I have a cool tip for you, one that many people are unaware of. This comes in handy when you have lots of layers in a document that contain small elements, such as text, shapes, thumbnails, sparks, splashes, etc. To select all the layers in an area, hold down Command (PC: Ctrl) and marquee drag around a region; all the layers within that area will now be selected. 

If you have a large background or other layers that cover the entire canvas, lock them first: activate them in the Layers panel, and click the padlock to the right of the word “Lock” above the layer stack. Once you’ve locked the big layers, you can now select all the little floating layers. 

This tip originally published in Colin Smith’s “Photoshop Tips” column in the May, 2023 issue oPhotoshop User magazine.