Being smart with Smart Objects

I am new to the Smart Objects concept, as it was not a feature in any of the Photoshop versions I had used prior to CS4.  Like Adjustment Layers, Smart Objects give you more flexibility when editing your images, so your adjustment decisions are not set in stone.

The three main reasons to use Smart Objects

1) You can transform elements in your image multiple times without losing quality.

Normally, if you use the Edit>Transform commands repeatedly, whatever element you edit will lose some quality.  (Most notably when you scale an element down and then increase the size.)  This is not the case with a Smart Object, as the Transform commands are applied non-destructively.

2) You can convert ordinary filters into Smart Filters.

Many filters in Photoshop are not editable.  That is, you can make initial adjustments when you add them to a layer, but they cannot be modified once they’ve been applied.  When you add a filter to a Smart Object, it becomes a Smart Filter, which means it can be edited.  In fact, you can make changes as many times as you like, and each time the new filter settings will be applied to the original, unfiltered layer.

3) You can “nest” multiple layers within a Smart Object layer.

If you want to treat multiple layers as a whole without folder groups (or merging your layers into one), Smart Objects is the way to go.   You are essentially creating a new layer containing a mini Photoshop document.  This layer can be manipulated the same way as any other layer (applying filters and layer effects).  And when you want to edit its individual elements, you simply double-click on it, and the Smart Object will open in a new tab with all the original layers intact.

How to make Smart Objects from layers

One of the slickest things about Smart Objects is just how easy it is to create them.  All you need to do is select the layer(s) or group folder you want to convert and either: a) go to Layer>Smart Objects>Convert to Smart Object or b) Filter>Convert for Smart Filters.

Voila!  Now you are ready to edit your Smart Object layer.

Smart Objects at work

I worked a bit on improving my poster project last week (I had a little time, as I was home sick with a fever/cold), and I ended up converting a big portion of my image into a Smart Object.  This allowed me to easily add a couple of effects to multiple elements without having to merge them into one layer.

Here’s the before and after comparison of one of my posters.  See if you can spot the (simple) effects I applied.

KidZone poster original version

KidZone poster slightly modified version (using Smart Objects)