Why Can I Not Copy/Paste Layers or Folders in Photoshop?

[escaped.light]

I am honestly having a hard time understanding why I cannot Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V layers and/or folders (with styles and properties) in Photoshop, despite that I can with other elements in Photoshop and with nearly every element in all the software produced by Adobe (including the insurmountably more complex layers of an After Effects composition). I've long used many different methods to copy layers and folders around (duplicate, drag, etc.), but they can all be very cumbersome at times depending on the project and it's specific workflow. For example, I just finished editing about Thirty-Some selected RAW photos from an event in PS and I either need to have already put my watermark on them as I edited each one or I need to do it now as a big ol' batch - note: because I place my mark in a unique location photo based on it's contents, it's orientation and My Eye, the batch commands or actions won't work for this). My only option really is to visit the source document containing my watermark layer over Thirty times to retrieve a single piece of data that could and should just be held in my clipboard and available with a simple keyboard shortcut (also note that the blending styles of my mark will also be adjusted depending on the photo, ruling out a marque selection which can be copy/pasted, but only as a rasterized layer with an alpha channel).

Is there an explanation for why this is missing? Perhaps there is some logical reason I don't get...?

Cheers!

[Trevor.Dennis]

You can do what you are asking, but you need to copy the 'contents' of a particular layer, rather than the layer itself.  That means you need to use Ctrl a (Cmd a)  to select all, then Ctrl c to copy it.  You can then paste that to a new layer in the same or a different document.

However this might not be the easiest way to copy.  For instance, if you want to copy to a different document, dragging the layer to the other documents title tab at the top of the screen will move you to the other document.  You can then position and drop the layer where you want it.

Or you can right click and Duplicate layer, either to the same document, a different open document, or choose new to place the layer in a new document.

Or you can tile the different documents, and drag between them.

[escaped.light]

Thanks for the response, but as I said above, I am looking to copy the layer with it's properties (inc. layer name), style and dimensions intact. The method you described does not do that because it creates a rasterized copy. Tiling windows isn't a solution either as it involves the use of menus to change layout and then to change it back.

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

You can also use ctrl/cmd-J to duplicate (copy) a layer in the same document, which will retain all its attributes. And as Trevor mentioned, you can just drag the layer from the layer panel to another document tab to duplicate it to another document - no menus, no rearranging workspace.

[escaped.light]

Nice! I just tried out the Ctrl+J, and that's a great shortcut I didn't know. Thanks!

However, it still doesn't explain a reason why I can't just copy/paste a layer. My problem isn't that I can't copy a layer using the suggested methods here and in other forums on the internet, it's just that it is anti-productive to have to continually jump back to the original project window to get a layer that I'm repetitively using in a process like placing watermarks or logos across multiple projects and files. At risk of sounding crass, it's actually rather silly and slightly ridiculous that it just isn't there. I mean, as it is, I can already copy the entire PSD file - layers, styles and all - to the two backup drives I use, and only have to copy the file on the source disk once. And even in PS, the algorithmic functionality to do so is already built into the core software, as is apparent with the Ctrl+J shortcut (which again, after years of either dragging layers to the new layer icon or having to use the Duplicate Layers dialogue is a Godsend for that anti-productive practice so thank you!), so it seems to me that it's almost just literally a flick of a switch in terms of programming for Adobe to adopt this rather standard copy/paste software standard.

PS. Nothing against the fine programmers at Adobe. Ultimately they've still got my dollar at the end of the day... Although, now I'm wonder if this works in Corel. (seriously though, I'd use Gimp before Corel).

[Chuck Uebele]

Yes, I'm sure they could do it, but with Photoshop, there is a lot of ability to copy things: pixel info from layers, so it might be more effort than a simple copy and paste. The other ;thing you can do, if you have CC, is to use the Library. I'm pretty sure you can drag a layer to the library panel then just drag it in whatever other document you might need it. However, it might turn it into a smart object - I can't remember offhand.

[Peter Villevoye]

After more than 2 years of waiting, you'll finally be getting what you want !!

Yes, in Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 you can Copy and Paste one or even more layers from one document to another, by simply hitting Cmd-C/Cmd-V ! I'm still trying to find out whether this feature also works as an action for a Batch process as well, though. Because my initial tests didn't work...

[Peter Villevoye]

Ah, mystery solved.

The Place in Place doesn't work.

Plain Pasting DOES, fortunately !

[ADDED] The Batch process can make use of the Copy/Paste layer(s) feature as well, although it doesn't support Paste in Place. So the content will be pasted in the middle of the canvas. In case of same-sized images, you could try using something like a none-filled and none-stroked shape layer rectangle at the exact same size, to force the rest of the content within to appear at the desired location.