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wei0000000
New Participant
September 11, 2018
Question

Duplicating layer in new document with same canvas size as the layer

  • September 11, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 2319 views

Hi! I'm trying to duplicate a layer in a new document via Right Click > Duplicate Layer in a new document.

The default is for the new document to retain the canvas size as the original document but I remember reading somewhere that you can change the setting for the new document to have the same canvas size as the layer but I can't find how.

Does anyone know where this setting might be?

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

C
Charss
New Participant
March 9, 2023

They're right in that you can do it with an action. I select the elements I want then press my assigned shortcut key and it opens a new document at the same size with just those elements. It's just recording an action out of "Duplicate to new canvas" which is basically under "Layers" > "Dupicate..."  (set to 'Document: New').

This isn't ideal if the file with layers your duplicating is set up in artboards since it will export to a new document set to the document size, not the artboard size. If I can change this to export to new document to artboard size, I will be set. Otherwise you will need to set the new, duplicated file's canvas size to the correct size or you do this before duplicating by ungrouping artboards then changing the canvas size.
Regarding artboards, you can select and copy layers from one artboard & paste those into a new artboard which will be placed correctly.

L
Lumigraphics
Brainiac
September 11, 2018

You can make an artboard and duplicate that to a new file, sized the same. Maybe that's what you saw?

JJMack
JJMack
Community Expert
September 11, 2018

Have never used artboards from what I read they seemed to be like a collection document for different web devices in a single Photoshop document.  I would have no Idea as how you would duplicate layers into a new artboard. Never used artboards myself.

JJMack
L
Lumigraphics
Brainiac
September 11, 2018

I don't use them either but an artboard can be custom sized.

Any way I see of creating a new file from layer uses the global canvas size and not a custom one.

L
Lumigraphics
Brainiac
September 11, 2018

This is really confusing. How many documents do you have? Where is the layer you are duplicating?

JJMack
JJMack
Community Expert
September 11, 2018

Any layer  or layers can be duplicated into a new document using meny Layer>Duplicate Lauers... you can also name the new documeny ine the dialog

JJMack
L
Lumigraphics
Brainiac
September 11, 2018

Yeah I thought that was what the OP wanted but the question was a bit confusing. Isn't canvas size global though?

JJMack
JJMack
Community Expert
September 11, 2018

That would be easy to script. I know of no setting to do that with duplicate layer

JJMack
    W
    wei0000000Author
    New Participant
    September 11, 2018

    Thanks for your thoughts. What's the best way to resize the document's canvas size to the size of the layer?

    JJMack
    JJMack
    Community Expert
    September 11, 2018

    I believe a simple Action may be able to do what you want to do.  If you target a single layer.   If you target several layers the new document will be trimmed to the composite bounds of the layers combined.  Layers are created the way you want you just need to trim the canvcas to the layers bouns

    JJMack
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