3MT – Working Better With Smart Objects

Today’s three-minute-tip will again revolve around Photoshop. We will take a look at a few ways of working better with smart objects. For this tip, you will need both Illustrator and Photoshop. I’ll be working in CS4.

Vector vs. Raster

A smart object is basically a vector object inside Photoshop’s (mostly) raster world. If you don’t know the difference between vector and raster, a basic rundown goes like this;

Vector images are created by using calculated lines. This essentially means that the curves, shapes, lines, et cetera are displayed as a result of a lot of calculations on the part of the program you are using (in this case, Illustrator and Photoshop). It’s kind of like an extended version of what you learned with point-plotting, sine waves, and function graphs in geometry, mixed with colors and transparency values.

Raster images are basically plots of color on a pixel map. This means that each pixel in your image is assigned a color, and depending on what kind of file, sometimes an alpha value.

If this still doesn’t make sense, the best thing to remember is basically that vector images can be blown up or shrunk to any size and will not lose quality; a raster image will lose quality if blown-up above its original size. Vector, thus, is the preferred format for logo design and typographically based design. However, vector images are somewhat limited in their ability to be manipulated in Photoshop. Be sure to check out the last tip in the article for a possible workflow-based solution to this problem!

What is a smart object?

A smart object in Photoshop can be one of two things.

1. A version of a raster layer that doesn’t lose quality when it is transformed down and then back up
2. One or multiple vector lines/shapes/information

Today, we will only be dealing with the second variety.

Traditionally, vector images are created inside Illustrator; however, as many designers have found, it helps to be able to move from Illustrator to Photoshop fluidly. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using – you guessed it – copy and paste.

So, say we need a striped design we have created inside Illustrator for a design we’d like to finalize in Photoshop. What is an easy way to get it into Photoshop? Cmd or Ctrl + C, of course! With the document open, copy either with the copy keyboard shortcut (Cmd or Ctrl + C) or by going to Edit > Copy.

Switch to your active document in Photoshop and either use the keyboard shortcut for paste (Cmd or Ctrl + V) or choose Edit > Paste. You are given the option to paste with different forms. Smart Object is one of the choices. Make sure the radio button next to smart object is selected, and press OK.

You then have the option of transforming the object in the same manner as you would if you chose Edit > Free Transform. Here, you can scale, skew, etc.

Once you have made any transformations you’d like to make, press Enter to accept the transformation. In your layers palette you will see a smart object layer.

If you decide later that you’d like to change something about the object, simply double-click the layer thumbnail. This will open an Illustrator editing window. Once you have made any changes you’d like to make, choose File > Save and exit the window.

The Photoshop document will automatically reflect the changes.

Tip: It helps to duplicate smart objects up front so that if you decide to use any kind of filters or warping on the layer that requires you to rasterize it, you will have a copy of the original vector object. An easy way to duplicate layers is to first select the layer you’d like to duplicate, then press Cmd or Ctrl + j. After doing this, you can place it in a folder, such as the “Originals” folder below, along with any other layers you’d like to preserve the original version of. This is mostly effective when using effects or filters that “destroy”, or change the value or location of, the actual pixels in the layer.