Layer

An object within a document that contains visual elements of the image, equivalent to a layer in Photoshop.

You can access layers in a document using Document.layers collection.

If the object is representing a group layer, you can access it's children layers using Layer.layers property.

Copy
group.layers.forEach((layer) => {
  layer.visible = true;
})
Copied to your clipboard
group.layers.forEach((layer) => {
  layer.visible = true;
})

Properties

Methods

applyAddNoise

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Add Noise filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyAverage

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Average filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applyBlur

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Blur filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applyBlurMore

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Blur More filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applyClouds

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Clouds filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applyCustomFilter

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Custom filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyDeInterlace

async : Promise<void>

Applies the De-Interlace filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, CMYK 8 bits, CMYK 16 bits, Duotone 8 bits

Parameters

applyDespeckle

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Despeckle filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, RGB 32 bits, Grayscale 32 bits

applyDifferenceClouds

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Difference Clouds filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, Lab 8 bits, Lab 16 bits

applyDiffuseGlow

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Diffuse Glow filter.

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, Duotone 8 bits, Grayscale 8 bits, Multichannel 8 bits

Parameters

applyDisplace

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Displace filter using the specified horizontal and vertical scale, mapping type, treatment of undistorted areas, and path to the distortion image map.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyDustAndScratches

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Dust & Scratches filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, RGB 32 bits, Grayscale 32 bits

Parameters

applyGaussianBlur

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Gaussian Blur filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyGlassEffect

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Glass filter.

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, Duotone 8 bits, Grayscale 8 bits, Multichannel 8 bits

Parameters

applyHighPass

async : Promise<void>

Applies the High Pass filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyImage

async : Promise<void>

The applyImage method lets you blend one image’s layer and channel (the source) with a this layer (the target). This will change pixels contained in this layer. Performs Image > Apply Image on the document. See the ApplyImageOptions object for more info and examples.

Parameters

applyLensBlur

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Lens Blur filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, RGB 32 bits, Grayscale 32 bits

Parameters

applyLensFlare

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Lens Flare filter.

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, RGB 16 bits, RGB 32 bits

Parameters

applyMaximum

Promise<void>

Applies the Maximum filter

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyMedianNoise

Promise<void>

Applies the Median filter

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, RGB 32 bits, Grayscale 32 bits

Parameters

applyMinimum

Promise<void>

Applies the Minimum filter

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyMotionBlur

Promise<void>

Applies the Motion Blur filter

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyNTSC

Promise<void>

Applies the NTSC Colors filter

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, RGB 16 bits, RGB 32 bits

applyOceanRipple

Promise<void>

Applies the Ocean Ripple filter

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, Duotone 8 bits, Grayscale 8 bits, Multichannel 8 bits

Parameters

applyOffset

Promise<void>

Applies the Offset filter

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyPinch

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Pinch filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyPolarCoordinates

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Polar Coordinates filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyRipple

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Ripple filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applySharpen

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Sharpen filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applySharpenEdges

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Sharpen Edges filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap, RGB 32 bits, Grayscale 32 bits

applySharpenMore

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Sharpen More filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

applyShear

async : Promise<void>

Applies the the Shear filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applySmartBlur

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Smart Blur filter.

Supported color modes: RGB 8 bits, CMYK 8 bits, Duotone 8 bits,

Grayscale 8 bits, Lab 8 bits, Multichannel 8 bits

Parameters

applySpherize

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Spherize filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyTwirl

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Twirl filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyUnSharpMask

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Unsharp Mask filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyWave

async : Promise<void>

Applies the Wave filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

applyZigZag

async : Promise<void>

Applies the ZigZag filter.

Unsupported color modes: Indexed Color, Bitmap

Parameters

bringToFront

void

Moves the layer to a position above the topmost layer or group.

clear

async : Promise<void>

Clears the layer pixels and does not copy to the clipboard. If no pixel selection is found, select all pixels and clear.

copy

async : Promise<void>

Copies the layer to the clipboard. When the optional argument is set to true, a merged copy is performed (that is, all visible layers are copied to the clipboard).

Copy
await layer.copy(true)
await layer.copy()
Copied to your clipboard
await layer.copy(true)
await layer.copy()

Parameters

cut

async : Promise<void>

Cuts the layer contents to the clipboard. If no selection is found then select all the pixels and then cut.

delete

void

Deletes this layer from the document.

Copy
const layers = document.layers
layers && layers[0] && layers[0].delete()
Copied to your clipboard
const layers = document.layers
layers && layers[0] && layers[0].delete()

duplicate

async : Promise<Layer>

Duplicates the layer, creating a copy above it in layer stack, and returns the newly created layer.

Copy
// duplicate a layer
const copyLayer = await layer.duplicate()

// extract to a new document
const exportDoc = psApp.documents[1]
const exportedLayer = await layer.duplicate(exportDoc)
Copied to your clipboard
// duplicate a layer
const copyLayer = await layer.duplicate()

// extract to a new document
const exportDoc = psApp.documents[1]
const exportedLayer = await layer.duplicate(exportDoc)

Parameters

flip

async : Promise<void>

Flips the layer on one or both axis.

Copy
// flip horizontally
await layer.flip.horizontal()
Copied to your clipboard
// flip horizontally
await layer.flip.horizontal()

Parameters

link

Layer[]

Creates a link between this layer and the target layer if not already linked, and returns a list of layers linked to this layer.

Copy
// link two layers together
const linkedLayers = strokes.link(fillLayer)
linkedLayers.forEach((layer) => console.log(layer.name))
> "strokes"
> "fillLayer"
Copied to your clipboard
// link two layers together
const linkedLayers = strokes.link(fillLayer)
linkedLayers.forEach((layer) => console.log(layer.name))
> "strokes"
> "fillLayer"

Parameters

merge

async : Promise<Layer>

Merges layers. This operates on the currently selected layers. If multiple layers are selected, they will be merged together. If one layer is selected, it is merged down with the layer beneath. In this case, the layer below must be a pixel layer. The merged layer will now be the active layer.

move

void

Moves the layer relative to the layer specified in parameters. "placeAfter" places the layer below relativeObject. "placeBefore" places the layer above relativeObject. "placeInside" places the layer inside relativeObject if relativeObject is a group layer. ElementPlacement.PLACEINSIDE is only valid when relativeObject.kind === LayerKind.group

Parameters

rasterize

async : Promise<void>

Converts the targeted contents in the layer into a flat, raster image.

Parameters

rotate

async : Promise<void>

Rotates the layer.

Copy
// rotate 90 deg counter clockwise
await layer.rotate(-90)

// rotate 90 deg clockwise relative to top left corner
let anchorPos = require('photoshop').constants.AnchorPosition
await layer.rotate(90, anchorPos.TOPLEFT)
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// rotate 90 deg counter clockwise
await layer.rotate(-90)

// rotate 90 deg clockwise relative to top left corner
let anchorPos = require('photoshop').constants.AnchorPosition
await layer.rotate(90, anchorPos.TOPLEFT)

Parameters

scale

async : Promise<void>

Scales the layer.

Renamed from resize in ExtendScript.

Copy
await layer.scale(80, 80)

// Scale the layer to be a quarter of the size relative to bottom left corner
let anchorPos = require('photoshop').constants.AnchorPosition
await layer.scale(50, 50, anchorPos.BOTTOMLEFT)
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await layer.scale(80, 80)

// Scale the layer to be a quarter of the size relative to bottom left corner
let anchorPos = require('photoshop').constants.AnchorPosition
await layer.scale(50, 50, anchorPos.BOTTOMLEFT)

Parameters

sendToBack

void

Moves the layer to the bottom. If the bottom layer is the background, it will move the layer to the position above the background. If it is in a group, it will move to the bottom of the group.

skew

async : Promise<void>

Applies a skew to the layer.

Copy
// parellelogram shape
await layer.skew(-15, 0)
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// parellelogram shape
await layer.skew(-15, 0)

Parameters

translate

async : Promise<void>

Moves the layer (translation).

Copy
// Translate the layer to the left by 200px
await layer.translate(-200, 0)

// move the layer one height down
let xOffsetPct = {_unit: "percentUnit", _value: 0};
let yOffsetPct = {_unit: "percentUnit", _value: 100};
await layer.translate(xOffsetPct, yOffsetPct);
Copied to your clipboard
// Translate the layer to the left by 200px
await layer.translate(-200, 0)

// move the layer one height down
let xOffsetPct = {_unit: "percentUnit", _value: 0};
let yOffsetPct = {_unit: "percentUnit", _value: 100};
await layer.translate(xOffsetPct, yOffsetPct);

Parameters

unlink

async : Promise<void>

Unlinks the layer from any existing links.

Copy
// detach layer from any existing links
await layer.unlink()
Copied to your clipboard
// detach layer from any existing links
await layer.unlink()

Last updated 2/8/2022

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