How to Copy a Layer From Photoshop to Another Document

To copy a layer to another Photoshop document, open both documents, select the layer in the Layers panel, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, and pick the other document in the Document menu of the dialog. You can also select the layer, press Ctrl+C, switch to the other document and press Ctrl+V; Adobe says copying layers this way keeps their masks, layer effects and Smart Object references. Use Ctrl+Shift+V (Paste In Place) to keep the same position.

Method 1: Duplicate Layer to another document

1. Open the source document and the destination document.
2. In the source document's Layers panel, select the layer or layer group.
3. Choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or right-click the layer and choose Duplicate Layer.
4. Type a name for the copy.
5. In the Document menu, choose the destination file. Choose New to put the layer in a new document instead.
6. Select OK.

This is the most explicit method: you name the copy and choose the target in one dialog, without switching windows.

Method 2: Copy and paste the layer

Adobe's help describes copy and paste as the way to move layers between documents with all their properties.

1. In the Layers panel, select the layers you want to copy.
2. Press Ctrl+C (or Edit > Copy).
3. Switch to the destination document.
4. Press Ctrl+V (or Edit > Paste).

The pasted layer lands in the center of the destination canvas. According to Adobe, the copy keeps bitmap and vector masks, layer effects and Smart Object references, and creates an independent duplicate.

Paste the layer in the same position

To keep the layer exactly where it was relative to the canvas edges, paste with Edit > Paste Special > Paste In Place, or press Ctrl+Shift+V. This works best when both documents have the same pixel dimensions.

Start a new document the size of the copied layers

1. Copy the layers.
2. Choose File > New and select the Clipboard preset.
3. Select Create, then press Ctrl+V.

The new canvas matches the bounding box of everything you copied.

Method 3: Drag the layer between documents

With both documents visible (Window > Arrange can tile them), drag the layer from the Layers panel onto the other document's canvas. It's quick for one-off moves, but the layer lands where you drop it, so check the position afterwards, or use copy and Paste In Place when the position matters.

Copy a flattened version with Copy Merged

Sometimes you want what you see, not the layer stack: a preview for Slack, an email or a slide.

1. Make a selection, or leave nothing selected to copy the whole visible image.
2. Choose Edit > Copy Merged or press Ctrl+Shift+C.
3. Paste into Photoshop, Word, Slack or any app that accepts images.

Copy Merged combines all visible layers inside the selection into one image. Hidden layers are left out even if they're selected.

Which method to use

Things that change when a layer moves

• Resolution: pasted content keeps its pixel dimensions. If the two documents have different resolutions, the layer can look bigger or smaller than expected. Match resolutions with Image > Image Size first, or resize with Edit > Free Transform afterwards.
• Color profile: if the documents use different color profiles, Photoshop may ask whether to convert the colors to the destination profile or keep them. Your Edit > Color Settings decide when that prompt appears.
• Smart Objects: a copied Smart Object is an independent embedded copy. Editing it doesn't change the original, and vice versa. If you need every instance to update, use linked Smart Objects that point to one source file.
• Shape layers and vector masks: with no path selected on the canvas, copying a shape layer copies the whole layer. With a path selected, only the path is copied, and pasting it into another layer adds or replaces a path or mask.
• Cut isn't available while layers are selected in the Layers panel. Copy, then delete the original.

Copying layers to apps outside Photoshop

Inside Photoshop, a copied layer keeps its properties. Other apps receive an image through the Windows clipboard, so effects, masks and layers are flattened on arrival.

Photoshop only shares its clipboard with other programs when Export Clipboard is turned on in Edit > Preferences > General. Adobe suggests turning it off to save time if you copy large amounts of data but don't paste into other applications. For a browser mock, a file is usually better than a paste anyway; see how to move a Photoshop export into a browser mock. If pastes from Photoshop into Word or a browser stop working, check that setting first.

For copying in the other direction, see how to get a screenshot into Photoshop without recopying and how to copy an image file so Photoshop gets pixels. Pasting artwork from Illustrator has its own options, covered in Illustrator clipboard handling settings.

FAQ

Why did my pasted layer come out the wrong size?

The two documents have different resolutions or pixel dimensions. Pasted pixels keep their size in pixels, so resize with Free Transform or match the documents' resolutions first.

How do I copy several layers at once?

Ctrl+click the layers in the Layers panel, then use Duplicate Layer or Ctrl+C. To keep them organised, put them in a group and duplicate the group.

Can I paste a Photoshop layer into Word with its layers intact?

No. Word receives a flattened image. Use Copy Merged to control exactly what's flattened, or export a PNG and insert the file. Dropping clipboard images into Word, Slack, and Explorer covers the receiving side.

Related reading

• Photoshop Copy, Paste, and Place on Windows: Best Setup
• How to Paste a Screenshot Into Photoshop (and Keep It)
• Why Pasting an Image File Into Photoshop Does Nothing
• Affinity Paste Special and New from Clipboard on Windows

Sources

• Duplicate layers (Adobe Photoshop Help) — Layer > Duplicate Layer with a destination document.
• Copy and paste layers (Adobe Photoshop Help) — what copy and paste preserves, Paste In Place, Clipboard preset, Copy Merged, resolution, color profiles and Smart Objects.
• Optimize Photoshop performance (Adobe Photoshop Help) — the Export Clipboard preference.

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