Oooh, I love cake. Who doesn’t? The thrill of having multiple layers of yummy goodness all wrapped up in frosting can’t be beat. But sometimes you want just one layer (like that chocolate one!) And you can’t just go and slice off a layer of the cake for yourself…
The same happens for me in Photoshop. I’ll have a multilayer document (like our Tons O’ Tags template here) and need the layers as their own separate file. What I could do is select the layer, copy the layer, create a new document and paste.
Too much time and effort if I have dozens of layers to do.
Adobe to the rescue! Photoshop has the ability to run scripts – which are like super, pumped-up-on-steroids actions to do just what I need. It is under File-Scripts-Export Layers to Files. With your multilayer document open sit back and watch as Photoshop magically separates all those layers for you. Cool! (Jenn uses this script a lot to separate her tagsand alphas – some scrappers like them all in one document in layers, some like them as separate files. We provide both when you get them from our store.).
There is even a script to go the other way – it will take a folder of separate files and put them all into one layered Photoshop file. As always if you have a question or comment post it below or email us here.
Next week I’m going to cover how to run an action on a whole folder of images or elements. Till then – Keep Scrappin’!
Stan






I just love your tips! I learn something every time I think! Thanks. Can’t wait for next week.
Yet something else I didn’t know. Seems Photoshop is a never ending learning process. Stan they need you to write the help files for their programs.
Bless your heart! I sure wish I’d read this yesterday. Now if there’s a way to take a layer with several items on it and seperate them into their own layers…that would be helpful!
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