How To Brighten Only One Layer In Photoshop

Every bit you work in Photoshop, y'all'll end up with a long listing of layers, but what if you want to edit only ane of them? It'south not surprising that you're wondering this verbal question since it's past no means "obvious" to solve this problem. Luckily, however, information technology's extremely like shooting fish in a barrel with the assistance of a clipping mask. Let me show yous how.

Y'all can edit just one layer in Photoshop using a clipping mask. With an adjustment layer placed in a higher place some other layer in the Layers Panel, right-click on the aligning and press Create Clipping Mask to clip information technology to the underlying layer. Now this adjustment will only edit the one layer it'due south clipped to.

Clipping masks are unproblematic to use and highly effective for applying adjustments to individual layers. To aid you amend empathise how they work, let'southward walk through some different examples of using them in Photoshop. From aligning layers, fill layers, text layers, and more, in that location are many unlike means to edit individual layers with ease!

Video Tutorial

How To Edit Just Ane Layer In Photoshop

Let'southward say yous are working on a project where yous have a cut out of a person against a new background. To better blend the 2 images, y'all will want to edit the layers individually according to their needs.

In this example, I desire to adjust the dissimilarity of one of the layers while leaving the other layer untouched.

First, you lot demand to create an aligning layer depending on the edit you want to make. Since I want to edit the dissimilarity, I'll use the curves adjustment layer. You tin access this tool via the Adjustments Panel or select it from the options found at the bottom of the Layers Console.

With the curve adjustment created, I will lift the highlights and bring downward the shadows to add dissimilarity to the prototype. The only problem is that both the cutout and the background take been edited.

Past correct-clicking on the curves adjustment and selecting "Create Clipping Mask," the contrast adjustments are at present applied to the single layer directly below information technology.

It is important to think that clipping masks will make the clipped layer affect the layer beneath information technology in the layers stack. Therefore, before creating a clipping mask, brand sure your adjustment layer is placed higher up the correct layer in your Layers Panel.

Allow's go through some other ways to edit a single layer in Photoshop, as there are more than options than just clipping masks!

How To Modify The Brightness Of A Single Layer In Photoshop

To change the brightness of a unmarried layer in Photoshop, select your desired layer in the Layers Panel, right-click and choose Convert To Smart Object. Now go to Paradigm > Adjustments > Brightness/Dissimilarity to apply a brightening aligning straight to your selected layer.

Although you could also use a clipping mask in this scenario, applying your adjustments directly to the layer non-destructively can aid reduce the number of layers you lot have.

Let's pause this process down more in-depth.

First, you need to catechumen your layer into a smart object so that the adjustment you apply tin can be edited afterward on. And then, by correct-clicking on the layer you want to brighten, select "Catechumen To Smart Object."

Once converted, a little icon will appear abreast your layer thumbnail, indicating it as a smart object.

Now information technology's time to apply your brightening aligning. Going upward to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast, the effulgence and contrast sliders will appear in a new console.

Yous tin also use other adjustments such equally exposure, curves, or levels for your brightening effects.

From the provided sliders, suit the brightness and dissimilarity to your liking, so click OK to relieve your changes.

Now you lot'll notice the adjustment listed as a smart filter beneath your layer. If you want to go back and edit this aligning later on, simply double click on the words reading "Brightness/Contrast."

If you didn't convert your layer into a smart object, the brightening aligning would be applied direct to the layer. The result with this is that information technology's no longer editable, so you cannot go dorsum and adjust it later on. With a smart object, your adjustments are listed as smart filters making information technology easy to go back and change things afterward.

How To Alter The Colour Of A Single Layer In Photoshop

To modify the color of a single layer, create a new Hue/Saturation aligning layer and place it to a higher place your image layer in the Layers Panel. Right-click on your adjustment layer and select "Create Clipping Mask." Now your color-changing adjustments will but edit the unmarried layer below it.

In the example below, I take three different logos, merely I only want to alter the color of 1.

Kickoff, I'll create a new hue/saturation adjustment layer and identify information technology above the logo layer I want to edit. You volition need to practise the same, placing the hue/saturation layer to a higher place the 1 layer yous want to change the color of.

To ensure the color adjustments only edit the one layer, printing Control + Choice + G (Mac) or Control + Alt + G (PC) with the adjustment layer selected to create a new clipping mask.

Opening the hue/saturation adjustment layer, I can edit the primary slider to modify the colors of the layer it is clipped to.

For more fine-tuned colour-changing adjustments, check out this tutorial for fifty-fifty improve results!

Now the color adjustments are only applied to the underlying layer; therefore, you have successfully changed the colour of a unmarried layer. With the handy keyboard shortcut mentioned above, adding clipping masks tin can be done with zero clicks!

How To Paint On Just One Layer In Photoshop

To paint on only i layer in Photoshop, select your castor tool, gear up the foreground color to your desired castor color, and set the brush opacity to 100%. Next, create a new layer in the Layers Panel. With the new layer selected, begin painting to but paint on the selected layer.

In a nutshell, whichever layer yous have selected in the layers console is the one you will pigment on with the castor tool. If you want to paint on a layer mask, simply click on the layer mask to apply your brush strokes onto the mask instead.

Now to brand life a lilliputian easier, allow'due south walk through this procedure together with screenshots!

First, select the Brush Tool by pressing B and fix your foreground color to the color you wish to pigment with.

And then double-check your castor mode is ready to Normal, and the opacity and menstruum settings are at 100% in the upper settings bar.

With your brush settings in order, create a new layer and identify it at the peak of your layers stack in the Layers Panel.

Brand sure your new layer is selected, and begin to paint on your canvas to utilize your brush strokes to the selected layer. You tin can easily edit this brushstroke by itself or move information technology effectually without affecting any other layers.

If y'all're having issues with painting with the Brush Tool, here are 8 easy means to fix it.

Then at present you know how to edit merely one layer at a time in Photoshop using clipping masks or smart objects. These techniques are luckily very unproblematic to call back and quick to apply to the layers you lot're working with. Without making complicated masks, you can ensure any adjustment only edits the layer beneath information technology with a couple of clicks.

To help you better understand how clipping masks piece of work in Photoshop, I wrote some other tutorial covering the ins and outs of clipping masks hither!

Happy Editing,

Brendan 🙂

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