P: Add custom colors for colour coding layers and groups

Report · Apr 13, 2017

Wouldn't it be great to be able to use more colours than the 7 defaults for colour coding layers and groups? They're a great way (along with proper naming) to organise complex documents, but having only seven default colours to choose from means they start to become duplicated which pretty much defeats the purpose.

Would be really useful to have the ability (much like with Indesign and Illustrator) to use a wider palette of colours to colour code layers and groups.

Report · Apr 13, 2017

This topic keeps coming up and they keep ignoring it. Do so few of us use colors to help stay organized that they don't think adding more colors worth the effort? It does seem like it should be a JDI. This has my vote.

Report · Apr 13, 2017

Especially annoying that this exact feature is already implemented in Guides where users are offered 9 defaults and a "custom" option on top of that. I just cannot understand Adobe's priorities at all anymore.

Report · Apr 15, 2017

Hear Hear!

Report · Apr 15, 2017

Where are the other topics here that ask for this feature? I did a search and couldn't find any other requests.

Report · Apr 15, 2017

I can't answer for this forum—I haven't been here that long— but I've seen it come up before in places that Adobe is said to have some presence and is reading the messages. It was most talked about when the Layers panel was being enhanced through a few versions (imo, one of the best things Adobe has ever done) as one of the omissions, and something that could be a JDI. I've sporadically seen comments since then in various forums.

I'm afraid many of us, myself included, have a tendency to ask occasionally, then give up, and only think about it again when someone else mentions it. It's not like it's a major stumbling block to our workflow. I don't know from the forums I do visit that many people know they should come here with their feature requests, or that they can vote if they come here. It's one more time sink to many people. I keep telling people, but. . .

Which is also why I asked if perhaps not enough of us use the feature, or feel enough pain over it, since other JDIs (what seem to us should be JDIs), come up more often. For instance, Path and Color Sampler legibility, imo, is more important, since not being able to see the path easily or find the color sampler again is a pain point.

With so many big features and big issues to deal with, I honestly don't expect Adobe to be able to get around to most of our JDI-type features anytime in the near future. Just that they've got a list tacked on the hallway so someone with an afternoon to spare can grab one of the more minor features like this one and enhance it. Yeah, even a spare afternoon is probably asking for a lot, but hopefully not the impossible. <BG>

Report · Apr 24, 2017

Its a feature that already exists in illustrator, (and to a degree indesign) which is what confuses me as to how Adobe go about developing/testing their software. Features that would, or should be included in the entire suite seem to get overlooked or altered between products without much reason. Even simple things like inconsistencies in keyboard shortcuts (granted those can be changed).

I won't really be holding my breath for this feature to appear, but maybe if it doesn't in the next major cc update a petition wouldn't be a bad idea.

Report · Apr 25, 2017

Yeah, it doesn't seem like that would take much effort, as a custom plugin I use for my brushes actually already HAS this kind of feature, and at the very least, I don't see what it would hurt to automatically include minor functions like this in all versions of all CC products...

Report · May 15, 2017

The option of multiple colors in the Layers palette. Seven colors are not enough. The ability to mark a layer with more colors will be appreciated by all who work with a lot of layers... for example add -custom color... Thank you very much for everybody.

Report · May 15, 2017

MAKE IT!! please

Report · Mar 14, 2018

For any of you that haven't yet, can you please give the post an up-vote and spread the word 🙂

Report · Sep 12, 2018

It would be great to have more than the 7 default layer tag colors available. As a designer I really need to able to organize my layers/groups with more colors.

This is long overdue in mho 🙂

Report · Sep 12, 2018

Right now in Photoshop when you right-click and assign a color to a layer it gives only somewhat subdued, drab versions of the colors. I assume this was done because it fits the rest of the layout/scheme, but this is putting form over function. I need brighter colors to work with many layers to avoid fatigue from searching.

Report · Sep 12, 2018

New version of CC photoshop need double amount of color in layer labels at least... Add: Light blue, Dark blue, Pink, brown, red, wine, light grey, dark grey, light green, dark green, black, white, yello... / or, better way is optional color choosen from colorpallete...Thanks...!

Report · Sep 13, 2018

Not to mention: The lack in variety leads to confusion and difficulty when trying to differentiate between specific layers.

Report · Sep 13, 2018

Yes, it would be great to be able to bring up the Color Picker and set custom Layer Colors. Perhaps the controls could be in the Panel Options under Thumbnail Size and Thumbnail Contents with any custom colors set there becoming available in the Layer Pop-Up menu along with the existing colors. Taking it a step further, it would be nice if the default name for the custom color was generated automatically based on the color selection (similar to how After Effects names Solid layers based on the color set for the solid).

Report · Oct 16, 2018

Mmm no. Instead, all you losers should learn to organize layers by groups and names. How old are you? Are you still in kindergarden that you need to color code your layers to organize them? Do you also need your blankie and a song. Grow up. Think a little. Plan. Organize.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

I'm dealing with files from other artists that have hundreds of layers. I am trying to organize them because I have to rework them and it will make my work organized. Ever think of that scenario?
If you can't respond with anything other than something that sounds like a junior high school girl perhaps you should just shut up. Be positive. Be nice. Think before you type.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Gosh, you mean Apple's got it all wrong all these years to let us color code files so we can find them more quickly and know what their status is than reading a ton of long file names? Color coding to find a type of layer quickly, without reading all the names of groups and what might be inside them is baby-ish? And here I thought that naming layers and groups AND color coding was being productive and efficient. Guess that shows what I know, thinking Apple had a good idea that Adobe adopted and put to work for me.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Apple is not synonymous with good ideas. They’ve gotten so much wrong. If you think they are the holy grail, please reconsider, objectively.
Feature usage for colored layers must be low and that is why Photoshop is not investing in this feature. If usage is low it must be because it is not the best way to organize layers.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Google it for Windows. You'll find it's so often requested, there are third party apps for it. I've used both Windows and Apple. It's one thing Apple does to make life easier. Windows does some things Apple doesn't to make life easy. Both imitate each other. I merely mentioned Apple because it's the OS I'm currently using, and they are not known for upgrading the Finder all that much—in fact, lots of 3rd party solutions exist for them, too. But they do use color labels, pretty much always have as I recall, and they've made applying and removing them even easier fairly recently—not something they'd do if no one were using them.

<<Feature usage for colored layers must be low and that is why Photoshop is not investing in this feature.<<

One doesn't always follow the other. It does take time and resources to add more color labels. They did it when they allowed us to choose Control colors, and it was easier at the time to add additional colors because they were programming the whole feature itself. It's not as easy after the fact for the entire Layers panel and every feature in it that needs to know about color, if you're not working with the Layers panel for another reason to justify the time and testing.

It's not a matter of we're kindergarten weenies who can't figure out how to organize and no one else needs or wants color labels. We're usually the ones who do the most organizing in the Layers panel, use layer filtering and isolation, recognize all the badges and even make use of all the features and the kbsc associated with layers. It's a matter of limited resources, and more color labels is a want, not a mission-critical feature.

I'm not expecting it tomorrow for that very reason, but that's no reason for us not to let them know that it would be much more helpful if they gave it to those of us who work with heavily layered files from whatever source, and want to have a more efficient way to recognize the layer's content/subject and to filter on it, even if others are unfamiliar with the concept.

Many people ask for many features I have zero interest in. But I assume they know their job and know why they want it. I expect them to ask for whatever makes a difference to their workflow, and I expect that if there already exist good workarounds, those will be acknowledged. But if there aren't, I know Adobe will also take it seriously enough to put it on their never-ending list of requests—even if the numbers don't yet support it (unknown to us), or the fact that it's not viewed as critical has them put it off for years while they attend to whatever their priorities for us are.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

More respect to her - she's probably the one who wrote her post on typewriter as modern text editors are not for users, but losers 😉

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Forget enhancing layers with color coding. Let’s think big. How about a four-dimensional canvas instead. Now, that would make life easier.

Report · Oct 18, 2018

I've been using PS for about 23 years and a MAC user for the same amount of time. I would suggest from my experience that both have gotten more correct than wrong but that will always be a subjective topic. Back to the main topic of color coding layers... Customizing layer colors is available in Illustrator, InDesign and even After Effects offers 16 colors so it looks as if Adobe feels it has value. I'm guessing it will happen at some point.

Report · Oct 18, 2018

I've been using PS for about 23 years and a MAC user for the same amount of time. I would suggest from my experience that both have gotten more correct than wrong but that will always be a subjective topic. Back to the main topic of color coding layers... Customizing layer colors is available in Illustrator, InDesign and even After Effects offers 16 colors so it looks as if Adobe feels it has value. I'm guessing it will happen at some point.

Report · Oct 20, 2018

Karlita I think you kind of missed the point of why I suggested this. Its to enhance exactly what you say us 'loosers' should be doing...and a tad hypocritical. Why dont we name an organise layers?....I already do, colour coding those organised and named layer groups adds another level of organisation. Particularly if you're working as part of a team, colour coding can help organise folder content types as some folders may have components that include images, text etc..all named properly. Addin colour coding helps users find things quicker. Saying ots not needed is akin to me saying hey f*ck it you dont need to name your layers just chuck them into folders, thats organisation enough. The rest of the Adobe suite allows for so mamy more options for layer and group colour, so its not just about improving workflow and organisation between teams and designers/artists but also about consistency across the adobe suite of products...but hey, what do i know Im a looser thats only been teachig Photoshop and running my own design studio for 17 years 😜