ACA Photoshop Certification Practice Test 2026 – Complete Preparation

Adjustment layers are non-destructive edits that sit above your artwork and affect the appearance of layers beneath them. By default, the effect applies to every visible layer below in the stack, so a single adjustment layer can modify multiple layers simultaneously. If you want the adjustment to affect only one layer, clip the adjustment layer to that layer (place it directly above the target layer and choose Create Clipping Mask or Alt/Option-click between the two layers). When clipped, the adjustment's effect is limited to that layer, leaving others unchanged. You can remove the clipping mask to restore the broader effect or reposition the adjustment to affect more layers. This flexibility is what makes adjustment layers versatile for non-destructive editing.