How to update original smart object PSD file

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
January 26, 2022
3 replies
2534 views

Hi,

well I am new to linked and embedded smart objects. I have created a large photobook and drag and dropped PSD files into my new photoshop PSB layout file from bridge and made modifications within the PSB to those images believing that they would be reflected in the original images i.e. double click on the smart object which opened the PSD I created new layers then closed that by hitting X and asked to save. I just discovered that opening my original PSD files did not reflect those changes made in the PSB so I have no idea where photoshope saved the changed PSD file. Now I do not want to click into each smart object layer as there are 180 of them and save the changes over the original psd file one at a time. What I would like to do is get photoshop to do it for me. I just thought it changed the original. Oh how wrong I was. I guess I am after a reverse linked update from the photoshop smart object psd file not the original and not the other way round.

I can see that crating an embedded smart object would allow any external changes to be reflected in the smart object but it is the opposite that I am looking for. So I am just not sure what to do now. Any help for a novice is appreciated here. I thought Photoshop did behave that way but I am not sure anymore.

Doh!

Gareth

Windows

This topic has been closed for replies.

Earth Oliver

Legend

You probably should have tested this before commiting. And be aware that if you use Embedded SOs, the entirety of each one is saved within your master .psb file, resulting in a potentially HUGE file size.

Chuck Uebele

Community Expert

If you don't want the master changed, don't use linked smart objects.

G

GmanpiccyAuthor

Participant

I tried to do that and it wanted me to save it as a new file.That is what I am trying to avoid by saving each of the 180 images one at a time. So there is no way of linking the adjustments within the the smart object back to the original without manually doing it one at a time?

Chuck Uebele

Community Expert

If they are all the same file, use ctrl/cmd-J to copy the layer, that will link them within your document only. Dragging each one will create a new instance of a smart object.

Chuck Uebele

Community Expert

Embedded smart objects do not affect the master file - linked smart objects do. To create a linked smart object, by dragging, you need to hold down the alt/opt key, while dragging it.

Convert an embedded Smart Object to a Linked Smart Object

You can convert an embedded Smart Object to a Linked Smart Object. Transforms, filters, and other effects applied to the embedded Smart Object are preserved when it is converted.

Do the following:

Select an embedded Smart Object layer in the Photoshop document.
Choose Layer > Smart Object > Convert To Linked.
Select the location on your computer where you want to save the source file. Enter a name for the file, including a supported extension. For example, link_file.jpg.

G

GmanpiccyAuthor

Participant

Thanks for the quick update. I just want to double check as I have added new layers within the smart objects so when I do link them Photoshop will in effect change the master with my changes? I am just checking as I do not want the master to overide the changes I have made to the smart object in my PSB file. I don't to redo changes in the external master after I link them. I guess I could always do a little experiemnt to prove to myself that it will do what I expect!

Convert an embedded Smart Object to a Linked Smart Object

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