Copy & paste vs new layer via copy

[Colyflower]

Hi everyone

I've got a slow period at work so thought I'd swat up on some Photoshop tutorials. Probably a silly question but I came acorss one guy's tutorial who did command J to create a new layer from a selection he'd made, I've always done copy and paste which also creates a new layer of my selection. I admit there are less keys to press with command J but is there any difference between doing that and copy and paste? Have I been doing something wrong all these years or just doing it the long way? haha

[edgrimley]

No difference.

[Ronald Keller]

No difference when copying a selection but it is different when copying a smart object layer.

[Colyflower]

Great thanks both, from googling there didn't seem to be any difference.

As for copying smart layers, should I use command J then?

[Ronald Keller]

That depends on what you want.

Command J makes a duplicate that is linked to the original which means if you edit one the other is also changed.

By copying and pasting you create a duplicate that is independent of the original. Editing one does not change the other.

[Colyflower]

Great thanks Ronald, that's very helpful indeed

[Ronald Keller]

You're welcome