Selecting, Grouping, And Linking Layers - Adobe 13102498 - Photoshop CS3 - Mac User Manual

Selecting, grouping, and linking layers

Select layers
You can select one or more layers to work on them. For some activities, such as painting or making color and tone
adjustments, you can work on only one layer at a time. A single selected layer is called the active layer. The name of
the active layer appears in the title bar of the document window.
For other activities, such as moving, aligning, transforming, or applying styles from the Styles palette, you can select
and work on multiple layers at a time. You can select layers in the Layers palette or with the Move tool.
You can also link layers. Unlike multiple layers selected at the same time, linked layers stay linked when you change
the selection in the Layers palette. See "Link and unlink layers" on page 284.
If you don't see the desired results when using a tool or applying a command, you may not have the correct layer
selected. Check the Layers palette to make sure that you're working on the correct layer.
Select layers in the Layers palette
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Do one of the following:
• Click a layer in the Layers palette.
• To select multiple contiguous layers, click the first layer and then Shift-click the last layer.
• To select multiple noncontiguous layers, Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) them in the Layers
palette.
Note: When selecting, Ctrl-click the area outside the layer thumbnail. Ctrl-clicking the layer thumbnail selects the layer
transparency.
• To select all layers, choose Select > All Layers.
• To select all layers of a similar type (for example all type layers), select one of the layers and choose Select > Select
Similar Layers.
• To deselect a layer, Ctrl-click the layer.
• To have no layer selected, click in the Layers palette below the background or bottom layer, or choose Select >
Deselect Layers.
Select layers in the document window
Select the Move tool
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Do one of the following:
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• In the options bar, select Auto Select, then choose Layer from the drop-down menu, and click in the document on
the layer you want to select. The top layer containing pixels under the cursor is selected.
• In the options bar, select Auto Select, then choose Group from the drop-down menu, and click in the document
on the content you want to select. The top group containing pixels under the cursor is selected. If you click an
ungrouped layer, it becomes selected.
• Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) in the image, and choose a layer from the context menu. The
context menu lists all the layers that contain pixels under the current pointer location.
Select a layer in a group
Click the group in the Layers palette.
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PHOTOSHOP CS3 283
User Guide