Working with layers is one of the most important skills in Photoshop layers allow you to edit parts of an image without messing up other
parts. But sometimes you need to put elements together or pull them apart
So in this quick video tutorial, I will explain to you how to merge and un merge layers in Photoshop
When you merge layers together, it makes them into one single layer
This can be helpful to simplify your project, but it also makes it harder to edit all the pieces separately
Later, once layers merge Photoshop seems them as one thing. Let's say you are working on an image with three layers
one for the background, one for the text and one for the color adjustment layer
you want to put some of them together without affecting all the layers or you can merge all of them to merge all of the
layers simply right click on the layer and then select merge visible
However, if you want to merge only certain layers, you need to press control on windows or command on mac and then select on
each layer, you want to merge this selects them, then right click on the one of the chosen layers and pick merge layers
from the menu. Those layers now become a single layer, the other layers stay put
OK. You merge some layers but now want to split them up again
Even here, you have a few options to unm mege layers in Photoshop if you just merge layers and haven't done anything else yet
The quickest way is to hit control or command and Z this is the handy keyboard shortcut to undo your last action
Alternatively, you can go to the edit menu on the top and choose undo merge layers method works to instantly take your
back one step. But what if you have already made other edits after merging layers
The undo button only goes back to an action. This is where the history panel comes to the rescue
The history panel shows all the steps you have taken in your open project to get to it
Click on the window in the upper menu and select history. This will open a history panel which lets you jump around to any recent
point in the editing timeline of that image, you can go back to write before you merge the layers
even if you've done a bunch of other tweaks afterward. But any changes made after that point will be erased through when you travel
to an early state. The key is not to go too far back in the history before you are unable to uner layers by default
Photoshop shows your last 50 edits after that things get deleted, but you may be able to increase the number of history states to adjusting
a preference setting. As you can see merging and un emerging layers is doable in Photoshop
Just be smart about when and why you combine layers. So you don't cause headaches for your future self keeping elements
separated into individual layers, gives you more editing flexibility down the road