Applying adjustments to specific layers only in PSE 10?

[jwickland]

Hi,

I recently upgraded to Photoshop Elements 10 and am finding that when I go to make adjustments to a single layer (e.g., lightening shadows in a specific photograph on a multi-layered scrapbook page, or adjusting skin tone), it's applying the effect to all elements on the page and creating a new thumbnail that merges all layers into one. In my older version of PSE, I was able to easily enhance only the layer I had selected. I really don't want to change my workflow to have to edit each photo in the original jpg before adding it to the layered file. Is there a quick/easy way to still make targeted enhancements in PSE 10 - some setting I need to turn off? Some trick to working with layer masks?

Thanks for any advice/guidance - I'm finding this quite frustrating!

Jennifer
PSE10
Windows 7 Home Premium - 64 bit

[landorasue]

Hmmm, I'll be interested to hear the answer to this one. What I do is when the adjustment dialog is open, down at the bottom, I click on the first icon (an eye looking thingy). That clips the adjustment to the layer below it. Not sure about the new thumbnail you're getting.

[BeckiB]

What I have been doing is to Ctrl-click on the thumbnail of the layer I want to edit. Then I use the adjustment I want and it only applies it to what I have selected. I haven't tried clipping the adjustment layer to the layer I'm adjusting though that sounds like a great idea.

[landorasue]

Becki, I use your method for other adjustments, like shadows & highlights; things that don't have adjustment layers. Funny how we all have different ways to accomplish the same thing.

[dmrdm]

I just clip the adjustment layer to the layer I want adjusted. If all works out okay, eventually, I may merge the two layers, but I don't always merge them.

[jwickland]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I've tried both the Ctrl-Click and the adjustment layer methods, and realized the problem I'm experiencing only occurs when I'm using the Guided Edit mode. I quite like Guided Edit and find it an easier way to access multiple tools than going through the menu options. However, even when I Ctrl-Click to select a specific layer before going to Guided Edit, the changes still impact all layers and create a new layer, merging all elements.

Any thoughts on what's going on with Guided Edit?

Thank you!

[troush]

Guided edit was meant for single photos, not for a photo on a layout, probably.

-Trish

[Linda Sattgast]

In PSE 9 Adobe changed Guided Edits—especially any actions—to create a merged layer. When I asked them about it they said that was on purpose because it was confusing new users. I did my best to dissuade them, to no avail. To me, that makes many of those functions unusable.

[dmrdm]

That's the way it works. Guided edits are simple, quick effects.

Guided edits, basically do a CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-E to combine all visible layers first. Then depending on which item you select, it may apply the effect to that layer, or it may make a couple of other layers to carry out the effect.

EXAMPLE: LOMO, it first does a CNTRL, ALT SHIFT E to take a snapshot of the visible layers under it, then it makes, another layer for focus and another layer for blur.

If you want to do a pencil effect. It will take that snapshot of all the layers under it...then in the next layer, it does the pencil sketch.

Some of the other effects just make the top merge layer and apply the effect to that one layer.

Take a peak at the before and after of your layers to seet the program does when you apply the effects. You of course can than dink with those layers if you want. Picture stack is one that I always dink with afterwards, in the layers.

Have fun!