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Layer Properties

Author: FotoFects More by this author

Added: Nov 23, 2005 Rating:

Level: Professional Software: Photoshop

If you are new to scripting for Photoshop, please view our Photoshop Scripting Basics tutorial for an introduction to Photoshop scripting and a few exercises about basic JavaScript.

1. Check for an opened document so that this script will only run if there is an opened document. `if (documents.length > 0) { }`

2. Type in the properties you would like to use. View the Properties for artLayer table below for a list of properties. `if (documents.length > 0) { blendMode = BlendMode.Overlay; opacity = 50; name = "My Photoshop Layer"; }`

3. Now we have to tell which layer the properties will be applied to. `if (documents.length > 0) { activeDocument.activeLayer.blendMode = BlendMode.OVERLAY; activeDocument.activeLayer.opacity = 50; activeDocument.activeLayer.name = "My Photoshop Layer"; }`

4. We can optimize the code by creating a variable for `activeDocument.activeLayer.` `if (documents.length > 0) { var doc = activeDocument.activeLayerdoc.blendMode = BlendMode.OVERLAY; doc.opacity = 50; doc.name = "My Photoshop Layer"; }`

5. Save the file and run the script inside Photoshop (File> Scripts> Browse). Make sure that you have a document opened or else the script will do nothing.

Properties for artLayer

Property	Type	Description
`allLocked`	Boolean	Locks or unlocks a layer. Code used in example: `allLocked = true`
`blendMode`	`BlendMode` constant	Sets the blend mode for the layer. Code used in example: `blendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL`
`fillOpacity`	Number	Changes the opacity of the filled areas in the layer. Code used in example: `fillOpacity = 100%`
`grouped`	Boolean	Groups the layer with the layer below it. Code used in example: `grouped = true`
`isBackgroundLayer`	Boolean	Sets the layer as the background layer. Will only work if there are no Background layer. Code used in example: `isBackgroundLayer = true`
`kind`	`LayerKind` constant	Sets the type of layer to either `NORMAL` or `TEXT`. Changing a layer to a `TEXT` layer will only work if the layer is empty/transparent. Code used in example: `kind = LayerKind.TEXT`
`linkedLayers`	Array	Set the layers that are linked with the layer.
`name`	String	The name of the layer. Code used in example: `name = "Layer 3"`
`opacity`	Number	Opacity of the layer. Code used in example: `opacity = 100`
`parent`	Document or `layerSet` object	The parent object that contains this layer.
`pixelsLocked`	Boolean	Locks or unlocks the pixels of a layer. Code used in example: `pixelsLocked = true`
`positionLocked`	Boolean	Locks or unlocks the position of a layer. Code used in example: `positionLocked = true`
`textItem`	`TextItem` object	The text used in the layer. For text layers only. Code used in example: `textItem.size = 10;`
`transparentPixelsLocked`	Boolean	Locks or unlocks the transparent areas. Code used in example: `transparentPixelsLocked = true`
`visible`	Boolean	Sets the layer's visiblity. Code used in example: `visible = true`