Photoshop Tip: Isolating Layer Styles

I received an email from Elliot recently, who wanted to know if it was possible to isolate Layer Styles onto their own layers. This quick article will show you exactly how to do that!

I, myself, haven’t found too much use for separating Layer Styles into their own layers, but I can definitely see why some projects may benefit from it. In the project below, you can see that there are several layers with Layer Styles attached to them.

If, for whatever reason, you want each Layer Style to become it’s own layer, there’s an easy method to do so. However, keep in mind, that you will loose the ability to edit that Layer Style later on, so you may want to duplicate that layer just in case. Another tip, would be to place your layer in a folder. Once we separate the Layer Styles, your Layers Pallet will be a mess!

Now that you’re ready for separation, head up to Layer > Layer Style > Create Layers.

Once you have clicked on Create Layers, you will notice that all your Layers Styles from the selected layer are now separated. You can now edit them individually, if you choose. This could be very helpful if you are looking to adjust the shape of a shadow, or customize the shape of an Outer Glow, etc.

Again, once this is done, you cannot edit the Layer Styles like you normally could. I hope that answered your question, Elliot.