Inspiring

Question

How to apply a layer style to a group in Photoshop?

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
March 11, 2024
2 replies
1273 views

I have a collection of shape layers that I'm dividing into four groups, to apply a different layer style to each group. I've read in the online Photoshop User Guide and in a third-party tutorial that layer styles can be applied to a group. However, nowhere can I find an explanation for how to do this.

I tried selecting the name of the group and applying the layer style to it. But it has no effect on the shape layers below it. I've applied the same layer style to individual shape layers, and it works fine, so there's nothing wrong with the layer style.

macOS

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c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) and the Canvas visible?

L

lc55472355Author

Inspiring

I been filling the shapes with a combination of effects. There are four combinations, which I’ve named, TEXT(for Texture) A, B, C, and D.

As you can see in the image above, I’ve been filling the shapes individually and putting each shape in a separate group, to keep easier track of them. Each TEXTURE has consisted of : a pattern preset applied to the shape, with changes to the pattern angle and scale; an overlying/clipped color fill laye; and a layer style for bevel, emboss, and contour.

TEXTURE C, above, also requires a Brightness Adjustment Layer, which I’ve been applying as an overlying/clipped layer. Since adjustments aren’t an effect that can be applied in a layer style, I’ll have to figure out how to apply that separately.

It only occured to me yesterday that I can create and save a layer style which incorporates everything listed in Par. 2 above. And I’m moving the shapes around from TEXTURE to TEXTURE when I see what they look like, so it’s doubley important to figure out how to set up just four groups for the TEXTURES.

To answer your question about nothing appearing in the preview of the shape layers, the shape layers have neither a fill or stroke until I apply the pattern to them. All you can see of the shapes are the green path outlines (when the paths are selected in the Paths panel.) The three images below show this.

Only the green shape pathlines appear in the document, and only when the paths are activated in the Paths panel.

No previews in the shape layer thumbnails.

The image above shows the TEX A layer style I just created, applied to the group. Unfortunately, nothing is appearing in the document for these layers and there is still no preview in the shape layer thumbnails.

The four images below show my settings in the Layer Styles dialog box.

Have I not done something in the settings that I should?

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) and the Canvas visible?

Not snippets of the Panels, but complete screenshots.

To answer your question about nothing appearing in the preview of the shape layers, the shape layers have neither a fill or stroke until I apply the pattern to them.

Don’t do that, please.

That a Pattern Overlay on an empty Fill Layer is visible seems to be (something close to) a bug, that applying it to a Group containing empty Layers does not result in a visible Pattern is as it should be.

Mike_Gondek10189183

Community Expert

Works for me.

I do not see anything in the preview of your layer. What did your art look like before you applied the effects? Mine looks like this if I hide he effects

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