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How to make objects outside the canvas visible in Photoshop?

Explorer ,
Dec 03, 2010 Dec 03, 2010

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Once I drag an object off of my canvas it disappears in the grey document window. Is there a way to see items that fall outside of the canvas bounds?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Deleted User
Dec 03, 2010 Dec 03, 2010

You could also use Image>Reveal All.

MTSTUNER

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LEGEND ,
Dec 03, 2010 Dec 03, 2010

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Not really without making the Canvas bigger (e.g., Image - Adjust - Canvas Size).  You could move the canvas around with the move tool to reveal stuff off the edge I suppose.

Stuff out there is kind of in "no man's land" because it's not affected by operations on the pixels that are visible.  But if you've lost something you should be able to get it back with the command I noted above.

-Noel

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Guest
Dec 03, 2010 Dec 03, 2010

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You could also use Image>Reveal All.

MTSTUNER

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LEGEND ,
Dec 03, 2010 Dec 03, 2010

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Thanks for that MTSTUNER!  That's a dandy way to increase the canvas just enough.

I learned something new today.

-Noel

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Explorer ,
Nov 11, 2021 Nov 11, 2021

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Wish I knew that 20 years ago!

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 20, 2022 Oct 20, 2022

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This is not the solution!

I think it worked in the past... why did they change it? It's idiotic!

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Community Expert ,
Oct 20, 2022 Oct 20, 2022

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Milosz,

 

What is not working?

 

Can you post some screenshots to illustrate your issue?

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 20, 2022 Oct 20, 2022

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It's just expanding canvas is not a solution!

If I place images around canvas, I should be able to see them, and not just outlines of the objects.

I think it worked in the past... 

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Community Expert ,
Oct 20, 2022 Oct 20, 2022

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Are these Artboards?

 

Please post some screenshots so we can determine if it's a bug or something else.

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 20, 2022 Oct 20, 2022

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Canvases... but still.

It's probably a bug that actually is thought of as a feature by the Photoshop developers...

It was explained earlier, I have nothing else to add, just "Reveal all" doesn't do crap to it... it just makes the canvas bigger which isn't a solution.

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New Here ,
Oct 21, 2022 Oct 21, 2022

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Same Issue here, it used to work though. Frustrated with how often they change features from update to update.

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Community Expert ,
Oct 21, 2022 Oct 21, 2022

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Yes, reveal all will expand the canvas. If you have to do that, then place guides where the current edges are, so you can recrop. If a layer is outside the canvas, I often select transform then ctrl/cmd-0 to fit in the screen. Then I can at lease see where the layer is by the bounding box for the transform.

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New Here ,
Jan 10, 2023 Jan 10, 2023

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I agree, in indesign or illustrator it possible to see things outside the canvas, its even possible to switch between diffrend view in indeisng (W) . 

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Advocate ,
Dec 04, 2010 Dec 04, 2010

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Not sure of exactly what you are doing, but try hitting Image> Reveal All

Paulo

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Valorous Hero ,
Dec 04, 2010 Dec 04, 2010

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Reveal All is good but I often find myself in need to have a "View All" feature that works the same but as a toggle that when unchecked, shrinks the canvas back to original size.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 04, 2010 Dec 04, 2010

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Undo after?

-Noel

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Valorous Hero ,
Dec 04, 2010 Dec 04, 2010

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That's how I'm using it but I need that to see how my hidden content is affected while editing the visible one because later I may need to move it in the visible area.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 04, 2010 Dec 04, 2010

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Can't you just select the layer and drag it back onto the canvas and when you are done move it back off the canvas. This should work for any object on its own layer.

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Valorous Hero ,
Dec 05, 2010 Dec 05, 2010

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No, because in most cases the layer's content is larger than the canvas, and even if it is not, I would rather use Reveal All after writing down the original canvas size and revert to it later.

Think of a photo collage job for a client who often ask later for different proportions and sizes of the same image which may also require readjusting the composition. I never crop the layers' content outside the canvas and always keep it for eventual use but I also like to see how it is affected when editing. A "View All" feature will be very helpful for this.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 05, 2010 Dec 05, 2010

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Seems a dangerous approach to me to try to maintain valuable data off the canvas.

Why not just make and keep the canvas much larger and maintain an outline on a layer or something to remind you of the needed result?  When you need to create the final product, make a copy of the document and crop then.

-Noel

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Valorous Hero ,
Dec 05, 2010 Dec 05, 2010

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Yes, that's how I'm using it very often - a layer on top of all with a window to see through the final crop but I'm looking for more elegant solution. One big annoyance is the complicated zooming like Fit on Screen. For color correction and retouching I need to see all but for the composition where each element is positioned I need to see the final crop. Most obvious example for this kind of work was a recent job making a digital mural that was a collage with different artworks and photos blended together for various sizes walls in a retail store chain. We couldn't know all possible wall sizes because the new stores are not yet built or rented and the wall proportions and dimensions are often very different requiring repositioning of all images in a different composition but keeping the same image identity.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 05, 2010 Dec 05, 2010

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Sounds like virtual copies is what you need then. I assume bridge cs5 will work for psd files, I haven't tried it yet.

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LEGEND ,
Dec 05, 2010 Dec 05, 2010

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Creating a snap shot may work as well. it would at least allow you to quickly click between the two states in the history panel. Maybe create an action that creates a snapshot, reveal all then create another snap shot.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 30, 2020 Apr 30, 2020

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I recently upgraded to the latest version of photoshop. I had been using CS 5.5 for years. You used to be able to easily drag images off the canvas if you guessed rougly where they were. I had to do this alot as I'm often resizing canvas, cropping, and shifting things around. I find it really crappy now that they took away this feature and instead you need to hunt on google for workarounds about how to retrieve something off the canvas. Mind you I dont do this on purpose but it happens sometimes as I work fast and simply grabbing it from outside of the canvas (as in CS 5.5) was sooo much faster than the current solutions.

And this is usually why i dont like upgrading. I hope this is the ONLY downgrade in usability from switching to the latest version.

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New Here ,
Jan 12, 2021 Jan 12, 2021

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View>Show>Layer EdgesScreenshot_318.png

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