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To copy a complete layer into another open Photoshop image, select it in the Layers panel, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, select the destination document, and confirm. Photoshop copies the layer without flattening its editable structure. To copy only part of a layer, use a selection with Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste.
Copy a whole layer or group to another open image
- Open both images in Photoshop.
- In the source image, select the layer or group you want to copy in the Layers panel.
- Choose Layer > Duplicate Layer. You can also use the layer’s context menu to access the duplicate command.
- In the dialog, choose the destination image from the document selector.
- Confirm. The copied layer or group appears in the destination document.
This is the best option when you want to keep an existing layer editable. Adobe’s Duplicate layers in Photoshop guide covers the command and destination-document choice.
Copy only part of a layer
- In the source image, use a selection tool to select the area you need.
- Choose Edit > Copy.
- Activate the destination image and choose Edit > Paste.
The pasted selection becomes a new layer in the destination. This is useful when you need only a portion of the source layer, rather than the entire layer. See Adobe’s Copy and paste selections in Photoshop instructions.
Other ways to transfer content
Copy by dragging
Select the Move tool, hold Alt on Windows or Option on macOS, and drag the content to the destination image. When there is no active selection, this copies the entire active layer. A border highlights a destination image window when it can receive the dragged content. This method is convenient, but Duplicate Layer offers a clearer destination choice when you want to transfer a whole layer or group.
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Place an external image file
To bring an image file into a document, choose File > Place Embedded or File > Place Linked, or drag the file from Explorer or Finder into the document. The placed file becomes a Smart Object layer. Embedded placement stores the placed content in the document; linked placement keeps a link to the external file. These commands are for importing a file, not for transferring separate editable layers from an already open Photoshop document. Adobe explains the options in Place files in Adobe Photoshop on desktop.
Keep a multilayer PSD editable
If the source is a multilayer PSD and you need its separate layers, open the PSD in Photoshop and duplicate the specific layer or group into the destination. Placing a multilayer PSD as a file creates a flattened version on one layer rather than preserving its layer stack. Adobe’s Create layers and groups in Photoshop on desktop guide covers layer operations and this placement limitation.
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Copied content looks too large or too small
When the source and destination images have different resolutions, copied content keeps its pixel dimensions. Its size relative to the destination canvas can therefore look different. If appropriate for your workflow, match the image resolutions before copying; otherwise, use Free Transform after pasting to resize the new content. Adobe documents this behavior in its copy-and-paste guidance.
Part of the layer is outside the canvas
A copied layer can extend beyond the destination canvas. Use the Move tool to reposition the layer, and transform it if necessary. Moving layer content within a document is separate from choosing a destination document in the Duplicate Layer dialog. See Adobe’s Reorder and move layers in Photoshop instructions.
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Keep the same relative position
Adobe’s legacy layer-management documentation describes Paste In Place as pasting copied content at the same relative position in the destination. Menu availability can vary by Photoshop version, so check whether the command is present in your version. This is supplementary guidance from Adobe’s Create and manage layers and groups in Adobe Photoshop documentation.
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