Switching From One Type Of Adjustment Layer To Another In Photoshop

Photoshop Tips & Tricks: Switch Adjustment Layers From One Type To Another

You've added an Adjustment Layer to your image. Let's say you've added a Levels Adjustment Layer. Maybe you've even taken the time to mask out some of the areas that the Levels Adjustment Layer is affecting in the image, and now you're thinking "You know, I bet a Curves Adjustment Layer would work better here, but I've already made this mask on Levels. I don't want to have to redo it. I wish there was some way I could just switch Levels for Curves".

Fortunately, there is!

Here's my Layers palette. We can see that above my Background layer, I have a Levels Adjustment Layer, complete with a layer mask that I've created:

To change it to a different type of Adjustment Layer, all I have to do is go up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen, select Change Layer Content, and then choose whichever type of Adjustment Layer I want to replace it with. I'm going to choose Curves.

Now back in my Layers palette, I can see that my Levels Adjustment Layer has become a Curves Adjustment Layer, just like that! And best of all, the layer mask I had created is still there. No need to redo it:

Again, to change one type of Adjustment Layer to another at any time, simply make sure the Adjustment Layer is selected in the Layers palette, then go up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen, choose Change Layer Content, and then select whichever type you want to change it to.