photoshop · braza shows you
how to merge layers in photoshop
braza points at the right merge option - merge down, merge layers, or flatten - so you combine exactly what you mean to.
photoshop has three different 'combine layers' commands and people grab the wrong one all the time. merge down joins one layer to the one below, merge layers joins whatever you've selected, and flatten crushes everything into one. here's which is which.
or do it yourself
- 1to merge two stacked layers, click the top one and press ctrl+e (windows) or cmd+e (mac) - that's merge down.
- 2to merge specific layers, ctrl/cmd-click each one in the layers panel to select them, then press ctrl/cmd+e (merge layers).
- 3to combine everything into a single background, go to layer > flatten image.
- 4want a merged copy but keep the originals? press ctrl+alt+shift+e (cmd+option+shift+e on mac) to stamp a flattened copy onto a new layer.
- 5always duplicate or save a copy before flattening - merging is hard to undo once the file is saved and closed.
let braza do this with you
braza is a tiny on-screen guide that points at the right buttons and talks you through it, on windows and mac.
downloadcommon questions
what's the difference between merge and flatten in photoshop?
merge combines the layers you choose; flatten combines all layers into one and discards transparency. flatten is the more destructive of the two.
how do i merge layers without losing the originals?
press ctrl+alt+shift+e (cmd+option+shift+e on mac) to stamp a merged copy onto a new layer while the originals stay untouched.