{"id":33842,"date":"2022-12-08T14:34:49","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T19:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/?p=33842"},"modified":"2024-06-02T09:12:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-02T13:12:48","slug":"photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/","title":{"rendered":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"summary\">\n<p>Still using Photoshop's image adjustments and damaging your photos? Here's why adjustment layers are a better, more flexible and non-destructive way to edit your images.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video3\">\n<div class=\"video-container\">\n    <iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KcC4Gt5z00E\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"pdf-download-link\">Download PDF: <a href=\"\/?s2member_file_download=pdf\/photo-retouch\/Image_Adjustments_vs_Adjustment_Layers.pdf&s2member_skip_confirmation\" title=\"Download PDF\">Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"author\">Written by Steve Patterson.<\/div>\n<p>Photoshop includes lots of great image adjustments that make it easy to improve, or just change, the look of an image. And most of these adjustments come in two flavors. We have standard image adjustment commands, and we have adjustment layers. Both can achieve the exact same results.<\/p>\n<p>But in this tutorial, we\u2019ll compare image adjustments with adjustment layers to see why you should avoid using the image adjustment commands and why adjustment layers are the better, more flexible and non-destructive way to edit your photos.<\/p>\n<h3>Which version of Photoshop do I need?<\/h3>\n<p>I'm using <a href=\"https:\/\/adobe.prf.hn\/click\/camref:1100lrdjJ\/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fproducts%2Fphotoshop.html\" title=\"Get Adobe Photoshop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Photoshop 2023<\/a> but this applies to older version as well.<\/p>\n<h3>The document setup<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019ll use <a href=\"https:\/\/adobe.prf.hn\/click\/camref:1100lrdjJ\/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fstock.adobe.com%2Fimages%2Fstyle-woman-in-black-coat-and-in-glasses%2F327587830\" title=\"View image on Adobe Stock\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this image<\/a> from Adobe Stock, but you can follow along with your own image.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/original-image.jpg\" alt=\"The original image open in Photoshop.\" width=\"802\" height=\"454\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The original image.<\/div>\n<p>In the <a href=\"\/basics\/layers\/layers-panel\/\" title=\"Learn more about Photoshop's Layers panel\">Layers panel<\/a>, the image appears on the Background layer which is currently the only <a href=\"\/basics\/understanding-photoshop-layers\/\" title=\"Learn more about Photoshop layers\">layer<\/a> in the document.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/image-on-background-layer.png\" alt=\"Photoshop\u2019s Layers panel.\" width=\"295\" height=\"228\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Photoshop\u2019s Layers panel.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-middle { display: inline-block; width:300px; margin:6px 0px 24px 0px; padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 16px; }\n@media (max-width: 515px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n@media (max-width: 480px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n<\/style><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- photo effects 300x250 middle responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-middle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"4216941496\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n<p>Let's get started!<\/p>\n<p class=\"members-ad-top\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Download all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Related tutorials:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"f1\">\n<li><a href=\"\/photo-editing\/using-adjustments-presets-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Using the Adjustments Presets in Photoshop\">Using the Adjustment Layer Presets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/photo-editing\/using-the-hidden-photographic-toning-presets-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Using the Hidden Color Grading Presets in Photoshop\">Using the Hidden Color Grading Presets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">Photoshop\u2019s image adjustment commands<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ll start with a quick look at Photoshop\u2019s standard image adjustments and how they work so we can then compare them to adjustment layers.<\/p>\n<h3>Where to find the image adjustments<\/h3>\n<p>All of Photoshop\u2019s image adjustments are found under the <strong>Image<\/strong> menu in the Menu Bar and then under <strong>Adjustments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here we find adjustments like <strong>Levels<\/strong> and <strong>Curves<\/strong> which are mostly used for correcting the tone of an image. We have color adjustments like <strong>Vibrance<\/strong>, <strong>Hue\/Saturation<\/strong> and <strong>Color Balance<\/strong>. And there are special effects-type of adjustments like <strong>Posterize<\/strong>, <strong>Threshold<\/strong> and <strong>Gradient Map<\/strong>. Plus lots more.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not going to explain how every image adjustment works because that\u2019s not the focus of this tutorial. Instead, my goal is to show you that there\u2019s a better way to apply these adjustments.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/photoshop-image-adjustments.png\" alt=\"Photoshop's Image Adjustment commands\" width=\"501\" height=\"514\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Photoshop's Image Adjustment commands.<\/div>\n<h3>Applying an image adjustment<\/h3>\n<p>To see how the image adjustments work, I\u2019ll keep things simple and choose <strong>Hue\/Saturation<\/strong> which is one of Photoshop\u2019s color adjustments.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/choose-hue-saturation-image-adjustment.png\" alt=\"Choosing a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment in Photoshop\" width=\"231\" height=\"131\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Choosing a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment.<\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s say I want to apply a single color to the image. I\u2019ll click the <strong>Colorize<\/strong> option in the dialog box. Then I\u2019ll choose a color by dragging the <strong>Hue<\/strong> slider. I\u2019ll set it <strong>200<\/strong> for a shade of blue.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/colorize-image-hue-saturation.png\" alt=\"Colorizing the image with a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment.\" width=\"557\" height=\"426\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Colorizing the image with a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment.<\/div>\n<p>I\u2019ll click OK to close the dialog box. And now the image is colored in blue. That was easy enough.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/image-colored-blue.jpg\" alt=\"The result after applying the Hue\/Saturation image adjustment in Photoshop\" width=\"799\" height=\"524\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The result after applying the Hue\/Saturation adjustment.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/photo-effects\/how-to-create-a-monochromatic-color-effect-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Learn more\">Related tutorial: Create monochromatic color effects in Photoshop<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>The problem with using Photoshop\u2019s image adjustments<\/h3>\n<p>But in the Layers panel, there\u2019s a problem. The adjustment was applied directly to my image on the Background layer. Which means that the original colors in the image are now gone.<\/p>\n<p>This is what\u2019s called a <strong>destructive edit<\/strong> because it made a permanent change to the image. If I was to save my document at this point and then close it, I would have no way of getting the original colors back.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-applied-to-image.png\" alt=\"The image adjustment was applied directly to the image\" width=\"295\" height=\"222\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image adjustment was applied directly to the image.<\/div>\n<p>Also, there's no way to edit the adjustment. What if I don\u2019t like that blue color and want to try a different color? I could go up to the <strong>Edit<\/strong> menu and choose <strong>Undo Hue\/Saturation<\/strong>, but that\u2019s only because I haven\u2019t done anything else to the image. As soon as I start making more edits or adding other adjustments, the option to undo this adjustment is going to get buried in a long list of steps that I would need to undo to get back to this point.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/undo-image-adjustment.png\" alt=\"The Undo Hue\/Saturation command\" width=\"370\" height=\"134\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The Undo Hue\/Saturation command.<\/div>\n<p>So image adjustments make permanent and destructive changes to the image with no way to edit the results. I\u2019ll press <strong>Ctrl+Z<\/strong> or <strong>Command+Z<\/strong> on a Mac to undo the adjustment to return to my original image.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/original-image.jpg\" alt=\"The original image open in Photoshop.\" width=\"802\" height=\"454\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The original image returns.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-middle { display: inline-block; width:300px; margin:6px 0px 24px 0px; padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 16px; }\n@media (max-width: 515px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n@media (max-width: 480px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n<\/style><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- photo effects 300x250 middle responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-middle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"4216941496\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">How to apply an image adjustment non-destructively<\/h2>\n<p>There is a way to apply Photoshop\u2019s standard image adjustments non-destructively, and that\u2019s by applying them to a <em>copy<\/em> of the image.<\/p>\n<h3>Making a copy of the original image<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019ll make a copy of my Background layer by pressing <strong>Ctrl+J<\/strong> on a Windows PC or <strong>Command+J<\/strong> on a Mac.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/duplicate-background-layer.png\" alt=\"Photoshop's Layers panel showing the copy of the image\" width=\"295\" height=\"191\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">A copy of the image appears above the original.<\/div>\n<p>Then I\u2019ll double-click on the copy\u2019s name and rename it <q>Color<\/q>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/rename-layer-color.png\" alt=\"Renaming the copy of the image to Color\" width=\"295\" height=\"144\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Renaming the copy.<\/div>\n<h3>Applying the image adjustment to the copy<\/h3>\n<p>With my copy layer active, I\u2019ll go back to the <strong>Image<\/strong> menu, back to <strong>Adjustments<\/strong> and choose <strong>Hue\/Saturation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/add-hue-saturation-image-adjustment-again.png\" alt=\"Choosing a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment again\" width=\"503\" height=\"233\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Choosing a Hue\/Saturation image adjustment again.<\/div>\n<p>I\u2019ll apply the exact same color adjustment as before by clicking the <strong>Colorize<\/strong> option, setting the <strong>Hue<\/strong> to <strong>200<\/strong> for blue, and then clicking OK to close the dialog box.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/reapply-adjustment-same-settings.jpg\" alt=\"Applying the same image adjustment\" width=\"799\" height=\"524\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Applying the same adjustment.<\/div>\n<h3>The adjustment is separate from the original image<\/h3>\n<p>But this time, because the adjustment was applied to a copy of my image, if I turn the copy layer off by clicking its <strong>visibility icon<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/turn-off-color-layer.png\" alt=\"Turning off the layer with the adjustment applied.\" width=\"334\" height=\"179\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Turning off the layer with the adjustment applied.<\/div>\n<p>The original image is still there on the Background layer with all of its original colors. The adjustment was applied only to the layer above it.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/original-image-below-adjustment.jpg\" alt=\"Applying the adjustment to a copy keeps the original image unharmed.\" width=\"803\" height=\"455\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Applying the adjustment to a copy keeps the original image unharmed.<\/div>\n<h3>The blend mode and opacity of the image adjustment<\/h3>\n<p>Along with keeping the original image safe, another advantage of applying image adjustments to separate layers is that we now have access to the <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/layer-blend-modes\/intro\/\" title=\"Learn more about layer blend modes\">blend mode<\/a> and <a href=\"\/basics\/layers\/opacity-vs-fill\/\" title=\"Learn more about layer opacity\">opacity<\/a> of the adjustment.<\/p>\n<p>So for example, if I want my Hue\/Saturation adjustment to affect the colors in the original image but not the brightness, I can change the <strong>blend mode<\/strong> of the copy layer from Normal to <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/layer-blend-modes\/color-blend-mode\/\" title=\"Learn more about Photoshop's Color blend mode\">Color<\/a>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/change-adjustment-blend-mode.png\" alt=\"Changing the blend mode of the image adjustment.\" width=\"297\" height=\"236\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Blend modes change how the adjustment blends with the image.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/get-our-photoshop-layer-blend-modes-complete-guide-pdf\/\" title=\"Learn more\">Get my Complete Guide to Layer Blend Modes PDF exclusive!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And if I want to fade the adjustment so the new color is mixing with the original colors instead of replacing them completely, I can lower the copy layer\u2019s <strong>opacity<\/strong>. I\u2019ll lower it to 50 percent.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/lower-adjustment-opacity.png\" alt=\"Fading the layer opacity of the image adjustment.\" width=\"295\" height=\"236\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Fading the adjustment with the Opacity option.<\/div>\n<p>Here\u2019s the result with the color adjustment now blending with the original image.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/image-adjustment-blend-with-original.jpg\" alt=\"The result after changing the blend mode and opacity of the image adjustment\" width=\"803\" height=\"455\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The result after adjusting the blend mode and opacity.<\/div>\n<h3>The adjustment is still not editable<\/h3>\n<p>But what if we want to <em>edit<\/em> the adjustment? What if I decide I don\u2019t like this blue color and I want to try a different color? We may be working non-destructively, which is great, but we\u2019re still stuck with the problem that the adjustment made a permanent change to the layer.<\/p>\n<p>To try a different color, I would need to either undo the Hue\/Saturation adjustment (if that was still an option), or I would need to delete the layer, make another copy, then go back to Image menu, back to Adjustments, choose Hue\/Saturation again, and this time reapply it with a different setting. I would also need to change the blend mode and lower the opacity again.<\/p>\n<p>So while applying image adjustments to separate layers is better than applying them to the original image, it\u2019s still not the best way to work because there\u2019s no way to edit the adjustment after we apply it. <\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-still-made-destructive-edit.png\" alt=\"The image adjustment is still not editable when applied to a copy of the image.\" width=\"295\" height=\"145\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Working on a copy still makes a permanent change.<\/div>\n<h3>The document file size<\/h3>\n<p>One more issue we need to look at before moving on to adjustment layers is the document\u2019s file size. In the lower left of the document window is a <strong>status area<\/strong> showing information about your document. Click the arrow to see all the different types of information you can display. Then choose <strong>Document Sizes<\/strong> at the top to view the current file size.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/view-document-sizes.png\" alt=\"Setting the status info of the Photoshop document to Document Sizes.\" width=\"463\" height=\"292\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Setting the status info to Document Sizes.<\/div>\n<p>Why are there two different sizes? The smaller number on the left is what the file size would be if we flattened all of our layers. And the larger number on the right is the current size with our layers still intact.<\/p>\n<p>Notice that by making a copy of my image so I could apply my adjustment non-destructively, the file size doubled from 125 MB to 250 MB.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/document-size-comparison.png\" alt=\"The document\u2019s file size with (right) and without (left) layers.\" width=\"319\" height=\"67\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The document\u2019s file size with (right) and without (left) layers.<\/div>\n<p>If I make several copies of my image, each for a different adjustment:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/add-more-layer-copies.png\" alt=\"Making more copies of the original image layer in Photoshop's Layers panel\" width=\"295\" height=\"339\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Making multiple copies of the original image layer.<\/div>\n<p>My file size increases quickly, jumping from 125 MB to roughly 750 MB. Depending on your computer, too many layers can slow Photoshop down. So that\u2019s one more drawback to applying adjustments to copies of a layer. We\u2019ll come back to the file size once we\u2019ve learned how to use adjustment layers, which we\u2019ll do next.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/file-size-increased.png\" alt=\"The file size increases with each new layer.\" width=\"319\" height=\"64\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The file size increases with each new layer.<\/div>\n<p class=\"members-ad-top\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Download all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">Photoshop\u2019s Adjustment Layers<\/h2>\n<p>So how can we apply Photoshop\u2019s image adjustments in a way that is non-destructive, makes no permanent changes, gives us access to the adjustment\u2019s blend mode and opacity, and lets us edit the adjustment after we apply it? It\u2019s easy! All we need to do is stop using image adjustments and switch to using <strong>adjustment layers<\/strong>. Here\u2019s how they work.<\/p>\n<h3>Where do we find the adjustment layers?<\/h3>\n<p>Unlike standard image adjustments, Photoshop\u2019s adjustment layers are not found under the Image menu. Instead, one place to find them is under the <strong>Layer<\/strong> menu and then under <strong>New Adjustment Layer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/photoshop-adjustment-layers.png\" alt=\"Photoshop\u2019s adjustment layers in the Layer menu.\" width=\"417\" height=\"410\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Photoshop\u2019s adjustment layers in the Layer menu.<\/div>\n<p>Not every image adjustment is available as an adjustment layer. If we look at the list of image adjustments again, the ones from <strong>Brightness\/Contrast<\/strong> down to <strong>Selective Color<\/strong> are available as an adjustment layer. But below that, the ones from <strong>Shadows\/Highlights<\/strong> down to <strong>Equalize<\/strong> are not. That\u2019s okay, though, because the ones that are available as adjustment layers are the ones we use the most.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/image-adjustments-ready-as-adjustment-layers.png\" alt=\"The image adjustments available as adjustment layers.\" width=\"497\" height=\"518\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image adjustments available as adjustment layers.<\/div>\n<p>Along with finding them under the Layer menu, you\u2019ll also find the adjustment layers in the <strong>Adjustments panel<\/strong>. You can hover your cursor over the icons to see the name of the adjustment at the top.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/photoshop-adjustments-panel.png\" alt=\"The adjustment layer icons in Photoshop's Adjustments panel\" width=\"295\" height=\"191\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The adjustment layer icons in the Adjustments panel.<\/div>\n<p>Or you can click the panel\u2019s <strong>menu icon<\/strong> and choose an adjustment from the list.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustments-panel-menu.png\" alt=\"Viewing the list of adjustment layers in the panel\u2019s menu.\" width=\"295\" height=\"470\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Viewing the list of adjustment layers in the panel\u2019s menu.<\/div>\n<p>And a third place to find the adjustment layers, and the one I use the most, is in the <strong>Layers panel<\/strong> by clicking the <strong>New Fill or Adjustment Layer<\/strong> icon at the bottom.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/new-fill-adjustment-layer-icon.png\" alt=\"Clicking the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon in Photoshop's Layers panel\" width=\"296\" height=\"153\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Clicking the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon.<\/div>\n<h3>Adding an adjustment layer<\/h3>\n<p>The first three options at the top (<strong>Solid Color<\/strong>, <strong>Gradient<\/strong> and <strong>Pattern<\/strong>) are not adjustment layers. They are what\u2019s called <strong>Fill layers<\/strong> because they fill the document with either a solid color, a gradient or a pattern. The adjustment layers are found below them. I\u2019ll choose the same adjustment as before which was <strong>Hue\/Saturation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/choose-adjustment-layer.png\" alt=\"Adding a Hue\/Saturation adjustment layer from Photoshop's Layers panel.\" width=\"295\" height=\"402\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adding a Hue\/Saturation adjustment layer.<\/div>\n<p>Photoshop adds a Hue\/Saturation adjustment layer above the image. Unlike standard pixel layers which display a <strong>preview thumbnail<\/strong> showing the layer\u2019s contents, adjustment layers display an <strong>icon<\/strong> depending on the type of adjustment. In this case, it\u2019s a Hue\/Saturation icon.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-added.png\" alt=\"The Hue\/Saturation adjustment layer is added above the image layer\" width=\"295\" height=\"178\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The Hue\/Saturation adjustment layer.<\/div>\n<h3>The adjustment layer settings in the Properties panel<\/h3>\n<p>Instead of a dialog box popping up, the settings for an adjustment layer appear in Photoshop\u2019s <a href=\"\/basics\/using-the-enhanced-properties-panel-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Learn more about the Properties panel in Photoshop\">Properties panel<\/a>. So I can apply the same color effect as before by choosing <strong>Colorize<\/strong> and then choosing a color by dragging the <strong>Hue<\/strong> slider.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-settings-properties-panel.png\" alt=\"The adjustment layer settings in Photoshop's Properties panel.\" width=\"295\" height=\"354\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The adjustment layer settings in the Properties panel.<\/div>\n<h3>Turning an adjustment layer on and off<\/h3>\n<p>Back in the Layers panel, I can turn the adjustment layer off to see the original image below it, which means the adjustment was applied non-destructively.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-visibility-icon.png\" alt=\"Toggling the adjustment layer on and off with the visibility icon.\" width=\"334\" height=\"190\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Toggling the adjustment layer on and off with the visibility icon.<\/div>\n<h3>The adjustment layer\u2019s blend mode and opacity<\/h3>\n<p>With the adjustment layer back on, we have access to the layer\u2019s <strong>blend mode<\/strong> and <strong>opacity<\/strong>. So I can change the blend mode to Color just like I did before. And I can fade the adjustment by lowering the opacity.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-blend-mode-opacity.png\" alt=\"Changing the blend mode and lowering the opacity of the adjustment layer\" width=\"334\" height=\"237\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Changing the blend mode and lowering the opacity.<\/div>\n<p>I now have the exact same color effect, but this time using an adjustment layer.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-same-effect.jpg\" alt=\"The same color effect created with Photoshop's adjustment layers\" width=\"803\" height=\"455\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Same result but with an adjustment layer.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-middle { display: inline-block; width:300px; margin:6px 0px 24px 0px; padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 16px; }\n@media (max-width: 515px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n@media (max-width: 480px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n<\/style><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- photo effects 300x250 middle responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-middle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"4216941496\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n<h3>How to edit the adjustment layer settings<\/h3>\n<p>The one thing we could not do earlier was edit the adjustment after we applied it. But with adjustment layers, we can. Just make sure the adjustment layer is selected in the Layers panel.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/select-adjustment-layer.png\" alt=\"Selecting the adjustment layer.\" width=\"295\" height=\"149\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Selecting the adjustment layer.<\/div>\n<p>Then go back to the Properties panel and make whatever changes you need.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/edit-adjustment-layer-settings.png\" alt=\"Adjustment layer settings remain editable.\" width=\"295\" height=\"274\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adjustment layer settings remain editable.<\/div>\n<h3>The adjustment layer mask<\/h3>\n<p>Notice that adjustment layers also include a built-in <a href=\"\/basics\/understanding-photoshop-layer-masks\/\" title=\"Learn more about Photoshop layer masks\">layer mask<\/a>, indicated by the mask thumbnail.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layer-mask.png\" alt=\"Adjustment layer settings remain editable.\" width=\"295\" height=\"180\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The adjustment layer\u2019s mask in the Layers panel.<\/div>\n<p>If you select your adjustment layer in the Layers panel and the Properties panel is showing options for the mask, not the adjustment, it\u2019s because you have the layer mask selected.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/layer-mask-properties.png\" alt=\"The Properties panel showing the layer mask options.\" width=\"295\" height=\"367\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The Properties panel showing the layer mask options.<\/div>\n<p>To switch from the mask options to the adjustment settings, either click on the <strong>adjustment icon<\/strong> on the adjustment layer itself in the Layers panel.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/click-adjustment-layer-icon.png\" alt=\"Clicking the adjustment layer\u2019s icon.\" width=\"295\" height=\"141\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Clicking the adjustment layer\u2019s icon.<\/div>\n<p>Or in the Properties panel, you can switch between the adjustment settings and the mask options using the <strong>two icons<\/strong> at the top.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-mask-icons.png\" alt=\"The adjustment (left) and layer mask (right) buttons.\" width=\"334\" height=\"161\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The adjustment (left) and layer mask (right) buttons.<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">How to use the adjustment layer\u2019s mask<\/h2>\n<p>The adjustment layer\u2019s mask can be used to control which areas of the image below the adjustment layer are affected by the adjustment. So if I want the background behind the woman to be colorized but not the woman herself, I just need to select her.<\/p>\n<h3>Making a selection with Select Subject<\/h3>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/adobe.prf.hn\/click\/camref:1100lrdjJ\/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fproducts%2Fphotoshop.html\" title=\"Get Adobe Photoshop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Photoshop 2023<\/a> (which is what I\u2019m using), one of the best ways to select the main subject in your image is with the <a href=\"\/basics\/select-subject-select-and-mask-photoshop-cc-2018\/\" title=\"Learn more about Select Subject\">Select Subject<\/a> command.<\/p>\n<p>So in the <a href=\"\/basics\/photoshop-tools-toolbar-overview\/\" title=\"Learn about Photoshop's tools and toolbar\">toolbar<\/a>, I\u2019ll choose either the <a href=\"\/basics\/using-the-object-selection-tool-and-object-finder-in-photoshop-2022\/\" title=\"Learn about Photoshop's Object Selection Tool\">Object Selection Tool<\/a>, the <a href=\"\/basics\/selections\/quick-selection-tool\/\" title=\"Learn about Photoshop's Quick Selection Tool\">Quick Selection Tool<\/a> or the <a href=\"\/basics\/selections\/magic-wand-tool\/\" title=\"Learn about the Magic Wand Tool\">Magic Wand Tool<\/a>. These are the only tools that give us access to the Select Subject button in the Options Bar.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/select-quick-selection-tool.png\" alt=\"Selecting the Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop\" width=\"254\" height=\"166\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Selecting the Quick Selection Tool from the toolbar.<\/div>\n<p>Then in the Options Bar, I\u2019ll click the arrow next to the Select Subject button and I\u2019ll choose the new <strong>Cloud<\/strong> option which <a href=\"\/basics\/select-subjects-powerful-new-cloud-option-in-photoshop-2022\/\" title=\"Learn about the Cloud option for Select Subject\">runs Select Subject on the cloud<\/a> for better results. This option was first added in the August release of Photoshop 2022 and has been carried over into Photoshop 2023.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/cloud-option-for-select-subject.png\" alt=\"Choosing the Cloud option for Select Subject.\" width=\"308\" height=\"134\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Choosing the Cloud option for Select Subject.<\/div>\n<p>Then I\u2019ll click <strong>Select Subject<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/click-select-subject.png\" alt=\"Clicking the Select Subject button in Photoshop\" width=\"326\" height=\"112\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Clicking the Select Subject button.<\/div>\n<p>Running Select Subject on the cloud takes a bit longer, but we now have the woman selected.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/subject-selected.jpg\" alt=\"The main subject is selected.\" width=\"601\" height=\"508\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The main subject is selected.<\/div>\n<h3>Filling the selection with black<\/h3>\n<p>With the selection created, I\u2019ll switch to the <strong>layer mask<\/strong> on the adjustment layer.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/select-layer-mask.png\" alt=\"Making the layer mask active.\" width=\"295\" height=\"146\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Making the layer mask active.<\/div>\n<p>Then I\u2019ll go up to the <strong>Edit<\/strong> menu and choose <strong>Fill<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/edit-fill.png\" alt=\"Choosing the Fill command in Photoshop\" width=\"336\" height=\"152\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Going to Edit &gt; Fill.<\/div>\n<p>In the dialog box, I'll set the <strong>Contents<\/strong> to <strong>Black<\/strong> and click OK.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/fill-dialog-box.png\" alt=\"Setting the Contents to Black in Photoshop's Fill dialog box\" width=\"401\" height=\"282\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Setting the fill contents to black.<\/div>\n<p>Then I\u2019ll remove the selection outline by going up to the <strong>Select<\/strong> menu and choosing <strong>Deselect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/select-deselect.png\" alt=\"Choosing the Deselect command in Photoshop\" width=\"297\" height=\"107\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Going to Select &gt; Deselect.<\/div>\n<p>And now the adjustment layer is bring applied only to the background.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-background-only.jpg\" alt=\"The result after hiding the adjustment from the main subject.\" width=\"803\" height=\"455\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The result after hiding the adjustment from the main subject.<\/div>\n<p>Looking at the layer mask thumbnail, the white part of the mask is where the adjustment is affecting the image below it and the black area is where the adjustment is hidden. Of course you can always add a layer mask to a copy of the image, but adjustment layers include them automatically.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/layer-mask-white-black.png\" alt=\"The adjustment layer's mask in the Layers panel.\" width=\"295\" height=\"139\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">On a layer mask, white reveals the adjustment and black hides it.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/photo-effects\/fade-an-image-into-any-background-color-with-photoshop\/\" title=\"How to fade an image to a solid color in Photoshop\">Related tutorial: How to fade an image to any color background<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">Adding multiple adjustment layers to the image<\/h2>\n<p>Another advantage with adjustment layers is that you can add multiple adjustments to your image and each one remains separate.<\/p>\n<p>In the Layers panel, I\u2019ll click the <strong>New Fill or Adjustment Layer<\/strong> icon again and this time I\u2019ll add a <strong>Levels<\/strong> adjustment.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/add-levels-adjustment-layer.png\" alt=\"Adding a Levels adjustment layer.\" width=\"295\" height=\"402\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adding a Levels adjustment layer.<\/div>\n<p>The Levels adjustment layer appears above the Hue\/Saturation adjustment, which means I now have two adjustments applied to the image and each one is separate from the other.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/two-adjustment-layers-added.png\" alt=\"Each adjustment gets its own layer.\" width=\"295\" height=\"190\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Each adjustment gets its own layer.<\/div>\n<p>With the Levels adjustment selected, I\u2019ll go up to the Properties panel and I\u2019ll drag the <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/photoshop-levels-image-adjustment-essentials\/\" title=\"Learn more about Levels in Photoshop\">black point and white point sliders<\/a> in towards the <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/how-to-read-and-understand-image-histograms-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Learn more about imae histograms\">histogram<\/a> to increase the contrast in the image.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/levels-adjustment-properties-panel.png\" alt=\"Adjusting the contrasting with the black and white point sliders.\" width=\"295\" height=\"346\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adjusting the contrasting with the black and white point sliders.<\/div>\n<p>And here\u2019s the result with the Levels adjustment.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/image-stronger-contrast.jpg\" alt=\"The overall contrast is now much stronger.\" width=\"803\" height=\"455\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The overall contrast is now much stronger.<\/div>\n<h3>Turning individual adjustment layers on and off<\/h3>\n<p>Since each adjustment is on a separate layer, I can turn the Levels adjustment layer on and off to compare the result without affecting the Hue\/Saturation adjustment. And I can do the same thing with Hue\/Saturation, turning it on and off without affecting the Levels adjustment above it.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/adjustment-layers-visibility-icons.png\" alt=\"Adjustment layers can be toggled on and off separately.\" width=\"334\" height=\"188\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adjustment layers can be toggled on and off separately.<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"sub\">Adjustment layers and the document file size<\/h2>\n<p>Finally, let\u2019s go back to that file size issue we looked at earlier. Remember how, with each copy of the image layer we added, we saw a big jump in the document\u2019s file size? Well notice that even with two adjustment layers added, the size of my document with the layers (on the right) is only slightly larger than the size it would be if we flattened the layers (left).<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/document-sizes-adjustment-layers.png\" alt=\"The file with the adjustment layers is much smaller than before.\" width=\"319\" height=\"65\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The file with the layers is much smaller than before.<\/div>\n<p>In fact, I\u2019ll add a few more random adjustment layers just to see what happens with the file size.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/more-adjustment-layers-added.png\" alt=\"Adding more adjustment layers above the image.\" width=\"295\" height=\"321\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adding more adjustment layers above the image.<\/div>\n<p>And notice that even with three more adjustment layers added above the original two, the file size with the adjustments has not increased at all. So unlike standard pixel layers, adjustment layers will not slow Photoshop down no matter how many we add.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/2023\/image-adjustment-layers\/document-file-size-unchanged.png\" alt=\"Adding more adjustment layers did not add to the file size.\" width=\"319\" height=\"65\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adding more adjustment layers did not add to the file size.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-bottom { width:300px; padding-top:16px;padding-bottom:16px; }\n<\/style><div align=\"center\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- 300x250 page bottom responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-bottom\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2879809098\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n\t data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div>\n<p>And there we have it! If you\u2019re still using image adjustments, hopefully I\u2019ve convinced you that adjustment layers are the better and more flexible way to work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related tutorials:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"f1\">\n<li><a href=\"\/photo-editing\/how-to-color-grade-images-in-photoshop-with-gradient-maps\/\" title=\"Learn more\">How to color grade images with a Gradient Map adjustment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/photo-effects\/high-contrast-black-and-white\/\" title=\"Learn more\">Create high contrast black and white images with a Gradient Map adjustment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/photo-effects\/how-to-posterize-a-photo-in-photoshop\/\" title=\"Learn more\">How to posterize an image with a Posterize adjustment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don't forget, all of these tutorials and more are now available to <a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">download as PDFs<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"members-ad\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Get all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a> Download them today!<\/div><br \/>\n<div align=\"center\" style=\"padding-top:16px; padding-bottom:16px;\">\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/adobe-creative.prf.hn\/creative\/camref:1100lrdjJ\/creativeref:1011l90368\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Still using Photoshop&#8217;s image adjustments? Here&#8217;s why adjustment layers are a better way to edit your photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photo-editing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Still using Photoshop&#039;s image adjustments? Here&#039;s why adjustment layers are a better way to edit your photos.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn why adjustment layers are better than image adjustments for editing your photos.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Photoshop Essentials\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photoess\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-s.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Steve Patterson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Steve Patterson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"26 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Steve Patterson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2\"},\"headline\":\"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3194,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/newsite\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Photo Editing and Retouching\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/newsite\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2\"},\"description\":\"Still using Photoshop's image adjustments? Here's why adjustment layers are a better way to edit your photos.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/newsite\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/newsite\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg\",\"width\":250,\"height\":250,\"caption\":\"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Photo Retouch\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/photo-editing\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/\",\"name\":\"Photoshop Essentials\",\"description\":\"Where everyone can learn Photoshop!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/newsite\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2\",\"name\":\"Steve Patterson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Steve Patterson\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.photoshopessentials.com\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers","description":"Still using Photoshop's image adjustments? Here's why adjustment layers are a better way to edit your photos.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers","og_description":"Learn why adjustment layers are better than image adjustments for editing your photos.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/","og_site_name":"Photoshop Essentials","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photoess","article_published_time":"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-s.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Steve Patterson","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Steve Patterson","Est. reading time":"26 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/"},"author":{"name":"Steve Patterson","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/#\/schema\/person\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2"},"headline":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers","datePublished":"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00","dateModified":"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/"},"wordCount":3194,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg","articleSection":["Photo Editing and Retouching"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/","url":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/","name":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg","datePublished":"2022-12-08T19:34:49+00:00","dateModified":"2024-06-02T13:12:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/#\/schema\/person\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2"},"description":"Still using Photoshop's image adjustments? Here's why adjustment layers are a better way to edit your photos.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/newsite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/photoshop-adjustment-layers-thumb-f.jpg","width":250,"height":250,"caption":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/photoshop-image-adjustments-vs-adjustment-layers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Photo Retouch","item":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Photoshop Image Adjustments vs Adjustment Layers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/","name":"Photoshop Essentials","description":"Where everyone can learn Photoshop!","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/#\/schema\/person\/338424c7775908e1c0a190d02a6564f2","name":"Steve Patterson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c05e0a155b18857f3546fca45eecd1d28c2e7d51953f67b40ea76ac49c3cfcc0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Steve Patterson"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33842"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35392,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33842\/revisions\/35392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}