Ghosts of above layers...

[GladlineGD]

This is my bottom layer in a project and this happens all the time, there are about 10 layers above this one and they're all leaving impressions of themselves on the layers below them as I'm mucking about. I can't find why this is happening or what setting to change. I do a lot of "select color range" to change the hue of different colours, and I do select things to change them quite a bit. I have a suspicion that might have something to do with it.

I'd like to be able to work with layers and select colours without this happening behind them.

Also why is the opacity changed? I'm pretty sure it has to do with selecting that certain colour and it takes that colour away from the make-up of the existing colour, but it shouldn't do that in my opinion especially if it's not part of the layer.

[Chuck Uebele]

Hard to say without seeing your full screen and layer panel. Most likely we well need to see other things, as you said you used color range and other things, but what were they used on, what adjustments did you make to which layers, etc.

[GladlineGD]

Well the trouble isn't this specific project, this happens all the time and I've just dealt with it until now. So I'll have my black outline layer (with transparency) of an illustration, and I'll put a layer behind it to colour with the brush tool (instead of the bucket fill tool on the same layer). Then I'll put a background behind that layer, and other layers, and so on. But then I'll want to change a specific colour, so i'll select it and change the hue/saturation; or i'll select a colour and get rid of it entirely. Then i'll try to move one of my layers to a different location, and there's a ghost of it on the layer underneath. If you need me to show you screenshots just tell me what you need. I've been meaning to switch over to Illustrator because there aren't these problems there, but I'd still like to know what's happening here.

[Bojan Živković]

I can only guess what is happening and my guess is that you have problem with anti-aliasing of selected pixels (on the mask). What is workaround? Perhaps to use Levels adjustments applied to layer mask to remove anti-aliasing where occur (grey pixels between black and white on mask).

Note: my answer is based on your previous reply and how I can understand it.

[Rob de Winter]

Hey, can you maybe upload some screenshots of your layer panel? Try to make several screenshots, while you select the layers above your bottom layer. It might have something to do with blending modes, transparency or something like that.

[GladlineGD]

Do people normally use layer masks when working with this type of stuff? I don't have any formal training in photoshop so I'm sure I'm not clued in on some basic things. I dont know what anti-aliasing is, and I dont know much about transparency, definitely never change blending modes.

[Bojan Živković]

I still think it is anti-aliasing Aliasing & anti-aliasing in Photoshop When you select something anti-aliasing is applied to selection and to pixels when you cut out pixels from image using that selection or when you import assets with transparent background. That is probably problem, semi transparent pixels are causing ghost.

Another thing that we cannot see is the zoom level (it is 12,5% from what I see). Please check at 100% zoom level (Ctrl/Cmd + 1) if ghost still appears.