How to combine multiple images in Photoshop instantly

How to combine multiple images in Photoshop instantly

Working with multiple image files often means juggling numerous open windows, a common challenge when compiling visual research, mood boards, or design layouts. Manually combining these images into a single document can quickly become tedious and inefficient.

This guide presents a powerful method for consolidating all open images into one layered Photoshop document. It demonstrates how to automate this process and offers an essential tip for quickly closing the original individual files, transforming a multi-step task into a few efficient clicks.

Watch the Tutorial

Video by photoshopCAFE. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Streamlining Your Photoshop Workflow with Stacks

Creative projects often involve gathering numerous visual assets, from compiling mood boards to preparing design layouts. Managing these images efficiently is crucial, as manually combining many open files into a single document can quickly become a repetitive and time-consuming task.

Photoshop offers intelligent features designed to streamline such workflows. The Scripts > Load Files into Stack command is a prime example, automating the process of consolidating multiple open images. Each selected image is automatically placed onto its own layer within a newly created document, transforming a tedious manual operation into an efficient, automated process.

This powerful script not only saves significant time but also helps maintain an organized workspace. By leveraging such built-in automation, users can shift their focus from administrative file management to more creative and design-oriented tasks, enhancing overall productivity.

Practical Tips for Combining Images

  • Avoid the inefficient method of manually dragging individual image tabs into another document to combine them, especially when working with many files.
  • Utilize File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack to automatically consolidate multiple open images into one new document, with each image placed on its own layer.
  • Within the Load Layers dialog, select the Add Open Files option to quickly include all currently opened documents in your stacking operation.
  • After your new document is created, right-click its tab and choose Close Others to instantly close all other open image windows, keeping your workspace tidy.

More Tutorials about Combining Images in Photoshop

Explore additional resources to further enhance your skills in merging and blending photos within Photoshop.

How to combine and blend photos in Photoshop
In this tutorial, Colin Smith from Photoshop Cafe demonstrates effective techniques for combining and blending multiple photos in Photoshop. You'll learn two distinct methods for merging images, allowing you to seamlessly integrate different elements into a cohesive composition. Colin also covers four advanced techniques for blending layers together, helping you achieve smooth transitions and harmonious effects. These techniques are essential for creating compelling visuals where multiple image
How to combine and blend photos in Photoshop
In this tutorial by Colin Smith from Photoshop Cafe, you'll explore various methods to seamlessly combine and blend photos in Photoshop. Colin covers the basics of getting photos into Photoshop and demonstrates different techniques for layering and blending images. The tutorial provides practical guidance on how to integrate multiple photos into a cohesive composition. Whether you’re working with selections or blending layers directly, you’ll learn how to achieve smooth transitions and create v
3 Creative ways to combine photos in Photoshop
In this tutorial, Colin Smith explores three innovative methods to combine photos in Photoshop. Whether you are creating composites or collages, these techniques will help you blend images together seamlessly. Colin demonstrates how to merge photos using layer masks, blending modes, and adjustment layers. These foundational skills are essential for creating striking and cohesive composites. By mastering these techniques, you can enhance your creativity and produce stunning visual effects. You'
Merge two photos in just a few clicks using Photoshop’s Generative Fill
Photoshop Training Channel presents a helpful guide for blending multiple images together with ease. Generative Fill is one of Photoshop’s most powerful but underutilized tools, and in this video PTC shows users how they can take advantage of its full capabilities. Through a simple step-by-step process, viewers will learn how to use Generative Fill to automatically composite numerous photos into a single cohesive image. Presented in PTC’s clear training style, photographers and image editors of

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

You might also like

How to Expand Photos Beyond Their Edges Using AI Generative Expand in Photoshop

Sometimes your best photos need more breathing room or a different aspect ratio. Generative Expand in Photoshop lets you extend your canvas beyond the original image boundaries, using AI to intelligently fill in missing areas with content that matches your scene. This technique works for changing portrait photos to landscape...

How to Create Digital Scrapbook Carousels in Photoshop

Digital scrapbook pages capture memories beautifully, but a single page limits your storytelling. Creating a carousel format lets you design multiple connected panels that work together as one cohesive piece while giving viewers more content to explore. This technique uses frames, custom shapes, and smart export settings to build templates...

How to Use Auto Align Layers in Photoshop for Perfect Layer Alignment

When working with multiple layers that need perfect alignment, manual positioning often falls short. Slight camera movement, different crops, or rotated images can make precise alignment seem impossible through visual adjustment alone. Auto Align Layers automatically handles rotation, scaling, and positioning to create perfect layer alignment, even when images have...

How to Use Nano Banana Pro in Adobe Firefly for Advanced AI Image Generation

Adobe Firefly now includes Gemini 3 with Nano Banana Pro, offering sharper 2K image generation with improved text clarity and precision blending. This advanced AI model works seamlessly within Firefly's generative workspace, enabling powerful workflows like multi-image composition and virtual try-on effects. The integration provides access to sophisticated...

Create Colorful Retro Text Compositions in Photoshop

Retro design trends continue to captivate audiences with their bold colors and geometric shapes. This tutorial demonstrates how to build a complete vintage-inspired composition using text, geometric elements, and vibrant color schemes that capture the essence of classic graphic design. You'll learn to combine typography with custom shapes,...

Photoshop's New Color and Temperature Tool for Advanced Color Grading

Photoshop's latest update introduces temperature and tint controls directly into the adjustment layer panel, bringing white balance tools from Camera Raw into the main editing workspace. This addition transforms color grading workflows by enabling precise local adjustments with custom brushes and blend modes. The new Color and Vibrance...

You’ve successfully subscribed to Photoshop Roadmap
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Success! Your email is updated.
Your link has expired
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.