Using adjustment layers for effects

[user82573258]

If I add an effect to an adjustment layer, is there a way for it to only affect the layer beneath it? rather than all layers beneath?

Or is the only solution to apply the effect to the layer directly?

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

Adjustment layers always affect all of the layers below. Useful effects for an Adjustment layer include color correction, distortion, and displacement effects. Optical effects, lens flares, glows, particle effects, and anything that relies on edges or alpha channels should be applied directly to a layer. A lot of my complex composites and motion graphics have a Lumetri Adjustment layer on top. Maybe one comp out of 50 has another adjustment layer somewhere in the comp. Pre-composing is often a much better option if you need to apply effects to a bunch of layers.