What Is A Photoshop Smart Object

Smart Objects In Photoshop: What Are They And How To Use Them

If y'all've spent some time in Photoshop, then you lot probably know there are a lot of hidden features in the program. With so many dissimilar tools and options, there are a ton of valuable things you should know about in the program. 1 of the near important things being smart objects. Then what is a smart object in Photoshop, and how tin can yous starting time using them?

In this tutorial, you'll larn what a smart object is and why they're useful to you. They offering far more versatility than first meets the eye, and hither you'll detect all the best means to use them. Let's get started.

What Is A Smart Object In Photoshop?

A smart object is a type of layer that acts as a container, protecting all the original attributes of the source content. Unlike a regular layer, a smart object offers a way to edit layers non-destructively since you're editing the 'container' instead of the source.

For example, y'all can resize a smart object while the original layers remain untouched. If you resize this smart object on your canvas to look extremely large, yous're actually only resizing the container. When yous double click on your smart object to reveal its contents, you tin can encounter the original layers remain untouched.

Resized smart object

In a nutshell, smart objects are used to edit layers with more than control and without the worry of making permanent changes.

How To Create Smart Objects In Photoshop

There's no bespeak in learning what a smart object is in Photoshop if you don't know how to make one! Luckily at that place are a ton of dissimilar means you tin create smart objects. For the sake of ease and to prevent overwhelm, let's focus on the main three.

– Right Click Method

The most basic way to create a smart object is to right-click and select 'catechumen to smart object.' This can be done to a single layer or used to merge multiple layers into a single smart object.

– Layer Panel Method

On the height right of your layer console is a hamburger carte du jour. With your layer(s) selected, click on this menu and select 'convert to smart object.'

– Layer Carte Method

At the height of your screen is your carte du jour bar. Go to Layer > Smart Objects > Catechumen to Smart Object to create a smart object from your selected layers.

3 Reasons Why Smart Objects Are Useful

To fully understand the question of 'what is a smart object in Photoshop,' these three reasons will offer more clarity.

#1. You Can Scale Images Without Quality Loss

1 of the most significant advantages of smart objects comes with scaling. When you've cutting out an epitome or created a shape, the last thing you lot want is to lose quality equally you scale. Smart objects give yous the most flexibility with this.

Let me show yous exactly how this works.

Here I've created two circles. The ruddy circle is a regular layer, while the bluish circle is a smart object.

I'll catch my motility tool and rescale both circles to a tiny size.

At this indicate, both circles still look the same, but smaller. Now permit's calibration them support once again.

Now the deviation between the regular layer and the smart object is glaring. The red circle has get pixelated while the blue circumvolve still looks sharp. This is the power of a smart object at work.

Since the smart object puts the blue circle in a 'container,' you never resize the actual shape. You lot're but scaling the container. This means that no matter how many times yous adjust this container, the contents will look the same.

With a regular layer, y'all're directly editing the source content. In this example, the source content is the cherry circle. When yous scale the circumvolve down, it has to fit itself into a smaller number of pixels. Once you lot scale upwards this pocket-sized circle, there isn't plenty data left to maintain a sharp edge similar before. That'south why you end up with the fuzzy edges.

#2. Y'all Can Edit Filter Adjustments

With a regular layer, filter adjustments such equally blurs are straight applied to the image. This means that one time you commit to the filter, y'all're out of luck if you demand to make adjustments.

That's why a smart object is useful once again.

Smart objects give you the power to edit filters later on you've applied them. This way, you can farther refine your filters as long as yous need.

Let's go through an example to highlight this point.

– Applying Filters To A Regular Layer

Let's say yous want to add a gaussian blur to a layer. In this first case, I'll apply a gaussian mistiness to a regular layer.

To add the blur, I'll select my layer and go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

I'll set a random blur radius and press ok to commit to my changes.

At present my layer has become blurred, but there's no way to re-edit my mistiness adjustments.

If you lot were unhappy with the results, you'd need to disengage with Control + Z (Mac) or Control + Z (PC) and beginning again.

I don't know about you, only that sounds pretty annoying and time-wasting.

– Applying Filters To A Smart Object

This time, I'll convert my layer to a smart object earlier adding the gaussian blur.

With my layer selected, I'll right-click and choose 'convert to smart object.'Now the layer will take a smart object icon beside the layer thumbnail.

From here, let's repeat the same process.

Showtime, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur to use the filter. Prepare the mistiness and click ok to commit to the changes.

At this point, the results await the same on the canvas. The image is still blurred, just similar before. The real changes accept been fabricated in the layers panel.

Under the smart object layer, you'll now see a smart filters layer mask and a 'Gaussian Mistiness.' Now yous can double click on the mistiness to reopen the dialogue box and arrange the blur equally necessary!

Smart objects in Photoshop offer the highest level of customization possible to a layer. This is particularly truthful with filters!

#3. You Can Merge Layers Non-Destructively

When you are using smart objects in Photoshop, you tin combine multiple layers into a single smart object.

All you demand to do is select your desired layers, right-click, and select 'convert to smart object.' This will merge your layers into 1 and create a unmarried, smart object layer.

Unlike merging layers in Photoshop, which is a permanent way of combining layers, smart objects do it non-destructively.

When layers are combined into a smart object, they can all exist accessed by double-clicking on the smart object layer thumbnail. This volition open up a new tab where all of the layers tin can be edited every bit necessary.

In Photoshop CC 2020, smart objects tin even be converted back to regular layers. Just correct click on the smart object and select 'catechumen to layers.'With that said, it's worth keeping in mind that your smart filters volition not transfer over to your layers.

This option is not available in earlier versions of the plan.

When To Use Smart Objects In Your Editing

There is no definitive answer to when you lot should use smart objects in Photoshop, but there are some suggestions. In any blazon of scenario where you might desire extra control or the option to make adjustments, smart objects are a must.

Here are just a few times yous should utilize smart objects:

Working with shape layers
When you've cut out something from an image
If you need to rescale something often to find the correct position
When y'all need to apply a single filter to multiple layers
If you want to merge layers non-destructively
If y'all desire the option to make changes to filter adjustments

How To Access Your Layers In A Smart Object

Like I discussed earlier, smart objects human activity every bit a container for your layers. It doesn't matter whether y'all have ane layer or x layers in this container considering it still operates the aforementioned.

When y'all have multiple layers combined into one smart object, you tin can all the same edit each 1 individually.

The easiest way is to double click on your smart object layer thumbnail. This volition open up your smart object in a new tab to reveal its contents.

Alternatively, yous can go to Layer > Smart Objects > Edit Contents.

In this new tab, you can edit the layers in any way you'd like. Yous can fifty-fifty create new layers if demand be! Everything operates the same as normal; the just difference being that it'southward all inside your smart object.

How To Save Changes Fabricated To A Smart Object

As you'll apace come to realize, the changes you make in a smart object won't reverberate in your actual project. Y'all need to save the changes made in your smart object to run across them in your original projection.

Luckily this is extremely like shooting fish in a barrel with a unproblematic keyboard shortcut.

Once you've adjusted the contents of your smart object as needed, printing Control + S (Mac) or Control + S (PC) to save your changes.

Since it'due south a smart object, it won't relieve into a project file. Instead, it will relieve to the smart object container inside your original project!

Tin You Combine Smart Objects With Other Smart Objects?

Yes, information technology is possible to accept a smart object inside another smart object.

You can combine two or more smart objects into 1 by selecting both correct-clicking and choosing convert to smart object.

While you're editing the contents of a smart object, you lot can exercise the aforementioned. By selecting the layers within and creating a new smart object, you'll now accept a smart object within your smart object.

It's easy to start getting dislocated as you create this smart object matrix for yourself. When yous're merging these, be vigilant with renaming your layers, so things don't get confusing!

When NOT To Utilise Smart Objects

It's truthful; smart objects are downright awesome. In virtually cases, they're the perfect solution to your Photoshop needs, just this comes with exceptions.

There is only one instance where you can't use smart objects, and that's when y'all want to edit a layer directly.

For example, if you tried to utilise your brush tool directly on a smart object, you'd get an error. This happens because yous'd be painting on the 'container' and non the actual layer(southward) inside.

A similar matter would happen if y'all wanted to make a clone postage adjustment directly on your layer. Since you can't adjust the smart object, y'all'd demand to edit its contents and make your adjustments to the bodily layers inside.

This is a modest thing to remember every bit you begin to learn what a smart object is for. To avoid frustration and error messages, don't utilise smart objects if you lot desire to edit a layer directly.

Decision

Smart objects are one of the most valuable aspects of Photoshop. Now that yous know what a smart object is in Photoshop, you can accept advantage of added layer control. This blazon of layer isn't always necessary for everything yous practise, only information technology's worthwhile when you want to edit non-destructively. Especially when you're scaling layers, at that place's no better manner to do it than with a smart object!

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– Brendan 🙂