PS: copy layers between files?

[rumorsdan]

Does anyone know how to copy layers between Photoshop files and have them placed in the same position?

I know the shift key centers it, but is there a key combo for drag & drop that puts in the same position?

 

[Kwill]

Shift-drag from the layers palette of one document to the main window of another.

 

[covisio]

Or, select the layer in the source document, then in the fly-out menu of the layers palette, choose 'Duplicate Layer'.
In the resulting dialogue box, choose the Destination file from the drop down list. You can also rename the moving layer at this point. Click OK, job done.
Sounds a lot more complicated than Kwill's method, but I guess this way if you had lots of images open it might help target the destination image more easily. And there's no harm in finding out the long way round.

 

[rumorsdan]

Thanks.

Kwill's method only works if both documents are the same dimensions.

 

[Kwill]

Thanks.

Kwill's method only works if both documents are the same dimensions.

If the documents are not the same size, how do you mean place them into the "same position?" Perhaps you mean you wish to preserve the relative positions of multiple layers in one document as those layers are moved into second document.

1. To maintain relative positions while moving multiple layers, you can shift-click different layers before dragging the them into the second document's open window or group the layers (cmd-g) prior to doing so.
   
   
2. If you do not desire all the original layers, you can drag a selection around desired elements within the source document or cmd-a to select all. (Likely visibility of the background layer is toggled off to preserve transparency of others.) Copy Merged (shift-cmd-c) from the Edit menu. Draw a marque selection in the target document before pasting. The multi-layer clipboard will be pasted on one layer, centered within the marque selection.