105 Messages
•
3.8K Points
Fri, Jun 3, 2011 7:07 PM
Not planned
3
Photoshop: Merge layers with various Blend Modes, while maintaining original appearance.
Merging layers with different Blend Modes often (i.e., always) ends with a different appearance...unless the bottom layer in the merge has a normal blend mode. Let's change this!
Example:
Top Layer: solid blue shape
Middle Layer: gradient going from black to white (but set with a Multiply blend mode, so it really goes from black to transparent)
Bottom layer: solid red
In this example I want to merge the Top Layer and Middle Layer, so that no matter what I change the Bottom Layer color to, the gradient will always have the same (black to transparent) effect that the Multiply gave it. Currently, depending on how I merge, I will either lose the transparency effect in the gradient from Middle Layer, or the blue Top Layer will change to black. Not cool
Basically, there should be an option to merge layers (or convert to a Smart Object) while keeping the effect/appearance. Obviously doing this would change the blend mode to Normal, but the transparency/blend effects would still exist.
I'm almost surprised that converting layers to a Smart Object doesn't already do this. Though I'm not sure how it would work if after doing this, you ended up changing the blend mode from Normal to a different mode.
I realize grouping and what-not would do the same thing, but there are times when I need it to be a single layer while keeping more than 1 blend mode present.
Example:
Top Layer: solid blue shape
Middle Layer: gradient going from black to white (but set with a Multiply blend mode, so it really goes from black to transparent)
Bottom layer: solid red
In this example I want to merge the Top Layer and Middle Layer, so that no matter what I change the Bottom Layer color to, the gradient will always have the same (black to transparent) effect that the Multiply gave it. Currently, depending on how I merge, I will either lose the transparency effect in the gradient from Middle Layer, or the blue Top Layer will change to black. Not cool
Basically, there should be an option to merge layers (or convert to a Smart Object) while keeping the effect/appearance. Obviously doing this would change the blend mode to Normal, but the transparency/blend effects would still exist.
I'm almost surprised that converting layers to a Smart Object doesn't already do this. Though I'm not sure how it would work if after doing this, you ended up changing the blend mode from Normal to a different mode.
I realize grouping and what-not would do the same thing, but there are times when I need it to be a single layer while keeping more than 1 blend mode present.
Ideas
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Updated
6 years ago
424
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3
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Tags
blend mode transparency effect effects blending merge layer convert smart objects object normal layers transparent multiply maintain appearance style raster
Responses
Official Solution
chris_cox_2148894
15.1K Messages
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195.8K Points
10 years ago
The only time you can really preserve the appearance when merging, is when you merge all layers.
Mathematically, there is no way to do what you are asking (except in very limited, and probably uninteresting circumstances).
6
christoph_pfaffenbichler
Champion
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1.6K Messages
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25.1K Points
10 years ago
Garconis, in your example if you are working in RGB simply substituting a black to transparent gradient for the black to white multiplying gradient should work out.
0
shan_canfield
48 Messages
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920 Points
10 years ago
0
garconis
105 Messages
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3.8K Points
10 years ago
This was simply an example. There are many other times when there isn't a simple work-around. Such as a detailed full-color raster image that I want to apply a certain effect (Blend Mode) to -- whether it be Overlay, Soft Light, Multiply, etc.
0
nate_chatellier
2 Messages
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92 Points
9 years ago
0
0
nate_chatellier
2 Messages
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92 Points
9 years ago
First, merge all layers that don't have blend modes.
Then, hold [OPTION] and click in-between the layers that have the blend mode / transparency values that you would like to maintain. Keep doing this so the effect-layers only impact the single layer that you flattened in step one.
Finally, select all of your effect layers plus the base layer they are impacting, and merge.
Yay, it works!
1
paypaul
3 Messages
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80 Points
8 years ago
4
0