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How to merge layers in Photoshop
In This Article
If you’re looking for advice on how to merge layers in Adobe Photoshop, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s how to do it in three easy steps.
Adobe describes layers as transparent sheets of paper that lay on top of each other. This allows you to make precise edits to specific sheets of paper, or elements of your image, without affecting other parts of the project.
However, sometimes the sheer amount of layers you’re faced with can become unwieldy – especially in more complex and detailed projects that require tens or even hundreds of layers. This can also result in Photoshop slowing down, which is frustrating at the best of times.
In these instances, you might find yourself wanting to combine two or more layers you’re happy with just to make everything feel a little more organised and easy to find.
Scroll down to learn how to merge two or more layers in Photoshop.
What you’ll need:
The Short Version
How to merge layers in Photoshop
Step1
Highlight the layers you want to merge in Photoshop
You can do this by clicking on one layer holding down the Shift button and clicking on a second layer (or more).
Step2
Right-click to bring up a drop-down menu
You’ll want to right-click on top of one of the layers you’re merging.
Step3
Choose Merge Layers
That’s it! All of the highlighted layers will now be combined into one single layer.
Troubleshooting
If your right-click button isn’t working or you’d just prefer to merge your layers in a different way, there is another method. Simply highlight the layers you want to merge as shown in step 1, click Layer in the menu bar at the top of the screen and choose Merge Layers.
Yes, there is. The fastest way to merge layers in Photoshop is to highlight the layers you want to include using step 1 above and then just hit Ctrl+E on Windows or Cmd+E on Mac to merge them.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
