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Updated · 2 min read

Photoshop can focus stack with two built-in commands: Auto-Align Layers and Auto-Blend Layers. It works well for short stacks with simple shapes. Here’s the full process, and what to watch for.

Before you start

Photoshop stacks layers, not RAW files. Process the RAW frames identically first (same white balance, exposure and profile, with lens corrections on and no sharpening), then export or open them. From Lightroom Classic you can skip the export, see the next section.

Step by step

  1. Load the frames as layers

    Choose File › Scripts › Load Files into Stack, add your frames and tick “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images”. From Lightroom Classic: select the frames, right-click and choose Edit In › Open as Layers in Photoshop.

  2. Align (if you didn’t above)

    Select all layers, then Edit › Auto-Align Layers and choose Auto. This corrects focus breathing and small shifts.

  3. Blend

    With all layers still selected, choose Edit › Auto-Blend Layers, pick Stack Images, and tick Seamless Tones and Colors. Content Aware Fill Transparent Areas fills the edges left empty by alignment.

  4. Check at 100 %

    Zoom in on edges, crossing detail and smooth areas. Photoshop has added a layer mask to every layer that shows which frame it used where.

  5. Fix and flatten

    Paint white or black on a layer’s mask to show or hide that frame in a spot, then merge the layers (Layer › Merge Visible) and save as 16-bit TIFF.

Auto-Blend gives every layer a mask: white where that frame was sharpest, black elsewhere.

Where Photoshop struggles

  • Many frames. Each frame is a full-resolution layer. 50 frames from a 45-megapixel camera can need tens of gigabytes and minutes per step.
  • Soft patches. Auto-Blend sometimes picks a blurry frame for smooth or low-contrast areas, leaving mushy spots.
  • Halos. Bright or dark glows around edges, especially against out-of-focus backgrounds.
  • Crossing detail. Hair in front of hair often comes out smeared or see-through.
  • No feedback. It won’t tell you that a focus step was too large or that something moved.

Questions

How many images can Photoshop focus stack?
There’s no fixed limit, but it slows down sharply as layers add up. Around 20 to 30 full-resolution frames is a practical ceiling on most computers.
Why is my Photoshop focus stack blurry in places?
Auto-Blend sometimes chooses a blurrier frame for low-contrast areas, or your focus steps left a gap. Paint the area in from the sharp frame on its layer mask, and use smaller focus steps next time.
Does Photoshop Elements do focus stacking?
Elements has no Auto-Blend Stack Images command, so it can’t stack the way Photoshop does.