New Canvas area affected by adjustment layers with Fill

[bartonlew]

In screenshot 1 below, I applied the Spot Healing Brush tool to the top left corner where I enlarged the canvas so I could build out the image's tile border.  The added area is darker than what's below it.  After turning off various Curves adjustment layers, I was able to get the areas to match perfectly.  In the 2d screenshot, the bottom 4 Curves adjutsment layers with Fill (Curves 7, 9, 15 & 16) are turned off.  My assumption is that the adjustments that were made in these layers are being applied to the new added pixels because the Black Fill was not applied to these areas since these adjustment Fill layers were created before the canvas was enlarged.  Is that right?  If so, is there any way I can add pixels to build out the tile border seamlessly, preferably in the same layer as the existing pixels?  Thank you.  

[Trevor.Dennis]

I'm sorry, I don't know the answer, but can confirm that is always how it has worked for me.  I can see how it would be annoying when you have so many layers. 

Try Shift clicking all layers above the image layer, and turning them off with Ctrl , 

Make the edit, and select and toggle back on with Ctrl ,

Or group the above layers and turn off the group.

Make the edit, reselct layers amove out of the group with Ctrl ]

Not ideal, and I'll be following your thread hoping for better solutions.

[bartonlew]

Thank you.  I tried both those things but they didn't result in the new pixels being unaffected by the previosuly created Curves Ajdutsment Layers with Fill.  Other than D Fosse's method, which I'm not sure how to execute, the other option that I found was to create a new Layer at the top of the stack, and use the Spot Healing Brush which does result in new pxiels that match the ones below them but any further adjustments to the original canvas will not affect the new canvas area.  So this is hardly ideal.  I will NEVER make this mistake again.  

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Yeah, this happens to me all the time. The reason is that adjustment layer masks expand with the canvas, but, here's the crucial thing, they do not expand in a "content-aware" manner (you can hardly expect that). They just expand with the default mask color (black or white).

You just need to go over your masks. Usually it's a simple matter of marquee - alt+delete to fill with black or white, but if you have complex masks extending to the border, you can use content-aware fill on the mask.

With the complex layer structure you have here, that can be a lot of work. So the lesson is that if you need to expand the canvas, do it as early as possible.

[bartonlew]

Thanks.  I thought it was a matter of filling the new area with black or white somehow, but wasn't sure exactly how.  Could you provide the exact steps for what you are proposing?  You are suggesting using the marquee tool to select the new area whrere I have added pixels to the extended canvas after I have done so - is that right?  And then alt+delete to fill with black or white on the individual Fill layers that are affecting the pixels' appearance?  Not sure of the exact order or how these steps work together or even if I have it right.  Usually when I use an adjustment layer with Fill, I create the Curve layer; Fill with Black, then paint with white on the area where I want the adjutsment to apply.  So the "marquee - alt+delete to fill with black or white" is the process that I am not familair with.  Thank you.   (I definitely will consider carefully any extending of the canvas before making other edits in the future.)  

[bartonlew]

Never mind D Fosse.  I figured this out.  Here's what I did in case anyone is interested.  

1.  I built out the canvas at the top. where I wanted a slightly thicker tile border.

2.  I used the spot healing brush to add new pixels on the same layer as the ones they were supposed to match (the main image layer at the bottom of the stack).

3.  The new pixels were darker than the ones they were supposed to match (see screenshot 1 below).  I verified each of the Curves Adjustment Layers with Fill that that were causing the discrepancy by turning them off until the 2 areas matched perfectly.   Then I turned them all back on.  

4.  I used the marquee tool to select the new pixels.  The rectangle marquee helpfully "found" the edge of the new canvas area by turning the marching ants into a solid purple line.

5.  I made the foreground color Black. 

6.  I went to each of the Curves Layers with Fill and clicked alt+delete.  This resulted in the 2 areas matching perfectly.  See 2nd screenshot.  

Now, the enlarged canvas can receive any needed adjustments that will affect both the orignal and added area in the same way.  And if the Curves Adjustment Layers with Fill need to be revised, only the desired area will be affected.  

Thanks, D Fosse!  This was a valuable lesson - in how to correct a problem and to not make the same mistake again (enlarging the canvas after making adjustments).