Screen Printers Open - A Forum for Screen Printing and Embroidery

when changing drop shadows, bevels, etc. in one layer it affects other layers I had previously done. Is there a button I should have checked so it doesn't affect other layers?

You have to have the layers your not working on tuned off.

In the Layer Styles menu, uncheck "use global light" next to the angle wheel.

We have a winner!

Fiddling around, adjustment layers appears to affect the layer you've selected and all the layers below it, but not any above it. Now adjustment layers is a feature I don't use. If I want to adjust something in a layer I'm working on I just go up to Image/Adjustments and pick whatever I want to do. The adjustment layers feature is something that's offered as sort of a temporary adjustment to a layer and the ones below without committing permanently to the "adjustment". If I'm just farting around and think I may want to go back to the unadjusted version of a layer, I duplicate it before changing it, turn off the "eye" and move it to the bottom of the layer's palette, giving it an appropriate name or renaming the version I do alter. Then, when I'm finished with the work and I know I no longer need the unadjusted version, I delete it.
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for or not.