How To Compress All Layers In Photoshop

Download Article

Download Commodity

Layers in Photoshop allow you lot to work on one element of an epitome without disturbing the others. Every bit you get closer to finishing your epitome, you may desire to merge layers that no longer need to exist edited separately. Merging layers also reduces the overall file size of your project. This wikiHow teaches yous how to merge different types of layers in Adobe Photoshop.

ane

Brand the layers yous want to merge visible. Y'all tin merely merge layers that are visible. If a layer is visible, you'll see an eyeball icon to the left of its name. If there's an empty box instead of an eyeball, click the box to add together the eyeball.
ii
Select the layers yous desire to merge. To select multiple layers, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard as yous click each layer.^[1]
- Yous can as well merge sets of grouped layers. Only select the group you want to merge as though it were a single layer.
- The layers will merge into the top-most layer and go along its name.
Advertisement
3

Click the Layer menu. It'south in the carte du jour bar at the pinnacle of the screen.
4
Click Merge Layers . The selected layers are at present combined into a single layer.
- In the future, you can merge layers afterward selecting them using the shortcut Ctrl + E (PC) or Cmd + Eastward (Mac).
- You can also merge a layer into the one below it by correct-clicking the layer and selecting Merge Downwardly.

Advertizement

1

Hide the layers you don't desire to merge. If there's an empty box instead of an eyeball adjacent to the layer name, that ways the layer is hidden. If at that place'southward an eyeball side by side to the name of a layer you don't want to merge, click it to remove it. But layers you lot desire to merge should be visible.
two

Select the bottom layer in the clipping mask. The lesser/base layer is the one with the underlined name.^[2]
3

Click the Layer card. Information technology's in the carte du jour bar at the top of the screen.
4

Click Merge Clipping Mask . The layers are at present combined into 1.

1

Make the layers you want to merge visible. If a layer is visible, you'll see an eyeball icon to the left of its name. If there'due south an empty box instead of an eyeball, click the box to add together the eyeball.
2

Click the Layer bill of fare. It's at the top of the screen.
3
Click Merge Visible . All visible layers are now merged into one.
- You can as well use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + E (PC) or Cmd + Shift + East (Mac) to merge all visible layers.
- If you want to merge all layers, including hidden layers, you can choose Flatten Epitome from the card instead. When y'all flatten an epitome, any transparent areas will be filled with white.

1

Make the layers you want to merge visible. Utilise this method if you want to create a new layer by merging ii or more existing layers without affecting those layers. If a layer is visible, you'll see an eyeball icon to the left of its name. If there's an empty box instead of an eyeball, click the box to add the eyeball.
ii
Select the layers you want to merge. To select multiple layers, hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard as you click each layer.
- Yous tin can too merge sets of grouped layers. But select the group y'all want to merge equally though it were a unmarried layer.
3

Press Ctrl+Alt+East (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+ ⌥ Opt+E (Mac). This creates a make new layer containing the contents of the selected layers. The original layers have not been merged, and then you lot can still edit them separately.

Advert

one

Link layers to motility, edit, and copy without merging. Linked layers stay discrete, pregnant you could edit them separately if you wanted. Still, every time you lot click on one linked layer, you lot automatically adjust the layer(s) it is linked to as well. This is a good way to make large changes to many layers without having to merge.^[iii]
2
Group layers to work on specific sections at one time. If you lot've got a series of layers that all brand up the aforementioned image, such every bit a shading, sketching, and inking layer for a small animated character, you lot can grouping them together, allowing you to come across and work on simply these layers in the larger image. To grouping:
- Select multiple layers in the layers panel.
- Right-click and select Grouping from Layers. You can likewise drag the layers onto the niggling binder icon in the bottom of the layers console.
three
Troubleshoot issues by rasterizing whatever layers you can't group or edit. This is just an issue, on occasion, with merging. Still, if none of your options come to merge, endeavour to:
- Right-click the layer and select Rasterize.
- Cheque to brand sure the layers are visible
- Make sure clipping masks are selected likewise—you'll demand to highlight them to merge, or they may not let you merge.

wikiHow Video: How to Combine Layers in Photoshop

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertising

Nigh This Commodity

Article Summary X

1. Right-click one or more layers.
2. Select Merge Down to combine the current layer with the one below.
3. Select Merge Layers to combine multiple layers.
iv. Select Merge Visible to specify which layers to merge.
5. Select Flatten Image to merge all layers together.

Did this summary help yous?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 465,271 times.