Layer effects and styles

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Layer effects and styles

Apply different effects, such as shadows, glows, and bevels, in Photoshop to change the appearance of a layer's contents in a non-destructive manner.

Layer effects are linked to the layer contents. When you move or edit the contents of the layer, the same effects are applied to the modified contents. Say, if you apply a drop shadow to a text layer and then add new text, the shadow is added automatically to the new text.

A layer style is one or more effects applied to a layer or layer group. You can apply any preset styles in Photoshop or create your custom style using the Layer Style dialog box.

Add a layer style from the layer effects icon

The fx icon (layer effects icon) appears in the Layers panel to the right of the layer name. You can expand the style in the Layers panel to view or edit the effects that compose the style.

You can apply multiple effects in a single-layer style. Also, more than one instance of some effects can comprise a layer style.

When you save a custom style, it becomes a preset style. Preset styles appear in the Styles panel and can be applied to a layer or group with a single click.

Add a layer style from the Layer menu

To add a layer style from the Layer menu, you can:

1. Select a layer in the Layers panel.
2. Select Layer Styles from the category menu in the Effects panel.
3. Select a style and hit Apply.
4. Double-click a style.
5. Drag a style onto a layer.

Add a layer style from the Contextual Task Bar

To add a layer style from the Contextual Task Bar, you can:

1. Select a layer in the Layers panel.
2. Select Layer Styles from the category menu in the Effects panel.
3. Select a style and hit Apply.
4. Double-click a style.
5. Drag a style onto a layer.

How to use the Presets panel

Apply a preset style to a layer

Normally, applying a preset style replaces the current layer style. However, you can add the attributes of a second style to those of the current style.

Do any of the following: 

• Select a style from the Styles panel to apply it to the currently selected layers.

• Drag a style from the Styles panel onto a layer in the Layers panel.

• Drag a style from the Styles panel to the document window.

  Note: Hold down the Shift key as you select or drag to add (rather than replace) the style to existing effects on the destination layer.

• Choose Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options to navigate to the Layer Style dialog box and select Styles to select your preferred style and hit OK.

• When using the Shape tool or Pen tool in shape layers mode, select a style from the pop‑up panel in the options bar before drawing the shape.

Apply a style from another layer

Navigate to the Layers panel and do either of the following: 

• Select Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (macOS)
• Click-drag the style from a layer's effect list to move it to another layer

Change how preset styles are displayed

Layer Style dialog box

You can edit styles applied to a layer or create new styles using the Layer Style dialog box.

You can create custom styles using one or more of the following effects:

Apply or edit a custom layer style

You can apply a layer style to a background layer by converting it into a regular layer.

Use the Layer Style dialog box to edit multiple effects. Select your desired effect from the left panel of the dialog box to choose from the displayed options.

Follow these steps to apply or edit a custom layer style. 

Change style defaults to custom values

Layer style options

Modify layer effects with contours

While creating custom layer styles, use contours to control the shape of Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Inner Glow, Outer Glow, Bevel, and Emboss. Use a Linear contour on a Drop Shadow to make the opacity drop off in a linear transition and a Custom contour to create a unique shadow transition.

Select, reset, delete, or change the preview of contours in the Contour pop‑up panel and Preset Manager.

Create a custom contour

Load a contour

To load a contour, select from the Layer Style dialog box and select Load from the Contour Editor dialog box. Navigate to the folder containing your preferred contour library and hit Open.

Delete a contour

To delete a contour, hit the inverted arrow next to the currently selected contour to view the pop-up panel. Press Alt (Win) or Option (macOS) and select the contour you need to delete. 

Set a global lighting angle for all layers

Use global light to give the appearance of a common light source shining on your image.

Do one of the following: 

• Navigate to Layer > Layer Style > Global Light. In the Global Light dialog box, enter a value or drag the angle radius to set the angle and altitude and select OK.

  Or,

• In the Layer Style dialog box for Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, or Bevel, select Use Global Light. For Angle, enter a value or drag the radius and select OK.

Global lighting applies to each layer effect that uses the global lighting angle.

Display or hide layer styles

To hide or show all layer styles in an image, select Layer > Layer Style > Hide All Effects or Show All Effects.

To expand or collapse layer styles in the Layers panel, follow any one of these steps:

• Select the drop-down next to the Add A Layer Style icon to expand the list of layer effects applied to that layer.

  Or,

• Select the triangle to collapse the layer effects.

  Or,

• To expand or collapse all of the layer styles applied within a group, hold down Alt (Win) or Option (macOS) and select the triangle or inverted triangle for the group. The layer styles applied to all layers within the group will expand or collapse correspondingly.

Copy layer styles

Copy and paste styles to apply the same effects to multiple layers.

Between layers

Between layers by dragging

Do one of the following:

• In the Layers panel, Alt-drag (Win) or Option-drag (macOS) a single layer effect from one layer to another to duplicate the layer effect or drag the Effects bar from one layer to another to duplicate the layer style.
• Drag one or more layer effects from the Layers panel to the image to apply the resulting layer style to the highest layer in the Layers panel that contains pixels at the drop point.

Scale a layer effect

A layer style may have been fine-tuned for a target resolution and features of a given size.

Use Scale Effects to scale the effects in the layer style without scaling the object to which the layer style is applied.

Remove layer effects

Remove an individual effect from a style applied to a layer or the entire style from the layer.

Follow these steps to remove an effect from a style:

To remove a style from a layer, select the layer containing the style you want to remove from the Layers panel. And then do one of the following: 

• Drag the Effects bar to the delete () icon. 

Or,

• Navigate to Layer > Layer Style > Clear Layer Style, select the layer, and select the Clear Style button in the Styles panel.

Convert a layer style to image layers

Convert layer styles to regular image layers for customizing or improving the appearance of layer styles. 

After doing so, you can enhance the result by painting or applying commands and filters. But you won't be able to edit the layer style on the original layer, and the layer style no longer updates as you change the original image layer.

Create and manage preset styles

Create a custom style and save it as a preset, which you can access from the Styles panel.

Save preset styles in a library and load or remove them from the Styles panel as you need them.

Create a new preset style

Rename a preset style

Do any one of the following:

• Double-click a style in the Styles panel. If the Styles panel is set to display styles as thumbnails, enter a new name in the dialog box and select OK. Otherwise, enter a new name directly in the Styles panel and press Enter (Win) or Return (macOS).
  

Or,

• Select a style in the Styles area of the Layer Style dialog box. Then choose Rename Style from the pop‑up menu, enter a new name, and select OK.

Or,

• When using the Shape or Pen tool, select a style from the Style pop‑up panel in the options bar. Then choose Rename Style from the pop‑up panel menu.

Delete a preset style

Do one of the following:

• Drag a style to the delete icon () in the Styles panel.

Or,

• Press Alt (Win) or Option (macOS) and select the layer style in the Styles panel.

Or,

• Select a style in the Styles area of the Layer Style dialog box. and then choose Delete Style from the pop-up menu. For more information, see Apply preset styles. 

Or,

• When using the Shape or Pen tool, select a style from the Layer Style pop‑up panel in the options bar. Then choose Delete Style from the pop‑up panel menu.

Save a set of preset styles as a library

Load a library of preset styles