Export Flexibility of Custom Shapes & Layer Styles?

Over the past few years I've developed a workflow for icon creation that involves purely custom shapes and layer styles. This has been fantastic from a number of points of view
- Vector based workflow for easy scaling, resizing
- Easy maintenance of style coherence with layer style presets
- Custom shape library means rapid prototyping of common elements
While this approach in Photoshop helps me rapidly develop icons, it's now presenting some challenges from an export point of view. Specifically the path to vector based formats like svg and xaml is hindered by the fact that Photoshop and Fireworks/Illustrator don't share a common layer styles approach. (Fireworks having a XAML export plugin and Illustrator having both XAML plugin and SVG export capability)
While the above programs are more geared towards vector work, they don't offer the flexibility of Photoshop when it comes to creating photorealistic icons with texturing.
Is anyone aware of a method for exporting a vector element from photoshop while maintaing the editability of layer styles? (Exporting simple shapes in PDF works but falls down once masks and layer styles come into the equation)
Fireworks CS4 seems to import select PSD's decently but there is not a 1:1 relationship between the layer effects from Photoshop. Illustrator seems to assume that anything coming out of Photoshop will be bitmap based and acts accordingly.
Any feedback or similar experiences would be appreciated.
Cian Walsh
[link deleted]

Hi guys,
From last week am I trying to do what I mentioned in post above, I just find it very difficult to do. Now I beginning to doubt whether it is possible or not, provided the SDK we have for CS4.
What do you think, is it a doable item and I am missing some simple thing ??
Please let me know of your views its really very important.
Thanks,
D

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Tutorial: Creating, saving and re-using Custom Shapes

I've beeen experimenting with custom shapes for the last couple of days, and thought I'd share some of the tips and techniques I found.
First of all, what are custom shapes?
Well, they're vector objects. That means that they are not built out of millions of individual pixels (like images are), but rather they're a series of mathematical statements that describe how to draw a line from point to point to create the vector shape. This means that custom shapes are "resolution independent", and that they can be grossly shrunk or enlarged and still retain razor sharp edges, curves and corners.
What are custom shapes good for?
Pretty much anything where you want to use a good, sharp object. In particular, using a custom shape as a clipping mask for an image that's been placed as a Smart Object is an outstanding technique, and really shows off the power that PSE is capable of.
PSE comes with a lot of ready-to-use custom shapes for its Custom Shape tool, and there are probably hundreds of thousands available on the Web -- just search for "photoshop shapes". Typically, those shapes will be supplied as Adobe CSH (Custom SHape) files, and simply copying the CSH files into the
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 10\Presets\Custom Shapes"
directory will make them available for use with the Custom Shape tool.
Sooner or later, though, you'll get the itch to create your own custom shapes. Out of the box, PSE does not have the capability to let you create custom shapes and add them to the CSH files like the "big" Photoshop does, so we'll need to use a workaround: store your custom shapes as layers in a PSD file, and when you want to use them simply copy them into your image.
N.B.: To create custom shapes you'll have to use the reasonably priced Elements+ add-in:
http://elementsplus.net/
So, the procedure goes like this:
Create a new image, using the PSE defaults, and save it as "CustomShapes01.psd", keeping it open.
Open an image containing an object that you want to use as a custom shape.
Use any of the selection tools to make an accurate selection of the object:
In the Effects panel, use the Elements+...Paths effect and choose the Create New Path...From Current Selection:
Use the Elements+...Paths again, choosing "Convert to Shape", giving it a name and colour of your choosing. This will create a Shape Layer using that name.
Important: If your shape has "holes",
use the Shape Selection tool and click on the shape to select it. Then hit the "Combine" button in the Options Bar. This will combine all the individual shapes used to create the shape and its "holes" into one shape, and prevent beaucoup problems later.
Switch to the Move tool and drag the shape onto the tab of your "CustomShapes01.psd" image, keeping your mouse button pressed. That image will become activated and you can move your cursor onto the image itself and drop your shape onto it. Your PSD file will now have your custom shape as a shape layer:
Save that "CustomShapes01.psd" file.
You can repeat the process for as many custom shapes as you want, and they will each become a layer in the "CustomShapes01.psd" file.
To use your custom shape, open the "CustomShapes01.psd" file and your target image and do the drag and drop with the Move tool to copy the custom shape onto your target image.
I mentioned that using a custom shape as a clipping mask for an image placed as a Smart Object is a very powerful technique. It's powerful because the custom shape can be altered at any time and still keep its sharpness, and because the Smart Object can also be resized without becoming pixellated. Of course, that custom shape layer can have any number of layer styles applied to it and those layer styles will "follow" the shape if the shape is moved, resized or rotated.
Here are three examples of using the custom shapes as clipping masks for Smart Objects:
In this example, each custom shape is used as a clipping mask for an image Smart Object, as usual:
Here, one custom shape was used as a clipping mask for an image Smart Object and they were linked.
Then the shape and image were duplicated and moved, rotated and resized. Because of the linking, the Smart Object automatically kept its orientation and size relative to the custom shape throughout:
If you want to use custom shapes as a "combined" clipping mask, the procedure is a little more complicated because you need to get all your custom shapes on one shape layer.
So, after copying your shapes into the target image (as separate shape layers), use the Shape Selection tool to select one of the shapes. Using Edit...Cut will cut that shape layer to the Clipboard, and you can select one of the other shape layers and use Edit...Paste to paste the custom shape into that shape layer. Repeat as necessary, and you will get all of your custom shapes on one shape layer. Then use that single shape layer as your clipping mask:
The neat thing is that the individual shapes can be selected with the Shape Selection tool and independently moved, resized or rotated as necessary.
Enjoy!
Ken

Thanks, Michel.
I forgot to mention one point about copying shape layers into one shape layer: when you initially use the Shape Selection tool to select a shape for cutting, make sure the option for the Shape Selection tool is set to "Add to Selection".
MichelBParis wrote:
The problem with Elements+ is that it has so many features you soon forget what it can give you !
Truer words were never spoken!
Ken

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working In Layer Style / Blending Options Dialogue Box (Mac OS 10.6.8)

In the Layer Style / Blending Options dialogue box, my custom Keyboard Shortcuts to zoom in and out of the image is no longer working. Cmd+opt+shift+1 acts as cmd+1 (jumps to Drop Shadow), and cmd+opt+shift+0 acts as cmd+0 (jumps to Stroke). Outside of this box the commands seem to be working fine.
Example 1: Create a new RGB document, cmd+j the background layer, double-click this layer to open the Layer Style / Blending Options dialogue box, mash Cmd+opt+shift+1.
Result 1: The dialogue box shift focus to the Drop Shadow Options instead of the image zooming in to 100%.
Expected Result 1: The image should zoom to 100%.
Example 2: Create a new RGB document, cmd+j the background layer, double-click this layer to open the Layer Style / Blending Options dialogue box, mash Cmd+opt+shift+0.
Result 2: The dialogue box shift focus to the Stroke Options instead of the image zooming to “Fit on Screen”.
Expected Result 2: The image should zoom to “Fit on Screen”.
This same thing happened in the CS5 Beta, and it was quickly fixed, so I hope this is not a complicated issue.
Thanks, and keep up the wonderful work!
Jacob
Mac OS X 10.6.8 on a 3.33, 6-Core MacPro5,1 with 16GB RAM w/ separate Scratch Disks & ATI Radeon HD 5870

Hi,
If you are experiencing issues with Software Update you could try the Combo Update:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
Cheers,

How to load custom photoshop cs5 layer styles to photoshop cs6 ?

how to load custom photoshop cs5 layer styles to photoshop cs6 ?

yes that was done on installatiion , when i open ps cs6 and look for them there, and they are not there . and thank for reponding so fast.

Scaling layer styles on a vector shape

How do you get the Layer styles to scale as you transform, on a vector shape, to a larger scale, so that the larger shape has the same look at the smaller version?
Thanks

Not possible. Layer styles are applied to rasterized pixels even for vector layers and have no knowledge of your intentions. Duplicate the image, resize it using the image size dialog with the option to scale layer styles, copy&paste the resized result back to your source document. To my knowledge the only reliable way. You may still need to adjust the layer style, though, as several of them do not use sub-pixel precision and may be rounded of to the wrong next value, making it look goofy.
Mylenium

PE 4.0 can you save custom layer styles?

How do you create your own layer styles and make them available in the layer styles palette? Is there a way to do it with Elements?
For example, if you have your bevels, your shadows, your inner & outer glows, all set up just the way you want them, and you'd like to re-use them in the future in other compositions, then it would be useful to be able to save your layer style.

Hi there Patrick,
Using Photoshop it is possible to create and save your own layer styles but this isn't possible in Elements ... what you could do is save the layer in a file of its own then drag and drop it into your new image and do
Layer>Layer Style>Copy Layer Style
Layer>Layer Style>Paste Layer Style
Then discard the old layer ..
Long way round but it sort of works ... well providing the sizes, resolutions etc are similar...
Wendy

Installing custom shapes in PSE 7

I have some .csh files I used when I had PSE 4 and have just upgraded. I've been able to successfully edit the meta data files and install layer styles but can't figure out how to access the custom shapes files. I had expected to click on the double arrow from the custom shape dropdown to get to a "Load shapes" menu but I don't see one. I have Windows XP.

Well, I figured it out by trial and error I guess. Here is the path where you put the custom shapes (Windows and PSE 7.0).
C:\Documents and Settings\Lisa\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\7.0\Presets\Custom Shapes
The difference is that we put the layer styles in the path C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\7.0\Photo Creations\shapes.
Note the difference between "Lisa" and "All Users".
After doing this and deleting the ThumbDatabase.db3 and MediaDatabase.db3 files, PSE rebuilt them and my custom shapes now showed up. WHEW!!!! What a pain. I guess the confusing part was the difference in that some things are for A user and not All Users.

Setting Layer style in Actions

I'm using PS CS4 and I've been using actions for years now. However, about a year or two ago they started acting oddly. All my custom actions follow a similar flow: open file, size file, make transparent, add layer style, export to PNG, and, finally, close the file.
Once upon a time, the last time I recall it working flawlessly was in CS 2, I had to do nothing other than start the action on a directory of files. Now I have to click OK when the Layer Styles window pops up. Here is the exported action file.
Any help would be appreciated. After clicking on a directory that may contain up to a 1,000 files; it gets tiresome and finger sore.

Nah, I already tried that one. I think it might be something pecular to CS4. To be honest I don't recall exactly when it stopped working correctly, but I know it worked in CS2.
Nice screen name.

Transparent Background - shape layer?

CS4
So I have this great little shape and I want to save it as a jpeg with a transparent background so that IE will show a gradient around it. However, IE is showing only a white background around the shape. My the thumbnail in the shape layer is also white (not the vector mask's thumbnail). How can I export this shape to jpeg and have a transparent background that IE understands?
TIA.

Thank you Bart. As is typical, I was confused and had the features of jpeg and gif confused.
I'm curious though, why do you say "gif preferred"? At least in IE7 both file type are displayed with transparent background. However, the PNG is noticeably sharper. Is the issue just the increase file size?
(FYI: for anyone reading this that may have the same issue. When I first created a GIF instead of the JPEG as Bart said to do, I still did not see the shape displayed with a transparent background - or at least I didn't think I did. The issue was with my CSS. My header div loads a graphic as a background image. The logo was in a logo style class, again as a background, that was assigned to a div that was a descendent. I had assumed that the logo was going to load "above" the header graphic in the Z order. That didn't happen. So what I was seeing was the white background of the browser and not a white background of the logo image. FWIW.)

Issues with merging layers with layer styles

Just downloaded CS6 Photoshop off the creative cloud and the merge layer command does not work. What is happening is there is one layer with a layer style then a shape layer and when I hit Cmd E it merges the layers but the layer style will not merge with it. I was chatting it up and everything they recommended did not work. It works on all my other co-workers computers and we are all on the cloud. I tried renaming pref. folder, settings folder, re-installing, holding down shft+option+cmd on start up. I also created a test account but that turned out to be a major inconvenience. Once logged into the account there is nothing there. The suggestions just started getting more ridiculous as chat proceeded. Nothing.
Has anyone experienced this issue?
Does anyone have a solution where I don't have to create a whole new admin account just to see if CS6 Photoshop works correctly?
P.S.
Adobe customer portal is about worthless.

Get Rich or Die Tryin wrote:
Just downloaded CS6 Photoshop off the creative cloud and the merge layer command does not work. What is happening is there is one layer with a layer style then a shape layer and when I hit Cmd E it merges the layers but the layer style will not merge with it. I was chatting it up and everything they recommended did not work. It works on all my other co-workers computers and we are all on the cloud. I tried renaming pref. folder, settings folder, re-installing, holding down shft+option+cmd on start up. I also created a test account but that turned out to be a major inconvenience. Once logged into the account there is nothing there. The suggestions just started getting more ridiculous as chat proceeded. Nothing.
There are two merge layers type commands one is merge down involves only two layers and another that is merge visible layers. In my opinion there is a problem with the way merge down is implemented. When you use merge down if the bottom layer in the merge down has a layer style the merged layer also has this layer style attached. This means that pixels from the layer merged into it will be effected by this layer style. The result may well not look like the composite looked before the merge. The will also happen in CS5. Merge visibile layer works the correct way in my view as the merge progresses the top two layers are merge by applying any layer masks and layer styles first and merging the two layers the resulting layer has no layer masks and no layer style. This result is then merged with the next lower layer with its masks and style applied first. The result is a single layer without mask and style that looks like the original composite view. If your having the problem with CMD|CTRL+E and the result has a layer style try turning the layer style visibility off see if that helps. If it helps some backup to before the merge down use merge visible or first rasterzise the bottom layer to be merged.

Shape Layer not showing up in my .swf file.

Hello All,
I was working on creating a banner that I export as a .swf file and I tried to create a rounded rectangle with only the stroke showing up so it then the banner would appear to have rounded corners on the website. After I exported the file to a .swf I noticed that the rounded rectangle shape layer I had in my project did not show up. Can anyone help me figure out why?
Here is a screen shot of the banner with a grey outline shape layer. Its there with 100% opacity and everything.
And here is what the .swf looks like. (see no outline?!)
If anyone knows how to make my shape layer appear here that would be fantastic.
Oh and just in case here are the export options I choose. File > Export > Adobe Flash (.swf)...

I gave the a try and noticed that the color quality of the other elements in my banner. (colored text) had poor .jpg quality even when I upped the .jpg quality. Do you have any recommendations on how I can rasterize my border? Ill jump into illustrator or photoshop and play around with some files and them import them to see if I can find a work around...
see crummy color quality that text was suppose to be a nice dark blue.

Where is layer style in Photoshop Elements 6?

In a photoshop tutorial there is instructions to open circle shape layer and add layer style Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, and Bevel and Emboss from the layers panel. After searching through the layers menu and layer's panel I can not find these options. Does anyone know where they are located.

Layer Styles are located in the effects palette.
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PhotoshopElements/6.0_Mac/help.html?content=WS8514E1C9-344B-4b 7e-8795-73B3EDE4EDF2.html
and
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PhotoshopElements/6.0/help.html?content=WSA86A917E-426E-43df-A DBE-4DA604F00B54.html

Custom Shape not showing up in animated gif

Hi guys,
I'm fairly new to this/to PS so apologies upfront and send me elsewhere if I'm in the wrong discussion. But here's my problem: I'm trying to create an animated gif. It's pretty simple and only involves 3 layers, with some tweening for a fade in. Then 2 of the 3 layers are text layers with vector masks (the custom shape talk bubble with some text). But when I add a frame to the animation, select that text/vector mask layer, then add another frame, and select the other layer with the second text/talk bubble and then play the animation, the bubble never appears.
Also when just working with the layers in my psd, I see that when I click away to a basic layer and come back to a layer with the vector mask, I always have to actually click the vector mask thumbnail to see the whole thing on the screen.
Any ideas? (I said I was new . . . .)
Thanks.
(Using iMac with os 10.5.7, ps cs4 with latest update.)

You need to sign your app with a certificate that chains up to a trusted root certificate. In general that means you need to get a cert from verisign or someone like that. If you get the friendly warning dialog on the first installer screen rather than the scary one with lots of red x's, you should then see your image

Shape layer questions

I’m a web designer that’s used to using Illustrator for all my work. Recently many of my new jobs want me to work in Photoshop, so I’m getting back up to speed with it. I have a few nagging issues that I haven’t been able to figure out:
With the direct selection tool, how do I select a small shape that’s overlapping a larger shape? For example, a small line on top of a large rectangle. When I try to do this Photoshop automatically makes me select the larger shape in the background. I have to zoom in super close and individually shift-select each corner of the smaller shape before I can move/transform/whatever it. This gets tedious and slow real fast!
Recently in a document I’m working in, whenver I make a new shape it automatically adds a bunch of layer styles like drop shadow, stroke, etc. These styles aren’t turned on, but it adds unecessary styles to my layers and my client is very strict about recieving only super clean .psd’s.
How do I make a line that is truly 1px stoke width? My lines seem to always start out as fuzzy 2px worms until I zoom in and surgically make them 1px. Again, what a waste of time! is there some sort of antialiasing setting that I need to turn off?
Thanks!

1. With smaller shapes that are difficult to select, try selecting their layer first. If you are not sure which layer, switch to the Move tool (V), hold Ctrl and click on the small shape. With the default behavior in Photoshop you should be able to select the layer and then use the Direct selection tool to select points on the vector path of the small shape. If you want to just move the entire shape when its the only path on a layer, aside form using the Path Selection tool (black arrow), you can just use the Move tool (V) to change the position of the layer. If you have to deal with a lot of shape layers that you just want to click and move, enable the Auto Select for the Move tool in the Properties bar. Then holding Ctrl while using the tool will toggle to its non - Auto Select mode.
2.On the Tool's property bar under the main menu, make sure the chain button is not pressed then click on the Style swatch or arrow to the right of the chain button to open the style swatch popup and from its menu there choose No Style. Next shape layer you make will not have the current style automatically applied.
3. I'm using CS5 on a pc and creating 1 px straight line with the Line tool is buggy with its alignment to grid. The Line Tool draws lines in Shape mode as rectangle vector paths. The difference between the Rectangle Tool and the Line tool is that the Line tool aside from having a Weight attribute, it draws the rectangles starting from the middle if its side. In order to snap it to grid you have to set the grid in the settings to Gridline every 1 pix and Subdivisions 2. If properly working this is supposed to solve your problem if you enable snap to grid and draw your lines starting in the middle of a pixel. The problem is that this doesn't work properly with the Line Tool which does not snap perfectly to the grid. The work around is to draw your lines with the Line Tool in Fill Pixels mode which has an Anti-aliasing option that you can turn off.
Another alternative for drawing lines on raster layers without anti-aliasing is to use the Pencil tool and hold Shift while dragging with it. The Pencil Tool in Photoshop is the same as the Brush tool but without anti-aliasing. I think more proper name would be non - anti-alised brush.

Layer Styles Not Saving for Use on Other Computers

I've been trying over and over for the last 6 hours to get the layer styles I save in my custom pallet to work on other computers. I mean, I have a bunch of pallets from other sources and somehow they achieved a way of being able to save theirs, now why can't I do it on mine?
So, here's the story of what I've done. I have a Text layer, I've added a list of FX to it via the Layer Styles menu. Now I save the document. I open up a new document and copy/paste the FX onto a new Text layer in another document window. It works great.
Then, I save the layer styles for use later, but no. When I do everything exactly the same way, my Layer Style that I saved has lost all it coordinates of shadows and stroke widths, bevels, you name it, it's screwed up. Now I've tried this so far on CS4 and CS5, 3 different computers. All 3 computers have different settings for how Photoshop is set up, so I know it's NOT my settings alone. Though, it keeps the colors and custom gradients how they are, everything is bonkers.
I'm ready to stop trusting in Photoshop to be there for me when I need it...or punch a hole in the wall. Whichever comes first.
I need help for this as soon as possible, for I have an assignment I need this for.
Running: Windows 7 64
Adobe Photoshop CS4 & CS5.

SplendidAngst wrote:
<snip>
Then, I save the layer styles for use later, but no. When I do everything exactly the same way, my Layer Style that I saved has lost all it coordinates of shadows and stroke widths, bevels, you name it, it's screwed up.<snip>
Adobe Photoshop CS4 & CS5.
Seems to me you left out the most critical piece of information, that is, HOW did you save the layer style for later use ?
You might read this tutorial to see if you did it correctly.
Paulo

Export Flexibility of Custom Shapes & Layer Styles?

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