Are you worried about how to make drop shadow not effect every layer? By default, a drop shadow can affect every layer beneath it, which isn’t always desirable.
Don’t worry, we’ll teach you a simple method to ensure your drop shadow only affects the layer you want it to.
It’s easier than you think and perfect for adding depth and focus to your designs without cluttering your layout.
Ready to see how? To do it, We’ll go over creating drop shadows affect only specific layers in Photoshop.
This method is helpful when you want to keep your design neat and organized. It will give your work a more professional look. Let’s go through it step by step.
Table of Contents
Can you make drop shadow not affect every layer
Yes, you can create a drop shadow in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements that doesn’t affect another layer.
By default, when you apply a drop shadow to a layer, it only impacts that specific layer, not any other layers beneath or around it.
To ensure this, apply the drop shadow effect through Layer Styles. The shadow still connects itself to that layer and does not get in the way of other layers.
If you separate the shadow into its layers, you can further manipulate it, but it still won’t affect other layers unless you manually move it to overlap them.
ok, let’s learn how to make drop shadow not effect every layer from the below section!
How to make drop shadow not effect every layer

If you ask How to make drop shadow not effect every layer, it means you wish a shadow to affect only specific layers in Photoshop without affecting every layer.
You can obviously create a drop shadow in Photoshop that does not affect every layer. To do that, you should create this shadow for only one layer or a separate layer.
Exactly why we are getting started to explore a process for making a drop shadow for a separate layer.
Let’s start.
How to make a drop shadow its own layer in Photoshop

When you add a drop shadow to an object in Photoshop, it usually stays attached to that object. This makes it harder to edit the shadow separately.
By putting the drop shadow on its layer, you can adjust it any way you want. You can change its position, size, or opacity. You can even make it look like your object is lifting off the page!
Anyway, we will use two examples in this guide. The first is with simple shapes, and the second is with more detailed objects.
Example 1: Create Basic Shapes and Apply the Drop Shadow

To start, open Photoshop and create a new project. For this example, let’s use two simple shapes—a square and a circle. These are easily created using Photoshop’s Shape Tools from the left toolbar.
- Draw a square and a circle on two separate layers. You can do this by selecting the Rectangle Tool (U) and Ellipse Tool (U) from the toolbar.
- Position the square on top of the circle in the Layers Panel.
Now, we want to apply a drop shadow to the square. Here’s how:
With the square layer activated, go to the Layers Panel and click on the Add Layer Style button at the bottom (it looks like “fx“).

Now, from the menu, select Drop Shadow.
In the meantime, a settings window will pop up where you can adjust the shadow’s Opacity, Distance, Spread, and Size. Feel free to experiment with these settings to get the desired look.
- Once satisfied, click OK.

You will now see a shadow beneath the square. If you move the square over the circle, the shadow affects both the circle and the background. But we want the shadow to only affect the circle, not everything beneath it.
2. Hide the Shape But Keep the Shadow

To achieve this, we need to make the square itself invisible, while still displaying its shadow. We do this by adjusting the Fill slider.
- With the square layer still selected, look at the Layers Panel. You’ll see a slider called Fill just above the layer styles.
- Set the Fill to 0%. This makes the square invisible, but the shadow remains unaffected.
Now, if you move the square, its shadow will still be visible, but you won’t see the square itself. However, the shadow still affects the background as well, so we need to take it one step further.
3. Use a Clipping Mask to Control the Shadow

To make the shadow only affect the circle, we will use a Clipping Mask. This will limit the shadow to the shape of the circle beneath the square.
So, hover your mouse cursor between the square layer (which now only shows a shadow) and the circle layer in the Layers Panel.
Then, hold down the Alt key (on Windows) or Option key (on Mac). You’ll see the cursor change into a clipping mask icon (a small arrow pointing down).
- Click once. Now the shadow is clipped to the circle layer, meaning the shadow only appears inside the circle and nowhere else.
4. Restore the Visibility of the Square

At this point, the square itself is invisible, but you might still want it to be visible in your design. You can easily bring it back without affecting the shadow setup.
- Simply duplicate the square layer by pressing Ctrl + J (on Windows) or Command + J (on Mac). This will create an identical copy of the square layer.
- Turn off the drop shadow on the new layer. Do this by clicking the eye icon next to the drop shadow effect in the Layers Panel.
- Set the Fill of the new layer back to 100% to make the square visible again.
Now you have a square with a shadow that only affects the circle and not the background.
Example 2: Use Drop Shadows with More Complex Objects
For a second example, we will use two objects: a red mug and a gray mug. We want the red mug to cast a shadow only on the gray mug, not on the background.
1. Add a Drop Shadow to the Red Mug

To start place two mug images on separate layers: a red mug and a gray mug.
With the red mug layer selected, go to the Add Layer Style button and select Drop Shadow.
- Adjust the shadow settings as needed and press OK.
Just like before, the shadow affects both the gray mug and the background, which isn’t what we want.
2. Hide the Red Mug and Keep the Shadow

In this step, set the Fill of the red mug layer to 0% in the Layers Panel. This hides the red mug but keeps its shadow.
3. Clip the Shadow to the Gray Mug

Here, hover between the red mug layer and the gray mug layer in the Layers Panel.
Now, hold the Alt or Option key and click to create a clipping mask.
The shadow will now only affect the gray mug.
4. Make the Red Mug Visible Again
Duplicate the red mug layer using Ctrl + J or Command + J. Then, turn off the drop shadow on the new layer and set its Fill back to 100%.
Now you have a red mug with a shadow that only affects the gray mug, even if you move them around in the project.
Why This Technique is Useful
There are several scenarios where you might want a drop shadow to only affect a specific layer. For example:
- In user interface (UI) design, you may want shadows to affect only certain buttons or icons.
- For product mockups, shadows help make designs look more realistic. But you might want to control where the shadow appears.
- This method keeps your designs looking clean and polished.
How to Make Drop Shadows Affect Only Specific Layers: bonus tips
Now you may learn how to make drop shadow not effect every layer and affect only one layer. To do so, we’ve made the drop shadow for specific layers. Anyway, here are some extra tips for this job:
To make your shadow pop, you can add a slight highlight to the top of the element itself. For something extra creative, try altering the color of your drop shadow as well.
Once you’ve found the perfect drop shadow settings, save them for future projects. It will help to maintain consistency across your layouts.
Final thought
So, now you’ve got the steps on how to make drop shadow not effect every layer from our above guide. Using this simple technique in Photoshop, you can control where your drop shadows appear.
With the Fill slider, Clipping Masks, and Layer Duplication, you can easily ensure that shadows affect only the layers you choose.
This gives your work a more professional look and helps create clean, layered designs.
Now you can apply shadows with more precision and flexibility in any project. So, try it now yourself.
How do I only have a drop shadow on a layer below in Photoshop?
To apply a drop shadow to a layer and make sure it only affects layers below it, you need to use layer styles. First, select the layer you want to apply the drop shadow to.
Then, go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow. In the Layer Style dialog box, ensure that “Use Global Light” is checked and adjust the settings as needed.
What is the shortcut for unlink in Photoshop?
The shortcut to unlink layers in Photoshop (to separate them from their linked status) is Ctrl + Shift + / (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + / (Mac). This will unlink the selected layers from each other.
How do I remove an effect from a layer in After Effects?
To remove an effect from a layer in After Effects, select the layer with the effect you want to remove.
Go to the Effects & Presets panel, find the effect you want to remove, right-click on it, and choose Remove Effect.
Alternatively, you can select the effect in the Effect Controls panel and press Delete.
How do I remove effects from multiple layers in Photoshop?
To remove effects from multiple layers in Photoshop, select all the layers you want to modify (hold down Shift or Ctrl/Cmd while clicking the layers).
Then, right-click on one of the selected layers and choose Clear Layer Style. This will remove all layer styles from the selected layers