What are Layer Comps?

Do you often have different image compositions, do you then save them as separate files? Well, by using layer comps, you can put all these different compositions in a single file.
As an example, I have a photo of a young lady who blows bubbles, or rather, trying to blow them.
On this picture I added the bubbles, and some text.
It now seems more of an advertisement for a children’s shop, but since this is only an example, it will do.
What we can do now with layer compositions is to apply edit effects to different layers, move or hide them and take a snapshot. Thus we call a snapshot, a layer composition. When you take a snapshot, or rather a layer composition, Photoshop will remember the visibility of all layers, it will remember the position of the contents of a layer, applied layer effects and layer styles.All this is clear in the next section of this lesson.

A layer comp

The first thing you do is, to open the “Comps” panel (1).
It asks for the visibility, position and layer styles for various layers, enter those you wish for this composition.
Click the “New layer comp” button (2).

In the dialog that appears, you give the composition a name and select the actions that the composition should remember.
As mentioned earlier, a composition will memorize the visibility of a layer, the position and layer style.
Click the OK button when you’re done.

The first composition is made with an emphasis on the “Pizza viagra” article.

I can still make a quick second composition.
I make changes to the display of the photos. View Photo 1 and photo 2 and hide picture 3 (1).
The layer style “Drop Shadow” on the “Pizza Salami” layer can be shown (2) and the drop shadow on the text “pizza Viagra” can be hidden (3).
The text “New” may also be hidden (4).
If you have finished setting your preferences for the second composition, click the “New layer comp” button.
To quickly navigate between the various compositions, click the gray box on the composition, or the arrows in the “Comps” panel (5).

Edit or delete a layer composition

To modify a composition, first select the composition in the “Comps” panel.
Then select the layer where you want to make changes, for example, move the content of the layer with the “move” tool.
And finally, click the “Update Layer Comp” button (6).
To remove a composition, select the composition frame and click the “Delete Layer Comp”‘ button (7). Attention! You will get no warning.

Export Layer compositions

You have the option to export the different layer comps to individual files.Just click File in the menu bar.
Select “Scripts” in the drop-down menu.
And click “Layer Comps to Files.”

In the dialog that appears, specify a destination (1) and choose a file type (2) .

If you choose a file type that supports layers, ‘.psd’ for example, these are maintained neatly, however, if you choose a type that does not support layers, jpg for example, then the various layers are merged together.

Click the button “Run” when finished.
You’ll see that you have a separate image for each composition.

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