Merging down layers in Photoshop combines selected layers into one, reducing the number of layers in your document. Here's how you can do it:
Methods to Merge Down Layers
Photoshop offers several methods to merge layers, each serving a slightly different purpose. Here are the most common techniques:
1. Merging a Single Layer with the Layer Below
This is the most basic type of layer merging.
- Select the Layer: In the Layers panel, click on the layer you want to merge down.
- Merge Down:
- Go to Layer in the top menu, then select Merge Down. Alternatively, press Ctrl+E (Windows) or Command+E (Mac).
- The selected layer will merge with the layer immediately below it.
- The combined layer will take on the name of the layer that was below it.
2. Merging Multiple Adjacent Layers
You can merge several adjacent layers simultaneously.
- Select Layers: Click on the top layer you want to merge. Hold down Shift and click on the bottom layer. This selects all layers in between.
- Merge Layers: Go to Layer > Merge Layers or press Ctrl+E (Windows) or Command+E (Mac).
- All selected layers will combine into a single layer. The combined layer will take on the name of the bottom-most layer.
3. Merging All Visible Layers
You can merge all visible layers in one go.
- Toggle Visibility: Make sure that only the layers you wish to merge are visible (the eye icon is turned on).
- Merge Visible: Go to Layer > Merge Visible or press Shift+Ctrl+E (Windows) or Shift+Command+E (Mac).
- All visible layers will combine into one.
4. Flattening the Image
Flattening merges all layers, including hidden layers, into a single background layer. This is often used when finalizing an image before saving.
- Flatten Image: Go to Layer > Flatten Image.
- All layers, visible and hidden, will be combined into a single background layer.
Important Considerations:
- Destructive Editing: Merging layers is a destructive action, meaning that you lose the ability to edit the original layers independently. Therefore, it's often good to save a version with unmerged layers first.
- Layer Masks and Effects: When you merge layers, any layer masks or effects applied to the merged layers are combined accordingly.
- Opacity: The opacity of layers will be combined and create a new layer with the overall result of opacity from the original merged layers.
Summary
Merging down layers in Photoshop is done through several methods that allow for combining multiple layers into one, either by using the Layer menu or through keyboard shortcuts. Merging can reduce the number of layers in a project, but one should be mindful of the fact that it is a destructive action. The reference video highlights the merging of layers after importing a photograph from Envato Elements, which is a standard process in any workflow within Adobe Photoshop.
