Show / Hide Layers – Most people who’ve been using Photoshop for a while know that you can temporarily hide or show a layer by clicking on its Layer Visibility icon (the eyeball) on the left of the layer in the Layers palette: Click on the Layer Visibility (eyeball) icon to temporarily show or hide a layer. What a lot of people don’t know is that you can temporarily turn off every other layer in the Layers palette except for that one layer by holding down your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key and clicking on the Layer Visibility icon. Hold down “Alt” (Win) / “Option” (Mac) and click on the Layer Visibility icon to temporarily hide all the other layers. To turn all the layers back on again, hold down Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click again on the same Layer Visibility icon. One little trick many people don’t know is that if you hold down Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) and click on the Layer Visibility icon to hide all the layers except for that one layer, you can then cycle through your layers by continuing to hold down your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key and pressing the left or right bracket keys,
Why can’t I see all layers in Photoshop?
Photoshop is an incredibly flexible program. To keep the interface flexible, Photoshop uses “Panels” for each tool or feature. For example, here’s how I have Photoshop set up. Everything on the right hand side is a different Panel. There are a couple of near-universal panels that you will need to use every time you use Photoshop, like the Layers panel.
- In every one of my Photoshop tutorials for How-To Geek, like how to add falling snow to your photos, I’ve told you to do something with it.
- But what happens if you can’t find it? RELATED: How To Customize Photoshop’s Panels, Shortcuts and Menus Since Photoshop’s interface is so customizable, it’s very easy to accidentally close or misplace an important panel like the Layers Panel.
If you can’t see it, all you have to do is go to the Window menu. All the panels that you currently have on display are marked with a tick. To reveal the Layers Panel, click Layers. 
And just like that, the Layers Panel will appear, ready for you to use it. 
It’s the exact same with any other Panel in Photoshop. If you’re ever following a tutorial and you’re told to go to the Channels Panel or Path Panel, if you don’t know where it is, just open the Window menu and select it.
How do you make all layers visible at once?
Julieanne Kost’s Blog | Fundamental Layers Panel Tips and Techniques The Background Layer
Clicking the lock icon next to the Background layer on the Layers panel converts the Background to a layer enabling transparency, repositioning in the image area and changing the stacking order. Double click the Background layer to display the New Layer dialog for additional options (renaming, color coding etc.).
Renaming Layers
To rename a single layer, double click the layer’s name in the Layers panel. To rename multiple layers, rename one and then, without pressing the enter key to apply the new name, press the Tab key to move to the layer below. Shift + Tab moves to the layer (above).
Adding New Layers to a Document in Photoshop
Command + Shift + N (Mac) | Control + Shift + N (Win) will add a new layer and display the New Layer dialog for additional options (layer name, blend mode etc.). Command + Option + Shift + N (Mac) | Control + Alt + Shift + N (Win) adds a new layer bypassing the New Layer dialog. By default, new layers are added above the currently selected layer. Command -click (Mac) | Control -click (Win) the New Layer icon (on the Layers panel) to create a new layer below the currently selected layer. This shortcut is helpful for example, when adding a layer that you don’t want to be included in a Clipping Group.
Deleting Layers
To delete a layer(s), select it in the Layers panel and tap the delete key. To delete hidden layers from the Layers panel, use the fly-out and select Delete Hidden Layers.
Duplicating Layers
With the Move tool selected, Option -drag (Mac) | Alt -drag (Win) a layer in the image area to duplicate (copy) the selected layer(s). To duplicate a layer using the Layers panel, select the layer(s) and Option -drag (Mac) | Alt -drag (Win) the layer until a solid line between the layers appears and release. Command + J (Mac) | Control + J (Win) duplicates the selected layer(s). Note: this shortcut works for Layer Groups as well. To prevent Photoshop from adding “copy” and a sequence number to a duplicated file name, use the Layers panel fly-out menu to select Panel Options and uncheck Add “copy” to Copied Layers and Groups.
Drag and Drop Between Open Documents
To duplicate layers from one document to another, select the layers in the Layers panel and drag from one document window to another. When the “destination” document becomes highlighted, release to “drop” the layers. Holding the Shift key while dragging and dropping a layer(s) between two documents will place the “dropped” layer(s) into the center of the destination document. If there is a selection in the destination document, holding the Shift key while dragging and dropping an image will drop it into the center of the selection. When working with tabbed documents, use the Move tool to drag layers from the image area or the Layers panel, on top of the “destination” document’s tab. When the “destination” document pops forward, position the cursor over the image area and release to “drop” the layers.
Changing the Blend mode of a Layer
To quickly cycle through a the Blend Modes select the Move tool (or any tool that does not have Blend Mode options), hold the Shift key and press “+” (plus) or “-” (minus) to move forward or backwards through the list. In addition, each blend mode has a unique keyboard shortcut. They all begin with Option + Shift (Mac) | Alt + Shift (Win) then a single letter.
Normal + N Dissolve + I Behind + Q Clear + R Darken + K Multiply + M Color Burn + B Linear Burn + A, Lighten + G Screen + S Color Dodge + D Linear Dodge + W Overlay + O Soft Light + F Hard Light + H Vivid Light + V Linear Light + J Pin Light + Z Hard Mix + L Difference + E Exclusion + X Hue+ U Saturation+ T Color + C, Luminosity + Y
Changing the Opacity of a Layer(s)
To change the Opacity of a layer(s), select the Move tool (or any tool that does not have Opacity options), and press a numeric key to add the percentage of the pressed number. (1 = 10%, 2= 20% etc. and 0 = 100%). Pressing two numbers quickly will give you that exact amount (5 + 4 = 54%). Pressing 00 (zero-zero) decreases the opacity to 0%. Adding the Shift key will change the Fill amount.
Toggling Layer Visibility in Photoshop
Clicking the eye icon next to any layer on the Layers panel will hide/show the layer. Option -click (Mac) | Alt -click (Win) the eye icon in the Layers panel to toggle visibility of all other layers. Command + “,” (comma) (Mac) | Control + “,” (comma) (Win) toggles the visibility of the currently selected layer(s). Command + Option + “,” (comma) (Mac) | Control + Alt + “,” (comma) (Win) shows all layers (regardless of which layers are selected). Control -click (Mac) | right -click (Win) the eye icon and select “Show/Hide all other layers” to make all layers visible (regardless of which layers were previously visible). If you often toggle the visibility of layers but don’t want them to count as a step in history, use the History panel’s fly-out menu to select History options and uncheck “Make Layer Visibility Changes Undoable”.
Zoom to Layer Content
To maximize the use of the canvas and make editing easier, Option -click (Mac) | Alt -click (Win) on a layer will zoom to the contents of the layer to the screen. Option -click (Mac) | Alt -click (Win) on a Layer Group to zoom to fit the Layer Group’s content on the screen. Note: if multiple layers are selected, Option -click (Mac) | Alt -click (Win) on a layer first deselects other layers. Option -click (Mac) | Alt -click (Win) a second time to zoom to that layer’s contents.
Merging Layers
Command + E (Mac) | Control + E (Win) will merge selected layers.
The three selected layers are merged into a single layer.
Command + Shift + E (Mac) | Control + Shift + E (Win) will merge all visible layers (hidden layers will remain untouched).
The top two Layers aren’t merged because they are hidden.
Command + Option + E (Mac) | Control + Alt + E (Win) creates a new layer and pastes a “flattened” version of the selected layers on it (the key to this shortcut is that you have to have multiple layers selected)!
A flattened copy of the two selected layers are merged onto a new layer.
Command + Option + Shift + E (Mac) | Control + Alt + Shift + E (Win) does one of two things:
If the top most layer in the Layers panel is an empty (blank) layer, Photoshop will create a flattened copy of all visible layers and place the merged/flattened information onto the top layer. If the top layer in the Layers panel has content (is not empty/blank), then Photoshop will create a new layer and merge a copy of all visible layers onto the newly created layer.
A flattened copy of all visible layers is merged onto a new layer (regardless of what layer(s) is selected).
When Merging layers, if any of the layers that are going to be merged have been manually renamed (i.e. you renamed them), Photoshop will keep that custom layer name and use it as the new merged layer name. If you have created custom names for multiple layers that are all being merged together, then Photoshop will take the top-most custom named layer.
Copying Merged Layers (and Groups)
Command + Shift + C (Mac) | Control + Shift + C (Win) with an active selection in the image, copies a merged view of all visible layers onto the clipboard. Option + Command + Shift +E (Mac) | Alt + Control + Shift +E (Win) pastes a merged copy of all visible layers on a (single) new layer above the topmost currently selected layer.
Color Coding Layers
Control -click (Mac) | Right -click (Win) on a selected layer(s) and choose a highlight color from the context sensitive menu. Note: the Background must be converted to a layer to color-code.
Layer Thumbnail Preview Options
To change Layer thumbnail size, from the Layers panel fly-out choose Panel Options. Choose a large size to more easily see the contents of the layer. Choose a small size to see more layers in a complicated document. Note: if your image is wider than it is high, selecting the smaller thumbnail sizes might display the generic icon for Adjustment layers). Change Thumbnail Contents – select “Layer Bounds” to display a preview image of only the area in the layer that contains content – this option typically provides a larger preview of layers containing minimal content, Select “Entire Document” to display the layer content in relationship to the entire document (this option typically provides a smaller preview of layers containing significant areas of content.
Thumbnail Content set to Entire Document. Thumbnail Content set to Layer Bounds. Locking and Unlocking Layers
Several layer attributes can be locked including Transparent Pixels, Image Pixels, and/or Position
Locking Transparency enables editing of image information but not transparent areas. Locking the Image Pixels prohibits any pixel editing (painting etc.). Locking Position prevents the layer from being moved.
Command + / (Mac) | Control + / (Win) toggles between locking and unlocking all selected layers. Command + Option +/ (Mac) | Control + Alt + / (Win) unlocks all layers (except the Background layer), regardless of which layers are selected. If a layer has locked attributes, pressing the “/” key will toggle the lock for those attributes (instead of toggling the lock for all attributes). If the layer was unlocked to begin with, then all attributes will be locked.
Linking Layers
When layers are linked together, commands applied to one layer will also be applied to linked layers (when possible). Linking can be helpful when working with complex documents in eliminating the need to have to reselect layers again and again when multiple layers require identical changes. To link two or more layers, select them in the Layer’s panel and click the Link icon. For increased efficiency, assign a custom keyboard shortcut to Link/Unlink Layers (Choose Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts. In Shortcuts For, select Panels, Menus. Then under Layers, scroll down to Link/Unlink Layers.) Shift-click on the link icon to temporarily disable linking of a given layer. The rules for linking layers are a bit complex because Layers can only belong to one link set at a time. They are as follows:
Selecting a layer that is linked will show the link icon on all the other layers to which it is linked. To unlink a single layer from a link set, simply select the layer and click the link icon. If there were other linked layers, they remain linked. If none of the layers selected contain linked and you click the link icon, all layers become linked – creating a new link set. If the layers selected contain only linked layers, regardless of whether they’re all in the same link sets, clicking the link icon unlinks everything selected. If the layers selected contain at least some linked layers within the selection, plus any number of unlinked layers, clicking the link icon extends the link set to include the unlinked layers in the selection. If the layers selected contains linked layers from two or more link sets plus at least one unlinked layer, everything in the selection gets put into a “new” linked set.
Layer Count
To quickly view the number of layers in a document, click the chevron to the right of the status box (at the bottom of the image preview area) and choose Layer Count. To Display the Layer Count in the Info Panel, use the flyout menu to enable Layer Count.
: Julieanne Kost’s Blog | Fundamental Layers Panel Tips and Techniques
Why can’t i see the layers panel?
How To Locate A Missing Panel In Photoshop – Before you learn how to get a panel back when it vanishes, you must know where the Photoshop panels are located by default. This is how the Photoshop screen looks when you open the software for the first time. This workspace is called Essentials, and it remains the same unless you personalize it or switch to another workspace preset. The Essentials workspace contains the main resources needed for your editing. If you want to switch your workspace to the default mode, go up to the Window menu and choose Workspace > Reset Essentials. Panels in Photoshop are located on the right side of the screen. I highlighted the most important ones in the screenshot below. In the color picker panel, you can choose the colors for objects and backgrounds in the project. The properties panel offers adjustments to the layers it is linked to. The layers panel, on the other hand, helps you organize your workflow. So every time you grab a tool or apply an effect to a picture, for example, a new layer is created. You can locate any panel you want in this menu, hence all Photoshop’s panels are listed there. You can see if a panel is active or not when a checkmark appears next to its name.
How do I make hidden layers visible in Photoshop?
Hide a Layer from View? – In the Layers panel, just click on the little Eye icon to the left of the layer’s thumbnail and it hides that layer from view. To see it again, click where the Eye icon used to be. To see just one particular layer (and hide all the rest), press-and-hold the Option (PC: Alt) key, and then click on the layer’s Eye icon.
How do you make multiple layers visible at once in Photoshop?
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How do I view hidden layers?
Open your Layers panel. If you click to the right of the circle (it’s referred to as its target) on the parent layer, you’ll see that it’s selected and so are its sublayers-including your hidden layer.
How do I view Layers in design?
Change the order of content – Explore how to change the order of content using arrange commands.
What you learned: Arrange content in a document Content you add to an InDesign document is stacked one object on top of another as you add it.Arrange commands, found in the Arrange menu of the Properties panel, allow you to select content and change its order in the stack.Different arrange commands bring content on top of or behind other content.
Discover what layers are and why we use them in Adobe InDesign. What you learned: Understand layers Layers are like transparent containers for managing content. You can find a document’s layers in the Layers panel (Window > Layers). Layers contain the graphics, text, or other content that make up a layered file. Layers are arranged in a stack in the Layers panel. In the document, content on the layers at the top of the Layers panel appears in front of content on layers that are lower in the panel. Layers allow you to move, edit, hide, lock, and work with content on one layer without affecting content on other layers.
To hide a layer, click the eye icon in the Layers panel. Click where the eye icon was to make the layer visible.
Learn how to create new layers in the Layers panel for organizing content in your documents. What you learned: Create and manage layers
Choose Window > Layers to open the Layers panel. Each new document starts with a single layer named Layer 1. To rename a layer, double-click the layer name in the Layers panel, type in the new name, and click OK. To create a new layer, click the Create New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel. To select a layer, select it in the Layers panel. Drag the layer up or down in the Layers panel to change the order of layered objects in the document. To lock a layer, click the blank area to the right of the eye icon in the Layers panel.
: Work with layers in InDesign
How do I reset my Photoshop view?
Step 2: Open Photoshop While Pressing A Keyboard Shortcut – With Photoshop closed, press and hold Shift+Ctrl+Alt for Windows or Shift+Command+Option for Mac on your keyboard, and open Photoshop the way you normally would while these keys are held down.
How do you hide and display layers and layer styles?
Hide or show all layer styles in an image Choose one of the following: Layer > Layer Style > Hide All Effects.
How do I switch to layers only view?
The ‘Switch to layers only view’ option can be found in your ‘Layers and Objects’ panel. The button is right next to the ‘add new Layer’ button.
Why can I only see one layer in Photoshop?
When both images don’t show up in the Layers panel, the most likely cause is that they are in two different files. Go to the Window menu and look at the bottom. If both files are listed, go to Window > Arrange > Tile, then use the Move tool and drag one image into the other window.
Why are layers hidden in Photoshop?
Why Are My Layers Hidden in Photoshop? – WebsiteBuilderInsider.com If you’re a Photoshop user, you may have noticed that your layers sometimes seem to disappear. This can be frustrating, but it’s usually not a big deal. There are a few things that can cause your layers to be hidden, and we’ll go over those now. One reason your layers may be hidden is because of the layer visibility options. Each layer in Photoshop has a little eyeball icon next to it. If this eyeball is visible, it means the layer is visible. If it’s not visible, the layer is hidden. So, if you think your layers are hidden, first check to see if the eyeball icons are turned off. Another reason your layers may be hidden is because they’re on a locked layer, You can tell if a layer is locked if it has a little lock icon next to it. Layers can be locked for a couple of different reasons. One reason is to prevent accidental changes. For example, you may have a background layer that you don’t want to accidentally move or edit. When this layer is locked, you won’t be able to make any changes to it. The last reason your layers may be hidden is because they’re clipped, Clipping means that one layer is attached to another layer, and you can only see the part of the top layer that’s within the bounds of the bottom layer. To unclip layers, simply click on the little arrow icon between the two layers in the Layers panel. Conclusion: There are a few reasons why your layers might be hidden in Photoshop. First, check the layer visibility options to see if the eyeball icons are turned off. Second, check to see if any of the layers are locked. And lastly, check to see if any of the layers are clipped. PRO TIP: If you are working in Photoshop and your layers seem to be hidden, it is likely that you have accidentally turned on the ‘Lock All Layers’ option. This option can be found in the ‘Layers’ menu at the top of the screen. When this option is enabled, it prevents any changes from being made to the layers in the document. To make your layers visible again, simply disable the ‘Lock All Layers’ option. Layers are a fundamental part of Photoshop. They are like sheets of acetate that can be stacked on top of each other, and each layer can contain different elements. You can edit, delete, move, turn off the visibility of, or duplicate any layer at any time. Layer effects are special effects that can be applied to a layer in Photoshop. They include drop shadows, inner shadows, outer shadows, glows, bevels, and embosses. Layer effects are nondestructive, meaning they don’t alter the underlying pixel data of the layer. Layers are one of the most important aspects of Photoshop – they allow you to separate different elements of an image and work on them individually. Layers also let you apply different effects to an image, and even control how those effects interact with each other. In this article, we’ll take a look at how layers work in Photoshop, and how you can use them to create stunning images. When you have multiple layers in Photoshop, it can be hard to tell which one you are editing. To help you figure out which layer you are working on, Photoshop offers a number of different tools. To see which layer is active, you can use the “Layer” menu option. As digital artists, we are constantly being asked to create layers in Photoshop. But what is a layer, and how do we use them? A layer is a collection of pixels that you can hide or show to change the appearance of your image. Layers are one of the most powerful features in Photoshop, and allow you to create complex images by stacking different elements on top of each other. You can use layers to add text, graphics, photos, and even video to your project. Photoshop Elements also supports layers, and you can use them to create some stunning effects. There are a few different ways to overlay layers in Photoshop. One way is to use the “Layers” panel. You can access this panel by going to Window > Layers. : Why Are My Layers Hidden in Photoshop? – WebsiteBuilderInsider.com
Why can I only see one layer in Photoshop?
When both images don’t show up in the Layers panel, the most likely cause is that they are in two different files. Go to the Window menu and look at the bottom. If both files are listed, go to Window > Arrange > Tile, then use the Move tool and drag one image into the other window.