Object

You can rasterize the contents of a Smart Object to a regular layer if you no longer need to edit the Smart Object data. Transforms, warps, and filters applied to a Smart Object are no longer editable after the Smart Object is rasterized.

Select the Smart Object, and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Rasterize.  

Note: If you want to re-create the Smart Object, reselect its original layers and start from scratch. The new Smart Object won’t retain transforms you applied to the original Smart Object.

Export the contents of an embedded Smart Object

  1. Select the Smart Object from the Layers panel, and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Export Contents.
  2. Choose a location for the contents of the Smart Object, then click Save.Photoshop exports the Smart Object in its original placed format (JPEG, AI, TIF, PDF, or other formats). If the Smart Object was created from layers, it is exported in PSB format.

Reset Smart Object transforms

If you’ve transformed a Smart Object, you can reset all transformations you’ve previously applied by doing one of the following: 

How to quickly edit layer masks in 5 simple steps

Masking enables you to create anything you can imagine in Photoshop. You can add a mask to a layer and use the mask to hide portions of the layer and reveal the layers below. 

To easily edit and refine existing layer masks, do the following:

  1. In the Layers panel, select the layer containing the mask you want to edit.
  2. Click the Mask thumbnail in the Layers panel.
  3. Select any of the editing or painting tools. The foreground and background colors assume default grayscale values when the mask is active.
  4. Do one of the following:
    • To subtract from the mask and reveal the layer, paint the mask with white.
    • To make the layer partially visible, paint the mask with gray. Darker grays make the level more transparent; lighter grays make it more opaque.
    • To add to the mask and hide the layer or group, paint the mask with black. The layers below become visible.
  5. (Optional) To edit the layer instead of the layer mask, select it by clicking its thumbnail in the Layers panel. A border appears around the layer thumbnail. To paste a copied selection into a layer mask, Alt-click (Win) or Option-click (Mac) the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel to select and display the mask channel. Choose Edit > Paste and then Select > Deselect. The selection is converted to grayscale and added to the mask. Click the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel to deselect the mask channel.

Paint with white to reveal and with black to hide parts of the active layer.

The Image Size command in Photoshop includes a method to preserve details and provide better sharpness while enlarging images.

Original uncropped image (left); sharp resized image (right)

In addition, the Photoshop Image Size dialog box has been updated for ease of use:

Resize images

Resizing images
  1. Choose Image > Image Size.
  2. Do any of the following to modify the image preview:
    • To change the size of the preview window, drag a corner of the Image Size dialog box and resize it.
    • To view a different area of the image, drag within the preview.
    • To change the preview magnification, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) in the preview image to increase magnification. Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to reduce the magnification. After clicking, the percentage of magnification briefly appears near the bottom of the preview image.
  3. To change the unit of measurement for the pixel dimension, click the triangle next to Dimensions and choose from the menu.
  4. To maintain the original ratio of width to height measurement, make sure that the Constrain Proportions option is enabled. If you want to scale the width and height independently of each other, click the Constrain Proportions icon to unlink them. Note:You can change the unit of measurement for width and height by choosing from the menus to the right of the Width and Height text boxes.
  5. Do any of the following:
    • To change the image size or resolution and allow the total number of pixels to adjust proportionately, make sure that Resample is selected, and if necessary, choose an interpolation method from the Resample menu.
    • To change the image size or resolution without changing the total number of pixels in the image, deselect Resample.
  6. (Optional) From the Fit To menu:
    • Choose a preset to resize the image. 
    • Choose Auto Resolution to resize the image for a specific printing output. In the Auto Resolution dialog box, specify the Screen value and select a Quality. You can change the unit of measurement by choosing from the menu to the right of the Screen text box.
  7. Enter values for Width and Height. To enter values in a different unit of measurement, choose from the menus next to the Width and Height text boxes.The new image file size appears at the top of the Image Size dialog box, with the old file size in parentheses.
  8. To change the Resolution, enter a new value. (Optional) You can also choose a different unit of measurement.
  9. If your image has layers with styles applied to them, select Scale Styles from the gear icon to scale the effects in the resized image. This option is available only if you selected the Constrain Proportions option.
  10. When you finish setting options, click OK.

Note: To restore the initial values displayed in the Image Size dialog box, either choose Original Size from the Fit To menu, or hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click Reset.

Resampling options | Photoshop

Automatic

Photoshop chooses the resampling method based on the document type and whether the document is scaling up or down.

Preserve Details (enlargement)

When this method is chosen, a Noise reduction slider becomes available for smoothing out noise as you upscale the image.

Bicubic Smoother (enlargement)

A good method for enlarging images based on Bicubic interpolation but designed to produce smoother results.

Bicubic Sharper (reduction)

A good method for reducing the size of an image based on Bicubic interpolation with enhanced sharpening. This method maintains the detail in a resampled image. If Bicubic Sharper oversharpens some areas of an image, try using Bicubic.

Bicubic (smoother gradients)

A slower but more precise method based on an examination of the values of surrounding pixels. Using more complex calculations, Bicubic produces smoother tonal gradations than Nearest Neighbor or Bilinear.

Nearest Neighbor (hard edges)

A fast but less precise method that replicates the pixels in an image. This method preserves hard edges and produces a smaller file in illustrations containing edges that are not anti-aliased. However, this method can produce jagged effects, which become apparent when you distort or scale an image or perform multiple manipulations on a selection.

Bilinear

A method that adds pixels by averaging the color values of surrounding pixels. It produces medium-quality results.