[Steve]

Alright, I've got this image, and it has 15 layers or so. I want to be able to take about 12 of the layers and be able to edit them all at the same time, without flattening all of the layers together. What's the easiest way to do this?

thanks

[Demonhood]

Edit in what way? With what tools?
Why?

[Steve]

Ok, this is a banner for the school website. It's got a navigation bar along with some text on top, then a collage of pictures behind it. I'd like to able to edit all of the pictures behind it at once, like being able to put a filter on them. But also, I want to keep each of them on a seperate layer to make it easy to change the pictures often. Is there any way to select multiple layers at one time? I can't seem to figure this out or find it.

[bluedog]

Its not possible to do what you are wanting to do.

Hide the layers you do not want to touch. Do a select-all, then choose EDIT->COPY Merged from the menu and then PASTE. This will give you a layer with all the objects on one layer to edit at-once.

Then re-show all the layers you didn't want to touch.

When you make changes to the other layers (the ones in the new 'composite layer'), then just re-make your composite layer and start again.

Which version of PS are you using? And what 'changes' do you want do accomplish on these layers.

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: bluedog ]

[redrockdes]

Originally posted by speramint0:
<STRONG>Alright, I've got this image, and it has 15 layers or so. I want to be able to take about 12 of the layers and be able to edit them all at the same time, without flattening all of the layers together. What's the easiest way to do this?

thanks</STRONG>

Create a copy of the document, remove the layers that are not needed, edit the remaining 12 as needed and save with a new name.

Maybe I'm not grasping what you are trying to do, though. What is meant by "edit them all at the same time, without flattening"? You could link the layers and do certain kinds of editing such as moving, resizing, etc.

[redrockdes]

Originally posted by speramint0:
<STRONG>Ok, this is a banner for the school website. It's got a navigation bar along with some text on top, then a collage of pictures behind it. I'd like to able to edit all of the pictures behind it at once, like being able to put a filter on them. But also, I want to keep each of them on a seperate layer to make it easy to change the pictures often. Is there any way to select multiple layers at one time? I can't seem to figure this out or find it.</STRONG>

As you probably know, you can apply some types of color and shading effects to an individual layer in "Blending Options", then drag the "Effects" to other layers. You can also change opacity and color settings at the top of each layer. This would let you preserve the separation of layers for later editing.

[KidRed]

Depends on WHAT and HOW you want to edit.

If you want to edit all the layers using the same filter, that is easy. Just apply the filter to layer one and then select layer 2 and hit "Command+F" and so on for all the layers.

If its a layer style, drop shadow, outline ect. Do it to layer one, link (chain icon) all the layers together, copy layer style of first layer and hit apple layer style to linked on layer 2.

If you want to edit the new pics when you update the graphics at a later time but apply the same edits/filters then simply record an action for each layer effect. Then apply those actions to their new layers when added later.

Other than that, you will have to do it manually to each layer each time unless you flatten. You could always keep an active layer copy and a flattened copy.

Unless you are more specific, that's about all I can suggest.

[Cipher13]

Just copy and paste the layer style; it would be nice to be able to do what you want; link/group several layers together and then have any changes made apply to all layers in that group...

[bluedog]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
<STRONG>Just copy and paste the layer style; it would be nice to be able to do what you want; link/group several layers together and then have any changes made apply to all layers in that group...</STRONG>

I have a feeling the next version of PS will have this feature. They already have a partial implementation in Illustrator9 with their nested layers. They work *almost* as you would expect them to, with a few odd things happening in some operations. In all I can only expect them to include such layering in a near a future rev. of the program.

As suggested, depending on what effect you want to use. Layer effects in PS5.5 and more so in PS6 can be copy/pasted from the layers palette.

I like the suggestion to apply a graphics filter and then CMD+F to the subsequent layers. Honestly, I hadn't thought of that. But if you want to not be destructive to your layers, then using a flattened duplicate layer will allow you to 'get back' to the layer elements.

[Valentine]

Wouldn't Layer Sets do this job?

[Steve]

Wow, thanks everybody. I was trying to do this at the end of the day and didn't have much time to link the layers together and some other more obvious ideas, but I will make sure tomorrow I try out these different ideas out at school.

BTW, feel sorry for me. I'm doing all of this on a Dell box running Win 98. Photoshop on the mac feels soo much better.

Once again, thank you for the ideas. I'll try and post what I have made so far later on to get some criticizm etc.