To select all the layers between the currently active layer and the top layer, press Option-Shift. To select the bottom layer, press Option-, or Alt+, to clarify that’s Option or Alt plus the period/full stop key. To select the top layer in your Layers panel, press Option.
To select the layer above the current layer, press Option-] or Alt+] To select the layer below the current layer, press Option-[ or Alt+[ Simply type the keyboard shortcut again to select an additional layer above or beneath.
This lets you select one layer at a time. To select several layers at a time, select the first layer and then press Option-Shift- (Mac) or Alt+Shift+] to select layers above it. To merge all layers, press Ctrl + E, to merge all visible layers, press Shift + Ctrl + E. To group layers, press Ctrl + G, to ungroup them press Shift + Ctrl + G. To create a new layer using a selection (layer via copy), press Ctrl + J (Mac and PC). To create a new layer press Shift-Ctrl-N (Mac) or Shift+Ctrl+N (PC). With one hand on the keyboard and one hand on the mouse, here’s a bunch of shortcuts that can help you save time and prevents the need to go back and forth to the main Photoshop menu. By learning some keyboard shortcuts to select and move your layers you can speed up your work enormously. It’s where you isolate your artwork and is the key to non-destructive editing. The Layers palette or panel is one of the most important in Photoshop.
