How do you copy in Photoshop?

To copy in Photoshop, you need to first make a selection and then copy that selection to the clipboard. Here's a breakdown of the process:

Steps to Copy in Photoshop

1. Selection:

   • Begin by using one of Photoshop's selection tools (like the Marquee tool, Lasso tool, or Magic Wand tool) to select the specific area of your image you want to copy.

2. Copy Options:

   • Once you have your selection, go to the "Edit" menu at the top of the screen.
   • You have two main copy options available:
     • Copy: Choose "Edit > Copy" to copy only the content from the currently active layer within the selected area to the clipboard.
     • Copy Merged: Choose "Edit > Copy Merged" to copy the combined content of all visible layers within the selected area to the clipboard. This is useful when you want a flattened representation of your selection.

Practical Insights and Examples

• Copy: If you have a complex design with several layers and you only want to copy the content of a single, specific layer (such as text or an isolated object), use the plain "Copy" command.
• Copy Merged: Imagine you've worked on an image with various layers for adjustment, like color corrections, and you want to copy the final visual result. Copy Merged will take the content of all the visible layers combined, creating a 'flattened' copy to paste.
• Pasting: After copying, you can paste the selection using the “Edit > Paste” command (or shortcuts) into the same document or another document in Photoshop.
• Shortcuts: You can streamline your copying workflow by using the following shortcut:
  • Copy: Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac)
  • Copy Merged: Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+C (Mac)

Summary

By understanding the difference between Copy and Copy Merged, you can efficiently manage your workflow in Photoshop and copy the exact content you need.