(Last updated on September 7th, 2023)
Short Summary
- Smart objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files.
- Smart objects preserve the original characteristics of the source content, enabling you to perform non-destructive editing to the layer.
- Smart objects have many benefits, such as scaling, rotating, filtering, linking, masking, etc., but also some limitations, such as painting, blending, liquifying, etc.
- Smart objects can be created from regular layers or external files by using the Layer menu or the context menu.
- Smart objects can be edited, replaced, converted, filtered, duplicated, exported, or reset by using various tools and commands in Photoshop.
- Smart objects can be resized without losing quality or resolution by using the Free Transform tool or the Image Size dialog box.
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to edit an image in Photoshop without losing its original quality or resolution? Have you ever wished you could apply filters, transformations, or adjustments to a layer without making permanent changes? Perhaps you’ve needed to resize a layer in Photoshop without compromising its quality. Have you ever wondered how to work with vector graphics in Photoshop without rasterizing them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to learn about smart objects.
Smart objects are one of the most powerful and useful features in Photoshop. They allow you to perform non-destructive editing to your layers, preserving the original characteristics of the source content. They also enable you to work with vector data, such as vector artwork from Illustrator, that otherwise would be rasterized in Photoshop. In this article, we will explain what are smart objects and how to create them, how to work with smart objects in Photoshop, how to resize smart objects, and some tips and tricks for using smart objects effectively. By the end of this article, you will be able to use smart objects like a pro and unleash your creativity.
What are smart objects and how to create them
Smart objects are layers that contain image data from raster or vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. Unlike regular layers, smart objects preserve the original characteristics of the source content, enabling you to perform non-destructive editing to the layer. This means that you can scale, rotate, skew, distort, perspective transform, or warp a smart object without losing quality or resolution. You can also apply smart filters that can be edited at any time. You can edit one smart object and automatically update all its linked instances. You can apply a layer mask that’s either linked or unlinked to the smart object layer. You can try various designs with low-resolution placeholder images that you later replace with final versions.
Creating a smart object is very easy. You can create a smart object from a regular layer or multiple layers by using the Layer menu or the context menu . To create a smart object from a regular layer, select the layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object. Alternatively, you can right-click on the layer and choose Convert to Smart Object from the context menu. To create a smart object from multiple layers, select the layers in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object. Alternatively, you can right-click on one of the selected layers and choose Convert to Smart Object from the context menu.
You can also create a smart object from an external file by using the File menu or dragging and dropping a file onto the document window . To create a smart object from an external file by using the File menu, choose File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked. Then navigate to the file you want to place and click Place. To create a smart object from an external file by dragging and dropping a file onto the document window, simply drag and drop the file from your computer or browser onto the document window.
You can tell if a layer is a smart object by looking at its icon in the Layers panel. A smart object layer has a small icon at the bottom right corner of its thumbnail. This icon indicates that the layer contains image data from another source.
How to work with smart objects in Photoshop
Working with smart objects in Photoshop has many benefits. You can perform non-destructive editing to your layers, preserving their quality and resolution. You can work with vector data, such as vector artwork from Illustrator, that otherwise would be rasterized in Photoshop. You can apply smart filters that can be edited at any time. You can edit one smart object and automatically update all its linked instances. You can apply a layer mask that’s either linked or unlinked to the smart object layer. You can try various designs with low-resolution placeholder images that you later replace with final versions.
However, working with smart objects also has some limitations. You cannot perform operations that alter pixel data, such as painting, dodging, burning, or cloning, directly to a smart object layer. You cannot edit the blending options or layer styles of a smart object layer. You cannot use some tools or commands on a smart object layer, such as liquify, puppet warp, content-aware fill, etc.
To overcome these limitations, you need to know some tips and tricks for working with smart objects in Photoshop. Here are some of them:
- How to edit the contents of a smart object: To edit the contents of a smart object, double-click on its thumbnail in the Layers panel. This will open a new window with the source content of the smart object. You can make any changes you want to this content and save it by choosing File > Save or pressing Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command+S (Mac). Then close the window by choosing File > Close or pressing Ctrl+W (Windows) or Command+W (Mac). The changes you made will be reflected in the smart object layer and all its linked instances.
- How to replace the contents of a smart object: To replace the contents of a smart object, you can use the Layer menu or drag and drop a new file onto the smart object layer . To replace the contents of a smart object by using the Layer menu, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents. Then navigate to the file you want to replace with and click Place. To replace the contents of a smart object by dragging and dropping a new file onto the smart object layer, simply drag and drop the file from your computer or browser onto the smart object layer in the Layers panel.
- How to convert an embedded smart object to a linked smart object and vice versa: An embedded smart object contains the source content within the Photoshop document, while a linked smart object references the source content from an external file. To convert an embedded smart object to a linked smart object, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Linked. Then navigate to the location where you want to save the source content and click Save. To convert a linked smart object to an embedded smart object, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Embedded.
- How to filter the Layers panel by smart objects: To filter the Layers panel by smart objects, you can use the filter menu or the search box. To filter the Layers panel by smart objects using the filter menu, click on the filter icon at the top right corner of the Layers panel and choose Smart Objects from the drop-down menu. To filter the Layers panel by smart objects using the search box, type “smart” in the search box at the top of the Layers panel and press Enter.
- How to duplicate an embedded smart object: To duplicate an embedded smart object, you can use the Layer menu or hold down Alt/Option while dragging the layer . To duplicate an embedded smart object by using the Layer menu, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > New > Layer via Copy or press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+J (Mac). To duplicate an embedded smart object by holding down Alt/Option while dragging the layer, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and hold down Alt/Option while dragging it to a new location in the document window or in another document window.
- How to export the contents of an embedded smart object: To export the contents of an embedded smart object, you can use the Layer menu or right-click on the layer and choose Export Contents . To export the contents of an embedded smart object by using the Layer menu, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Layer > Smart Objects > Export Contents. Then navigate to the location where you want to save the source content and click Save. To export the contents of an embedded smart object by right-clicking on the layer and choosing Export Contents, right-click on
the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Export Contents from the context menu. Then navigate to the location where you want to save the source content and click Save.
- How to reset smart object transforms: To reset smart object transforms, you can use the Properties panel or click on the circular arrow icon next to Transform. To reset smart object transforms by using the Properties panel, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and open the Properties panel by choosing Window > Properties or pressing Ctrl+Alt+P (Windows) or Command+Option+P (Mac). Then click on the Reset button at the bottom of the Properties panel. To reset smart object transforms by clicking on the circular arrow icon next to Transform, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and click on the circular arrow icon next to Transform in the Options bar.
Related Links
- Flip a Layer in Photoshop
- Remove Objects from Photos Using Photoshop
- Create a Vignette Effect in Photoshop
- Smooth Edges in Photoshop
Resizing smart objects
Resizing a smart object affects its quality and resolution differently than resizing a regular layer. When you resize a regular layer, you change its pixel dimensions, which may result in loss of quality or resolution. When you resize a smart object, you change its scale percentage, which preserves its original pixel dimensions. This means that you can resize a smart object without losing quality or resolution.
However, resizing a smart object also has some implications. When you resize a smart object, you affect its linked instances and its embedded contents. If you resize a linked smart object, all its instances will be resized accordingly. If you resize an embedded smart object, its contents will be resized proportionally.
To resize a smart object by using the Free Transform tool, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T (Windows) or Command+T (Mac). Then drag the handles to resize the smart object as you want. You can also enter a specific value for the width, height, or angle in the Options bar. To apply the transformation, press Enter or click on the checkmark icon in the Options bar. To cancel the transformation, press Esc or click on the cross icon in the Options bar.
To resize a smart object by using the Image Size dialog box, select the smart object layer in the Layers panel and choose Image > Image Size or press Ctrl+Alt+I (Windows) or Command+Option+I (Mac). Then enter a new value for the width, height, or resolution in the dialog box. Make sure to check the Resample option and choose an interpolation method from the drop-down menu. To apply the changes, click OK. To cancel the changes, click Cancel.
Conclusion
Smart objects are one of the most powerful and useful features in Photoshop. They allow you to perform non-destructive editing to your layers, preserving their quality and resolution. They also enable you to work with vector data, such as vector artwork from Illustrator, that otherwise would be rasterized in Photoshop. In this article, we explained what are smart objects and how to create them, how to work with smart objects in Photoshop, how to resize smart objects, and some tips and tricks for using smart objects effectively. By following these steps, you will be able to use smart objects like a pro and unleash your creativity.
Thank you for reading and happy editing! 😊
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A layer in Photoshop is a level at which an image can be manipulated, where each layer can be edited individually without affecting others. A smart object, on the other hand, is a layer that contains image data from raster or vector images and preserves the original image content. It allows for non-destructive editing, meaning transformations and filters applied to it can be altered or removed at any time without permanently changing the original layer.
You should use smart objects in Photoshop if you want to perform non-destructive editing to your layers, such as scaling, rotating, filtering, linking, etc. Smart objects also allow you to work with vector data, such as vector artwork from Illustrator, that otherwise would be rasterized in Photoshop. Smart objects have many benefits, but also some limitations, such as painting, blending, liquifying, etc.
A smart object in Photoshop or Illustrator is a special layer type that contains image data and retains the original characteristics of the image, allowing for non-destructive editing. Changes made to the smart object can be edited or undone without affecting the original image data.
An example of a smart object is a logo that you created in Illustrator and placed in Photoshop as a smart object. You can resize, rotate, or filter the logo without losing its quality or resolution. You can also edit the logo in Illustrator and update it automatically in Photoshop. You can apply a layer mask to the logo that’s either linked or unlinked to the smart object layer.
Jane Smith, hailing from Boston and currently residing in New York City, is an eminent voice in the world of design and software. With a rich background spanning over a decade, Jane specializes in tutorials and comparisons across platforms like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Canva. Her passion lies in exploring the nuances of design tools, and sharing those insights with budding designers. Recognized for her expertise, she holds certifications in Adobe Illustrator and Lightroom. At Vidlery.com, Jane continually delivers engaging content, helping many navigate the vibrant tapestry of design software with ease.
