Apply shadow/highlight adjustment on a multi-layered selection?

For clarification, do you mean drop shadow effects or adjustment layers when you say "shadow adjustment"?

dp

Jon Danniken wrote:

Hello, this question pertains to Photoshop CS:

I would like to apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection I have made that includes several
layers, but it has no effect. If I merge the layers, then the shadow/highlight adjustment works, but then
I have lost my ability to modify the individual layers.

Is there any way that I can apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection that includes several
layers, without first merging the layers?

Thanks for any suggestions you are able to offer for this,
Jon

I would like to apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection I have made

that includes several

layers, but it has no effect.

There are two ways to do this.

First, create an adjustment layer that has the adjustment in it. This will affect all layers below the adjustment layer (or in th same layer group).

Second, apply the adjustment to one layer, then switch to the next layer and hold down OPTION on the keyboard (PC: ALT) as you bring up the command. This will apply the same exact settings as the last time you invoked that command.

—
Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html

The "Shadow/Highlight" adjustment under Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlight. It is a new feature with
CS, but unfortunately is not listed as a choice when choosing an adjustment layer in the layers pallette.
Jon.

"D.Plank" wrote:

For clarification, do you mean drop shadow effects or adjustment layers when you say "shadow adjustment"?

dp

Jon Danniken wrote:

Hello, this question pertains to Photoshop CS:

I would like to apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection I have made that includes several
layers, but it has no effect. If I merge the layers, then the shadow/highlight adjustment works, but

then

I have lost my ability to modify the individual layers.

Is there any way that I can apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection that includes several
layers, without first merging the layers?

Thanks for any suggestions you are able to offer for this,
Jon

"Tacit" wrote:

I would like to apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection I have made

that includes several

layers, but it has no effect.

There are two ways to do this.

First, create an adjustment layer that has the adjustment in it. This will affect all layers below the adjustment layer (or in th same layer group).
Second, apply the adjustment to one layer, then switch to the next layer and hold down OPTION on the keyboard (PC: ALT) as you bring up the command. This will apply the same exact settings as the last time you invoked that command.

Thanks for your reply, Tacit. Unfortunately, the first method doesn’t work due to the exclusion of the
Shadow/Highlight adjustment from the normal "adjustment layer" choices.

I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about that before), but the results
using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight adjustment on merged layers.
It works for all of the other adjustment techniques, though, so perhaps this is a peculiarity in how the
Shadow/Highlight adjustment works.

Along those lines, is there a way to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and then undo the merging
without undoing the adjustment?

In any case, thanks for your response, and also thanks for the neat ALT tip.

Jon

Jon Danniken wrote:

First, create an adjustment layer that has the adjustment in it. This will affect all layers below the adjustment layer (or in th same layer group).
Second, apply the adjustment to one layer, then switch to the next layer and hold down OPTION on the keyboard (PC: ALT) as you bring up the command. This will apply the same exact settings as the last time you invoked that command.

Thanks for your reply, Tacit. Unfortunately, the first method doesn’t work due to the exclusion of the Shadow/Highlight adjustment from the normal "adjustment layer" choices.

I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about that before), but the results using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight adjustment on merged layers.

There is an easy explanation for this. The shadow/highlight ‘radius’ looks at your picture in order to determine which pixels will be adjusted and which pixels will not. Consequently, it works differently on a series of layers than on one combined layer.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about that before), but the results using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight adjustment on merged layers.

There is an easy explanation for this. The shadow/highlight ‘radius’ looks at your picture in order to determine which pixels will be adjusted and which pixels will not. Consequently, it works differently on a series of layers than on one combined layer.

Ah, thanks for that explanation, Johann; it explains precisely why I experienced the discrepancy.

As far as my potential workaround for this, is it possible to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and
then undo the merging
without undoing the adjustment?

Thanks again for your response,

Jon

Not sure what you have on layers but you could probably make a mask for each layer and save them as channels, merge the layers, apply the adjustment, duplicate the merged layer and use the channels to recreate what was on original layers.

dp

Jon Danniken wrote:

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about that before), but the results using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight adjustment on merged layers.

There is an easy explanation for this. The shadow/highlight ‘radius’ looks at your picture in order to determine which pixels will be adjusted and which pixels will not. Consequently, it works differently on a series of layers than on one combined layer.

Ah, thanks for that explanation, Johann; it explains precisely why I experienced the discrepancy.
As far as my potential workaround for this, is it possible to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and
then undo the merging
without undoing the adjustment?

Thanks again for your response,

Jon

From: "Jon Danniken"

As far as my potential workaround for this, is it possible to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and then undo the merging without undoing the adjustment?

This works even better (I use it all the time for sharpening) … make a blank new layer at the top of the layer stack, then hold down the Alt key and keep holding it down while doing Layer > Merge Visible. You’ll keep your layer structure intact but now the top layer is a composite of all the lower layers (as if you had merged) and you can run Shadow/Highlight here (or anything else). Just unclick that top layer to see before/after.

This ‘trick’ isn’t documented that I know of, but it’s very handy for situations like this.

Bill

In article ,
says…

"Tacit" wrote:

I would like to apply a shadow/highlight adjustment on a selection I have

mad

e

that includes several

layers, but it has no effect.

There are two ways to do this.

First, create an adjustment layer that has the adjustment in it. This will affect all layers below the adjustment layer (or in th same layer group).
Second, apply the adjustment to one layer, then switch to the next layer

and

hold down OPTION on the keyboard (PC: ALT) as you bring up the command.

This

will apply the same exact settings as the last time you invoked that

command.

Thanks for your reply, Tacit. Unfortunately, the first method doesn’t work

due

to the exclusion of the
Shadow/Highlight adjustment from the normal "adjustment layer" choices.
I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about

that

before), but the results
using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight

adj

ustment on merged layers.
It works for all of the other adjustment techniques, though, so perhaps this

is

a peculiarity in how the
Shadow/Highlight adjustment works.

Along those lines, is there a way to merge the layers, perform an adjustment,

an

d then undo the merging
without undoing the adjustment?

In any case, thanks for your response, and also thanks for the neat ALT tip.
Jon

Jon,

In Preferences, you can choose to have your History list linear, or non- linear, allowing you to go back, but to not affect all of the History states. This might be of help in your case, though I have not tried it.

Hunt

"Bill Hilton" wrote:

From: "Jon Danniken"

As far as my potential workaround for this, is it possible to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and then undo the merging without undoing the adjustment?

This works even better (I use it all the time for sharpening) … make a blank new layer at the top of the layer stack, then hold down the Alt key and keep holding it down while doing Layer > Merge Visible. You’ll keep your layer structure intact but now the top layer is a composite of all the lower layers (as if you had merged) and you can run Shadow/Highlight here (or anything else). Just unclick that top layer to see before/after.
This ‘trick’ isn’t documented that I know of, but it’s very handy for situations like this.

Thanks, Bill, that’s a handy trick indeed.

Jon

D, that’s a bit beyond my level of experience at this point in time, but with no other options available
this will be the direction I will get myself to travel in. Thanks for the information, and I will focus
into these areas.

Jon

"D.Plank" wrote:

Not sure what you have on layers but you could probably make a mask for each layer and save them as channels, merge the layers, apply the adjustment, duplicate the merged layer and use the channels to recreate what was on original layers.

dp

Jon Danniken wrote:

"Johan W. Elzenga" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

I did try the second method, (thanks for that ALT tip, I didn’t know about that before), but the results using that technique are noticebly different from using the Shadow/Highlight adjustment on merged layers.

There is an easy explanation for this. The shadow/highlight ‘radius’ looks at your picture in order to determine which pixels will be adjusted and which pixels will not. Consequently, it works differently on a series of layers than on one combined layer.

Ah, thanks for that explanation, Johann; it explains precisely why I experienced the discrepancy.
As far as my potential workaround for this, is it possible to merge the layers, perform an adjustment,

and

then undo the merging
without undoing the adjustment?

Thanks again for your response,

Jon

"Hunt" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

Along those lines, is there a way to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and then undo the

merging

without undoing the adjustment?

Jon,

In Preferences, you can choose to have your History list linear, or non- linear, allowing you to go back, but to not affect all of the History states. This might be of help in your case, though I have not tried it.

Thanks, Hunt; I had indeed tried this. Unfortunately, though, once I delete the "merge layers" state,
returning to the adjustment state has the layers merged.

Jon

Jon

Here is step by step process.

Duplicate all the layers you want to combine. Make the original layers invisible. Use Layers>merge visible to make a duplicated and combined layer. Name it DC layer.

For each of the original layers ctrl + click the layer name in layers palette (mac command + click) to make a selection of layer content. Then click on the Mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette. (gray box with white circle in it.) This will put a mask thumbnail to the right of the layer thumbnail in the layers palette.

Do whatever you want to the DC layer.

Make a duplicate of the DC layer for each original layer.

Crtl + click on the mask icon (mac command + click) to select the pixels in the mask of an original layer.

Now click on one of your duplicated DC layers to make it active. In the menu bar go to Select>Inverse to get the area outside the selection. Now hit the Delete key.

You should have what was in the original layer but with the effect added.

Repeat for your other layers.

Easy eh?

If you want, send me a file and I will do one for an example for you.

dp

click on Channel tab

Jon Danniken wrote:

"Hunt" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

Along those lines, is there a way to merge the layers, perform an adjustment, and then undo the

merging

without undoing the adjustment?

Jon,

In Preferences, you can choose to have your History list linear, or non- linear, allowing you to go back, but to not affect all of the History states. This might be of help in your case, though I have not tried it.

Thanks, Hunt; I had indeed tried this. Unfortunately, though, once I delete the "merge layers" state,
returning to the adjustment state has the layers merged.
Jon

D.Plank" wrote:

Jon

Here is step by step process.

Duplicate all the layers you want to combine. Make the original layers invisible. Use Layers>merge visible to make a duplicated and combined layer. Name it DC layer.

For each of the original layers ctrl + click the layer name in layers palette (mac command + click) to make a selection of layer content. Then click on the Mask icon at the bottom of the layers palette. (gray box with white circle in it.) This will put a mask thumbnail to the right of the layer thumbnail in the layers palette.

Do whatever you want to the DC layer.

Make a duplicate of the DC layer for each original layer.
Crtl + click on the mask icon (mac command + click) to select the pixels in the mask of an original layer.

Now click on one of your duplicated DC layers to make it active. In the menu bar go to Select>Inverse to get the area outside the selection. Now hit the Delete key.

You should have what was in the original layer but with the effect added.

Repeat for your other layers.

Easy eh?

Thanks D, that worked like a charm; much appreciated.

Jon

In article ,
says…

"Hunt" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

Along those lines, is there a way to merge the layers, perform an

adjustment,

and then undo the
merging

without undoing the adjustment?

Jon,

In Preferences, you can choose to have your History list linear, or non- linear, allowing you to go back, but to not affect all of the History

states.

This might be of help in your case, though I have not tried it.

Thanks, Hunt; I had indeed tried this. Unfortunately, though, once I delete

the

"merge layers" state,
returning to the adjustment state has the layers merged.
Jon

Sorry, it was just a thought, as I have never tried what you intend to do. Another thought would be to copy the entire document at the stage you are satisfied with, just before you use the Highlight&Shadow Adjustment, then copy the adjusted Layer into the copy of the doc.

Hunt

PS it’s too bad that the H&S cannot be used in an Adjustment Layer. Maybe Adobe can make changes necessary for the next version of PS. Until then, I have to hand it to them, the H&S is a wonderful tool, and I’m otherwise pleased with its adjustments.

"Hunt" wrote:

Jon Danniken wrote:

Thanks, Hunt; I had indeed tried this. Unfortunately, though, once I delete the "merge layers" state,returning to the adjustment state has the layers merged.
Jon

Sorry, it was just a thought, as I have never tried what you intend to do. Another thought would be to copy the entire document at the stage you are satisfied with, just before you use the Highlight&Shadow Adjustment, then copy the adjusted Layer into the copy of the doc.

Oh, not at all, Hunt; it was a great suggestion, and actually the first logical step to try out. I think
if I was better at planning out my work I would have been able to do the H/S at the end, but as it turned
out, after I did the H/S I wanted to go back and nudge one of my layers a smidgen, hence the "wanting my
H/S and layers too". 🙂

PS it’s too bad that the H&S cannot be used in an Adjustment Layer. Maybe Adobe can make changes necessary for the next version of PS. Until then, I have to hand it to them, the H&S is a wonderful tool, and I’m otherwise pleased with its adjustments.

It is an great tool and a real time saver for a lot of things; not perfect, but then again I’m still
learning how to properly implement it (I’m always still learning, really).

Jon