Did you know that you can load multiple images into a whole bunch of layers in one Photoshop file? Â Well, if you said no, then you’re not alone! The internet is filled with questions on how to do this so I thought it would be best to give a quick tutorial. Â I’m not sure about the support in CS3 and previously, but in CS4, Bridge gives you all the tools you need to import images into multiple layers in one Photoshop document.
- Open Bridge.
- Navigate to the directory that your images reside in
- Select the files. Â You can click and drag around them, or use the shift button to select multiple files.
- Now in the menu bar select Tools > Photoshop > Load Files into Photoshop layers
Now all those images are in one Photoshop files and you can get your edit or design on. Â How simple was that?
Update: John Rossi let us know via email that In CS3 there is an ability to load multiple images into layers using a script. Choose File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.
April 27th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Thank you so much! what a save!
April 27th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Thank you so much! what a save!
May 28th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Shshs, love it, I hade to import 602 little photos to create my Wedding Invitation Card, thank you for this advive, or else I would not make the design I wanted.
Thanks.
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June 10th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
My Bridge doesn’t have this menu option… why? Is there another way to do this?
June 16th, 2009 at 6:04 am
What version of the Photoshop Package are you using? CS1, CS2, CS3? I can look into it more if you can drop me some details.
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July 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I also am not seeing this option. I’m running CS3 master collection on Windows Vista. do I need any kind of extra plug ins? or is it not available on PC?
July 8th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I’m not sure about CS3 on Windows. I don’t have access to either. :( Sorry about that.
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July 8th, 2009 at 6:19 am
yo yo yo!!!! dacrew in da house!!! this tutorial no work!! earth to Joshua!! anybody there???
July 8th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I only have access to CS4 so I can’t really comment on any other version.
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August 9th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I can’t get it going.
When I click load into layers from Bridge, it opens photoshop but doesn’t do anything.
August 9th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I’m running CS3 on a XP box
August 20th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Dean, The following stuff works for me in CS3: (Probs for John Rossi..)
Update: John Rossi let us know via email that In CS3 there is an ability to load multiple images into layers using a script. Choose File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Great tip! Thanks!
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September 8th, 2009 at 10:42 am
No prob. Hope you like it enough to add us to your RSS reader. ;)
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September 12th, 2009 at 5:30 am
good one :) spent an hour trying to figure out how to do that lol..
And it does work on windows, I am using CS4 on windows, just have to make sure you have more than 1 item selected for it to show up in the menu
September 13th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Thanks for letting us know that it works in Windows. I’ve had some people ask me, but I had no idea. :)
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September 14th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Another way of doing this directly in Photoshop CS4… File> Scripts> Load Files into Stack. Just select the files you want loaded as layers and you’re good to go ; )
February 26th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Thanks! Great save!
October 1st, 2009 at 9:36 am
Hey joshua, thanks for the big save….I’m trying to put together an animated gif for a class assignment and this was the first step.
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October 21st, 2009 at 9:38 am
How do you do this in CS2? I don’t have the Load Files into Stack option either.
November 13th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I love you for this tip! I knew how to do it in lightroom, but not via the bridge in photoshop CS4!
JN
November 13th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Thanks Julie. It’s why we’re here. Hopefully you can find some other useful posts on the site. :)
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November 20th, 2009 at 2:30 am
You have just saved me a lot of time and mind twisting.. thanx!!
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December 28th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
If you’re using CS2, Use Image Ready to create your Layer Stack. By selectng Import > Folder As Frames, then save as PSD. Open in Photoshop and bobs your uncle, sorted!
December 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
you da man!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Thank you very much. Saved my Butt
February 8th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
THANK YOU, thank you soooo much this is fantastic!! What a time saver :-)
February 20th, 2010 at 9:41 am
thank you, saved me 60 minutes of pure donkey work.
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February 23rd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Wow, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you! (BTW–creepy avatar…jus’ sayin’.)
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March 2nd, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Thanks! I knew it was in bridge somewhere.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:57 am
I didn’t read through all the comments to see if this had been mentioned but it bears repeating even so. You can also do this right in Photoshop through file > scripts > load files into stack. Accomplishes the exact same thing. Convenient if you don’t have Bridge open already.
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March 14th, 2010 at 4:58 am
i need to bring a psd file into a new psd file, but i cant get seem to get the bridge to work, got soem wacky error code, and i need ALL the layers from the one file to be brought over. >.>