What is the shortcut to Hide Layers in Photoshop?

While there isn't a single, default keyboard shortcut to directly hide a currently selected layer in Photoshop (you typically click the eye icon next to the layer in the Layers panel), there is a useful modifier-click shortcut for controlling the visibility of other layers, as described in the provided reference.

Shortcut to Hide All Other Layers

The primary shortcut related to hiding layers mentioned in the reference is specifically for isolating a single layer by hiding all the rest.

• Action: Hide all layers except the one you click on.
• How to Use: Hold down a modifier key while clicking the eye icon next to the layer you want to keep visible.
• Modifier Key:
  • Mac: Option key
  • Windows: Alt key

Here's a breakdown:

Operating System	Modifier Key	Action
Mac	Option	Click the eye icon next to a layer
Windows	Alt	Click the eye icon next to a layer

Result: All other layers in your document will immediately become hidden, leaving only the layer you clicked visible. This is incredibly useful for focusing on and editing a single layer without distractions.

Toggling Back to Previous Visibility

According to the reference, you can use the same shortcut to return to the previous state of layer visibility.

• Action: Toggle back the visibility of all layers that were previously visible before you used the Option/Alt + Click shortcut.
• How to Use: Hold down the same modifier key and click the eye icon of the same layer you clicked previously to hide the others.
• Modifier Key:
  • Mac: Option key
  • Windows: Alt key

Using Option (Mac) / Alt (Win) + click on the eye icon acts as a toggle between showing only that layer and showing all layers that were visible before the shortcut was applied.

Practical Use

This shortcut is a powerful way to quickly isolate a specific layer for detailed work. Instead of manually clicking the eye icon for every other layer to hide it, you can achieve the same result with one quick action.

Example:

Let's say you have a Photoshop document with many layers: Background, Text, Image 1, Image 2, Effects, etc. You want to adjust "Image 1".

1. Go to the Layers panel.
2. Hold down Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows).
3. Click the eye icon next to the "Image 1" layer.
4. Instantly, Background, Text, Image 2, Effects, and any other layers become hidden.
5. Make your adjustments to "Image 1".
6. Hold down Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) again.
7. Click the eye icon next to "Image 1" again.
8. All previously visible layers (Background, Text, Image 2, Effects, etc.) will reappear in their original visibility state.

This Option/Alt + Click method is a key shortcut for efficient layer management and focusing your workflow in Adobe Photoshop.