#Photoshop cs6 keyboard shortcut for mac how to

To merge all layers and flatten the image onto a single layer, press Shift+Ctrl+E (Win) / Shift+Command+E (Mac). To merge two or more layers onto a new layer while still keeping the original layers, first select the layers you want to merge, then press Ctrl+Alt+E (Win) / Command+Option+E (Mac). To merge multiple layers together, first select the layers you want to merge, then press Ctrl+E (Win) / Command+E (Mac). To merge a layer with the layer directly below it in the Layers panel, press Ctrl+E (Win) / Command+E (Mac). Press Ctrl+G (Win) / Command+G (Mac) to group layers. A selection outline will appear around the layer's contents in the document: To select the contents of a layer, press and hold your Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) key and click directly on the layer's preview thumbnail in the Layers panel. This makes it easy to scroll through your layers and see exactly what's on each one.

As you arrive at each new layer, Photoshop will make that layer visible in the document and leave all the others hidden. The right bracket key will scroll up through the layers the left bracket key will scroll down. One very helpful trick many people don't know about is that after you've Alt-clicked (Win) / Option-clicked (Mac) on a layer's visibility icon to hide all layers except for that one layer, you can then scroll through your layers, showing them one at a time, by keeping your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key held down and pressing the left and right bracket keys ( ). If I wanted to name the new layer at the same time (which I'm not going to do), I'd press and hold Ctrl+Alt (Win / Command+Option (Mac) instead:Īlt-clicking (Win) / Option-clicking (Mac) toggles all other layers on and off. To tell Photoshop to add a new layer below it, all I need to do is press and hold the Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) key on my keyboard as I click the New Layer icon. Notice in this screenshot that my top layer (Layer 1) is selected. Adding A New Layer Below The Currently Selected Layerīy default, Photoshop adds new layers above the layer that's currently selected in the Layers panel, but we can also add new layers below the currently selected layer. Rather than moving the original layer, you'll move a copy of the layer while the original stays in place. Press and hold your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key as you click and drag on the layer in the document to move it. Then press the letter V on your keyboard to select the Move Tool. To copy and move a layer at the same time, first select the layer you need in the Layers panel. Making a copy of the Background layer by pressing Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac). If you want to name the layer yourself before it's added, press Ctrl+Alt+J (Win) / Command+Option+J (Mac) which will open the New Layer dialog box: Notice that Photoshop automatically named the copy 'Layer 1'. Here, I've made a copy of my Background layer. To quickly make a copy of a layer, or to copy a selection to a new layer, press Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac). Copy A Layer, Or Copy A Selection To A New Layer This will bypass the New Layer dialog box and simply add the new layer with one of Photoshop's generic names (like 'Layer 2'). If you don't care about the layer's name, press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+N (Win) / Shift+Command+Option+N (Mac) on your keyboard. Photoshop will pop open the New Layer dialog box so you can give the layer a descriptive name. To create a new layer from your keyboard, press Shift+Ctrl+N (Win) / Shift+Command+N (Mac). We can also create new layers directly from the keyboard without needing to click the New Layer icon at all. The new layer appears with the custom name. This tutorial is Part 10 of our Photoshop Layers Learning Guide.ĭownload this tutorial as a print-ready PDF! The Essential Layers Shortcuts Show And Hide The Layers Panelīy default, Photoshop's Layers panel appears in the panel column along the right of the screen:

If you're using Photoshop CS5 or earlier, you'll want to check out the original version of this tutorial. This updated version of the tutorial is for Photoshop CS6 (which is what I'll be using) and is fully compatible with Photoshop CC. In this tutorial, I've combined the two and rounded up Photoshop's essential keyboard shortcuts for working with layers! Learning these powerful shortcuts will increase your productivity, and they'll boost your confidence as you take a giant leap forward on the road to Photoshop mastery! Layers keep our work flexible, while keyboard shortcuts help us complete our goals as quickly as possible.

#Photoshop cs6 keyboard shortcut for mac how to

When it comes to getting the most out of Photoshop with the least amount of effort, there are two things we absolutely need to know-how to use layers, and how to use keyboard shortcuts.