How to use Smart Object in Photoshop

1. What is Smart Object?

Smart Object is integrated from Photoshop CS3 version, undergoing a long time of development and upgrade with each different Photoshop version. Smart Objects are really useful and cool but most of us don't use them and general users, mostly ignore this useful tool.

In essence, a Smart Object is a smart object, containing the original data of the layer (layers, images, vectors). Alternatively, you can manipulate a Smart Object like Transform, using the Filter filter without affecting the original properties of the layer.

To distinguish normal layer and Smart Object layer , we know on the icon of that layer. If you see the File icon on the layer like the image below, that layer is a Smart Object .

2. Convert the normal layer into a Smart Object and vice versa

Step 1: Click on the layer to convert to Smart Object .

Next, go to menu Layer (1) => Smart Objects (2) => Convert to Smart Object (3) .

After converting to Smart Object , you will see the icon in the corner of the Layer as shown below.

Step 2: To convert Smart Object to normal layer, please click Smart Object layer (1) => Layer (2) => Smart Objects (3) => Rasterize (4) .

3. Add the image into Photoshop and automatically convert it into a Smart Object

Step 1: Click on the menu File (1) => Place Embedded (2) .

Next, you choose to image file (3) => Open (4) .

Then, you edit, drag the image to the desired location and press Enter to confirm.

Then you will see the layer converted to Smart Object format .

4. Change the template and keep the format with Replace Contents

This feature will help you to store the original information of the layer and apply it to another sample image. Proceed as follows:

Step 1: You right click on the Smart Object layer (1) => Replace Contents (2) .

Next, you select the image on your computer (1) => Open (2) .

Step 2: You align and move the photo to the desired position, the effects and filters from before are preserved.

With the sharing about Smart Object in the article, you can find this feature very useful and will help you in case of need.

Good luck!

Samuel Daniel

Update 17 October 2020