Expert: LizaL - 7/6/2005

Question
While working in Photoshop - if I have type on one layer and
several other layers of other things.... I go back to the typ layer
to grab it and move it... it jumps to another layer. It will also do
it sometimes with layers that are not type. I have to restart
PhotoShop to get it to work and eventually it will start to do it
again. Have I turned something on with a key command or
something.

I've been using PhotoShop for 10+ years and this has me
baffled! I'm in PhotoShop 7.0

Answer
Hi Wendi,

Do you mean the type itself moves, or the layer -- while in the Layers palette -- moves? I know it's easy to have several layers and accidentally start moving something on a layer that you want to stay put, just by virtue of being on the wrong layer. But if your layers are actually rearranging themselves in the Layers palette, you've either got a bad Photoshop install, or as you say, you could be hitting an incorrect key or key combination. More on that later.

Let me throw out some ideas:

1. One way of making sure you've got the right selection, and the right layer: Select the Move tool in the toolbox, then hold down the Command key (Mac) or the Alt key (PC) and then click on an object in your Photoshop file. This will select that item's layer. This is one way of making sure you have the right layer selected. Take a look at this:

http://little-works.com/all_experts/layer1.mov
(You can't see it here, but I'm holding down the Command key while I click.)


2. You can activate any layer -- that is, make it a selection -- by holding down your Command key (Mac) or Alt key (PC) and clicking on that layer name in the Layers palette. Again, this is one way to make sure you have the right layer selected, and in this case, activated.

This is especially good for selecting type -- not only is it activated instantly when you do this, but it's ready for you to move it, change it, color it, etc.

http://little-works.com/all_experts/layer2.mov
(Again, you can't see it, but I'm holding the Command key on my keyboard while clicking on the layers.)

-------

But if you've used Photoshop for over 10 years, you probably already know these things.

One other thing -- you mentioned accidentally activating key commands. You might want to take a look at this chart, which I took from the Photoshop Help file. Check in particular and see if you might be doing something like moving the target layer up or down (Command or Control + clicking).

http://little-works.com/all_experts/ps_keycommands.html


However -- if it's a case where your layers actually move in the layers palette, and you're sure you're not doing anything to help this happen, as a last resort I'd uninstall Photoshop, and reinstall it. If you're using a Mac, make sure you delete all your preferences related to Photoshop as well, before you reinstall.


If you can, post back and let me know what happens.

Oh, one last thing -- what happens if you lock that layer, then move other objects within your document? Does it move then?

Hope this helps --

Lisa