Separate layer for partial blur / partial blur with smartf on picture layer still editable?

Question

Hello!First of all I'm simply a film editor with basic photoshop knowledge.I was asked to create a picture template with logos and a text layer where you can easily replace and edit the picture and text without needing to alter anything else. All good so far!I created one layer for the picture and now I want to blur one part of it. At first, I used a smart filter on the pic layer, but it seems that you can't edit the picture anymore. If I double click on it, it opens in a new tab.Is there an easy way to integrate it back in my template after editing in the new tab?The workflow now is to open and edit the picture in PS, save it and then open the template and insert the edited picture.I was wondering, if there's another, quicker way, so they could insert the pic and edit it all in one workflow and one tab. The workflow for them should be as simple as possible.Ideally I'd just create a new layer (in the template) where I can put the blur (without duplicating the pic layer), but I haven't found a solution yet. Is it even possible without duplicating the picture layer?And if you have to duplicate the picture, is there a way to insert the pictures in both layers with one click? Any help, advice and tips are welcome and much appreciated!Thanks in advance!!

c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted Answer

At first, I used a smart filter on the pic layer, but it seems that you can't edit the picture anymore. If I double click on it, it opens in a new tab.

That is what enables editing the Smart Object’s contents.

Opening the Smart Object is intended to open the image as a separate file that can be edited and, when saved, will update all the Smart Object instances in the containg document. (Alternatively one could also use Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents to switch in a different image altogether, but if the replacement image doesn’t have the same dimensions as the replaced one this could lead to unexpected changes.)

If you don’t think your customers can handle that concept then Photoshop may not be a great choice for them.

Trevor.Dennis · Answer

If it is opening in a new tab, it sounds like your template is a Smart Object. Check the tab to see if the file has a .psb extension.

If that is the case, after making the edit (swapping the text or picture or whatever) simply save the edit with Ctrl s (Cmd s) and go back to the template, and the changes will be reflected there. That's how Smart Objects work, and they are a useful tool for making templates.

To blur just part of the image if it is a Smart Object, first of all look at the Blur Gallery filters. They are designed to work like in-camera effects and may work just as they are. If not, apply the filter anyway and click OK

The Smart Object will now have a mask. Where the mask is white, the blur filter will show. Where the mask is black, the filter will not show. If you know about layer masks then you know all this anyway, and I am sorry for over explaining.

If you want to blur just one layer in the Smart Object, i.e. just part of the picture or part of the text, then you need to do that in the new tab (the .psb file). You can use layer masks there to restrict where the blur is applied.

I hope that helps, but if not, some more details and and maybe a screenshot might help.

Good luck.

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