The Photoshop Tip of the Week for the Clients and Friends of Ben Willmore
(www.digitalmastery.com):

This week, let's explore tips related to layers.

If you link multiple layers together (click in the box just left of the layer preview image and a chain link will appear), then they will move together when you use the Move tool, they will transform together when you choose Edit>Transform, and you'll be able to align them by choosing Layer>Align Linked. I've mentioned that fact in previous tips. But this time I want to show you a method for quickly linking multiple layers. When you're in the Move tool, you can Command-click (Mac), or Ctrl-click (Win) to make the layer you click on active (that is clicking in the main image window, not the Layers palette), but did you know that you can add Shift to link the layer you click on to the currently active layer?

Now you can move all the linked layers to another document by dragging from the document window (not the Layers palette) to another image while using the Move tool.

If you move any layer so it extends beyond the edge of your document, you can choose Image>Reveal All in Photoshop 6 to increase the size of your document so it includes that info. (this is the only part of this week's tip that only works in 6.0). I've used this idea to add two pixels of space on each side of my document. All I did was duplicate the background layer, switch to the Move tool and then press the down arrow and right arrow twice to move the layer down and to the right two pixels. Next, I chose Image>Reveal All. Finally, I pressed the up and left arrow keys four times a piece, chose Image>Reveal All and then trashed that layer. In the end, I had added two pixels on each side of the image.

Once you have a bunch of layers linked together, you can hold Command (Mac), or Ctrl (Win) and click on the trash icon at the bottom of the Layers palette to delete all the layers that are linked.

If you create a new empty layer and then link that layer to a bunch of other layers, you can hold Option (Mac), or Alt (Win) and when choose Layer>Merge Linked, Photoshop will merge those layers into the layer that is active, without deleting the original layers. You can also do this by typing Option-Command-E (Mac), or Alt-Ctrl-E (Win).

Ok, now here's a really useless but fun tip; Hold Option (Mac), or Alt (Win) and choose Palette Options from the side menu of the Layers palette. When you do that, you'll get a special surprise that I'd rather not ruin by telling you what to expect :-) If you're using Windows, look out! In order to accomplish this you're going to have to access that menu the manual way instead of doing the standard click, release and scroll down the menu action. That means click and hold the button down and move to that menu choice without releasing the mouse button until you get to the option I mentioned.

If you're relatively new to this my tip list, then be sure to check out Tip Of The Week archives, where you'll find tips for all user levels. I try not to repeat my tips, so there are quite a few juicy ones at www.digitalmastery.com/tips

This week I'm working on updating my web site. Part of that update is creating a new feature that's known as the 'Photoshop Questions of the Week'. That's where you can send in your questions (to questions@digitalmastery.com) and then I'll answer as many as I can each week on my web site at www.digitalmastery.com/questions. Go check out the first installment right now... as usual, it's a free service!

**For tiplist subscribers only** The Rocky Mountain Digital Arts Center has authorized me to offer a huge $500 discount to tip subscribers who sign up for my week-long advanced Photoshop Camp from September 24th though the 28th in Denver, Colorado. This will be the most in-depth hands-on Photoshop event ever offered. This event will go way beyond anything I have covered in my book, magazine articles or seminars. Everything will be described using my famous plain English style, but we'll be delving into Photoshop most advanced features. Check out www.rmdac.com for details, and remember to ask for your tip subscriber discount.

-Ben Willmore