Answered

What happened behind the scene

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
June 6, 2025
4 replies
379 views

You can notice in this PSD document top layer [stone] is switch off. If I press & hold the SHIFT key & doble click this top layer a new transperent file is opned with black color text on it. I wish to know what happened behind the scene & the purpose of this operation? PSD file is uploaded.

Stone Text

Windows

Correct answer davescm

That top layer is an embedded smart object. As such, that smart object can contain several other layers within it. What you did was open the smart object which you can now edit. When complete close and save it, and you will be returned to the original document, but with that smart object layer updated.

Dave

davescm

Correct answer

Community Expert

That top layer is an embedded smart object. As such, that smart object can contain several other layers within it. What you did was open the smart object which you can now edit. When complete close and save it, and you will be returned to the original document, but with that smart object layer updated.

Dave

MahaB82AAuthor

Thanks for the explanation.

davescm

Community Expert

You're welcome.
You can read more on smart objects here : https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/photoshop/using/create-smart-objects.html

Dave

Ares Hovhannesyan

Community Expert

Not able to download a file as it not available. IMHO your top layer shows Smart Object Layer and when you click on it. it opens the original file.

MahaB82AAuthor

Sorry for the inconvenient. Please try this link.

Stone Text

A

Aleke

Community Manager

Hi @MahaB82A!

Are you referring to the Smart Object? Just to clarify, Smart Objects are special layers that keep the original image data (like raster or vector files) intact, which means you can edit them without permanently changing the original.

When you double-click on a Smart Object, it opens in a new document. If you make changes there, save it, and then return to your original file, those updates will automatically appear—pretty handy!

So in your case, if you edit the "Stone" text in that new window, save it, and go back to the main file, your new text should show up with the same cool text effect applied.

Hope that clears things up! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Alek

*(If you mention me with an @, like @Aleke, I’ll get a notification and can respond faster.)*

Ged_Traynor

Community Expert

@MahaB82A nothing uploaded

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