Comments on: Photoshop Tip #1: Smart objects and layer masks

By: Photoshop Smart Objects: How and when to use them – Ian Hoar – Passion for Technology – Geeking Out

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:36:08 +0000

[...] Objects aren’t perfect, and until Photoshop CS4 a mask could not be linked unless you used layer groups. They don’t always resized perfectly when using vector logos either, but one thing they are [...]

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:03:33 +0000

Yap, Adobe just fixed it and the fix name is CS$… I’m sorry CS4… … typin’ 2 fast…
I read about another workaround that involves a layer beneath the smart object layer and clipping mask. Unfortunately, though I read it on many sites (even Adobe’s help forum), no matter how many times I tried to understand it and to practice it, I never really get it out. No one said anything about linking those layers so I still wonder how it works and what its use is.

By: Ian Hoar

Ian Hoar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:25:44 +0000

That’s true, but it’s still better than shifting around the mask every time you shift the object. I usually don’t apply styles to my masks anyway, but it is a workaround. Ideally it would be nice if Adobe would just fix this.

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:50:59 +0000

There is one major problem about this workaround. The layer style doesn’t work as it should work with a layer mask and the folder cannot be styled.
So it is still very limited.

By: Adobe Photoshop CS4 release date and wish list - Ian Hoar – Passion for Technology – Geeking Out

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:10:44 +0000

[...] This is a seriously annoying behaviour that I would even go so far to label as a bug. Whenever you add a mask to a smart object it is not linked nor can it be. A good workaround for this is using a layer group and masking that, but really, this is redundant and shouldn’t be necessary. Masks can be linked on other layer types, why not smart objects? I describe a workaround in Photoshop Tip #1: Smart objects and layer masks. [...]