Adjusting a flattened image file

Hello!
Does anyone know an aswer to this question I´m pondering:
If I go on adjusting a psd-file which has been flattened, will the file´s image quality go worse?
Meaning that I´ve had a TIFF-file (made from a RAW-file) that I have adjusted with plenty of layers. After all the adjustments, I´ve made a copy of it, flattened the copied file, cropped it to the wanted size (no interpolation), and made some changes again with cloning tools and gaussian blur. But after this, I find I still have to make another version of the image with different adjustments of lightness (curves) and colors (color balance, saturation) and I´m pondering if I have to go back to the file with layers, or can I continue with the cropped file and make new adjustment layers on this flattened image. Would be better for the work flow and my nerves...
Thank you for anyone who got energy to read this and maybe help me!

If I go on adjusting a psd-file which has been flattened, will the file´s image quality go worse?
Basically any Adjustment will be detrimental – but usually the deterioration with Adjustments that are not extreme is (close to) unnoticeable.
Working in 16bit can help keep the detrimental effects smaller than when working with 8bit images.
I´m pondering if I have to go back to the file with layers, or can I continue with the cropped file and make new adjustment layers on this flattened image.
Do you get banding?
It’s your image, so it’s up to you to decide if the image deterioration is so bad as to warrant starting over.
Why did you not continue working with the layered file anyway?

Similar Messages

Fireworks is arbitrarily flattening images when round-tripping

Here's the problem using Fireworks CS3 and Dreamweaver CS3. Have multiple people editing the images over a network. Sometimes you open a Fireworks PNG file from Dreamweaver and then click done. It's saves it as an editable image file some times, and as a flattened image file other times, no rhyme or reason to it just does it. (but not always) Any ideas? Anything I have overlooked?
This is slowing down our progress with the project CONSIDERABLY.

If the editable PNG file is being opened via DW and then SAVED AS or EXPORTED as a standard PNG while in Fireworks, you'll flatten the file. Make sure to click DONE within the FW workspace when the editing in complete, rather than saving the file. I've heard of this happening accidentally when both the flat file and the layered file have the same file names. Sometimes a user will open the flat file, then unintentionally save the flat version to the location where the original, layered file resides. Does this help?

Do image files adjusted in Lightroom transfer to another computer if you need to reload the files?

I'm used to making adjustments in Camera RAW and copying the image files for use on multiple workstations. In this case, my adjustments go with the image file. If I make my adjustments using Lightroom and move the image files to another computer will I lose those adjustments? I wonder if I invest all my adjustment time using Lightroom and my computer crashes will I lose those adjustments even though I am backing up my files to an external drive.

You wrote: " If I make my adjustments using Lightroom and move the image files to another computer will I lose those adjustments?"
Yes, you will loose them unless you save to xmp. You save to xmp by either pressing Ctrl / Cmd + letter "S" or
a) in the Library Module you go >Metadata >Save Metadata to File, or
b) in the Develop Module you go >Photo >Save metadata to file.
Without <Saving metadata to file> Lr writes the edits into the catalog only. And, if you transfer images without the catalog to another computer your edits will be lost on the second computer.
By <Saving metadata to file> a xmp sidecar file will be created that stores the edits. In case of a DNG the edits are not written into Xmp but into the file header - same effect.
Note though that not everything can be stored in xmp-files. For instance collections, stacking are stored in the catalog only.
This is presumably so because the save to xmp was created in order that Lr adjustment can be viewed in other Adobe products (for instance in Bridge). Naturally, only those "features" need to be written into xmp that the other program can display.
WW

Splitting a Flattened Image into Layers so I can use the Paint Bucket to change colors

I have what I think is a flattened image that is part of a Website template. (I'm assuming the image is flattened, because when I use the paint bucket to change the color, it colors the whole thing; and when I use the magic wand, the whole image is selected). I need to be able to use the paint bucket to change the colors. What do I have to do to make the image work that way? The image is made to look like you're looking left to right at four file folders. The folder labels are a different color. Is there some way to separate the folders (now in green), the folder labels (now in yellow), and the white background from each other, so I can apply the paint bucket to different layers later? I've worked on this for hours now, and can't seem to find the answer. I'll have to change the colors in the image at least 10 different times, so I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to using the brush or pencil tools.

Darlene,
Another way is to use the Replace Color Tool. The Hue/Saturation method is probably easier, but I thought I'd mention Replace Color for your information.
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18IBCKnJchzoxfLEaw7Bu93j9W5jS
In my example I changed the 3rd label in your picture to red.
1. Roughly select the label using the Lasso tools.
2. Enchance>Adjust Color>Replace Color.
3. Click on the label in the picture; it will appear in the box as white on black background. In general you would move the fuzziness slider until just the portion you wish to change appears white. In this case since the yellow is uniform with sharp border the fuzziness slider had minimal additional effect, but I did move it all the way right to capture the fringe pixels.
4. Play with the 3 Transform sliders to get the desired result.
In this next example I changed the top of the lighthouse from red to green (why I would want to do that, I don't know!).
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1XhqCAvgc0zVWReJDkUB2OLDQChSy
Note that in this case I didn't have to move the fuzziness all the way right.

Flatten image makes areas dull in final output.

Hi,
I've been trying to figure this out for the past day. I have a multi-layered PSB file that I've used blending modes, adjustment layers, etc. in and I'm trying to flatten a copy in order to run a custom masking action on. I've tried Save As: tif, jpg, png with same result. Also I've tried Flatten Image, Merge Visible, Merge/Stamp Copy all with same result.
On the left is the original. On the right is the "flattened" image. NOTICE the orange in the space suit as well as definition in the vertical lines in the background seem more dull in the flattened version.
Does anyone have an idea of what I've done wrong or how to fix this issue?
Thank you.

tmquirk wrote:
... it turns out was the issue. I have a special color profile setting for my monitors that I use for my workspace, but when you flatten PS doesn't maintain it. ...
Never heard of that before and that's not how PS is meant to work. Flattening an image doesn't change neither document's color profile nor the working space color profile in your Color settings. You can see the color profile of your document all the time if you select it from the drop down menu of the document's window here:
Does the profile change before and after flattening? If your document is without a color profile (Untagged) then the colors will be displayed on your monitor using the color profile selected for working spaces in your Color settings which can be accessed from Edit>Color Settings (Shift + Ctrl + K). Is there any changes there before and after flattening?
One thing that may change the appearance and I think hasn't been mentioned so far is if your artwork has transparency that reaches all the way through all layers to the bottom and you are not previewing your image with a fully opaque white layer at the bottom.

Unable to view two different image files at once in PS CS4

For some reason I am unable to open two separate image files and view them both on my screen in Photoshop CS 4. My goal is to combine two versions of the same raw file in order to expand the tonal range. I want to stack the 2 images and then use a layer mask to blend the best parts of both versions. The problem is that when I open the second version, the first isn't visible until I close the top image. I want to view both images on the screen and stack them but can't do that because I only see one. Can some kind soul tell me what I'm doing wrong here?

Thanks for responding. This works really well. I did learn that if I go to Window>Arrange>Float All in Windows (thanks to another email from the forum) that I can view both images at the same time. I sure appreciate your help. You have no idea how I've agonized over this darn thing. Thanks again, Gladys
Please view this as an Option to perform your task. There are smarter ways to do this but this is what I do...
*) I pull up the image file (say pic_01) and adjust the levels in the area of the photo I want.
*) I then open from the RAW doc and it is now sitting as a Tiff in Photoshop.
*) I rename that file (such as pic_01Top) and SAVE. (But keep it open)
*) I go back and reopen pic_01 in RAW and adjust the other properties I want.
*) Open that image from RAW.
*) Perform a ctrl c to copy.
*) Close pic_01
*) Do a cntrl v to copy that over pic_01Top
*) Go to Layers-Layer mask-Hide all. (This also give you your "free" layer mask)
*) Go to my brush tool.
*) Use the black over white box arrow to reveal or conceal your bush strokes.
*) Flatten file when done and Save anyway you wish.
Hope this helps.
>

FLATTEN IMAGE LOSES CONTRAST

I'm using a Windows 7 icore7 machine. The file I'm working on is composed of six layers: 1) a masked Levels layer; 2) a masked Noise layer; 3) a masked Hipass layer; 4) a convert to BW layer; 5) a copy of the background layer; 6) the background layer. All the eyes on the layers are ON.
When I Flatten Image the contrasty look I've created with the Levels adjustment layer AND with the Hipass layer disappears and the flattened image no longer exhibits those qualities - in other words it reverts back to being soft, low contrast.
All the eyes are ON.
I tried various combinations of MERGE VISIBLE and the same thing happens.
I swapped Hipass for Unsharp Mask and for Smart Sharpen and even more weirdness happens - These filters have no effect at all.
Short of a re-install, what can I do?
Thanks....
Charles O. Slavens

This is basically how you make images intended for viewing on the web.
First find out what is the average pixel count size of the monitors of your intended viewers. This is a link to a web site that can give you a clue for the general trends http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_display.asp and if you are interested in specific group and web sites you can use tools like this http://www.tastyplacement.com/monitor-size-statistics-for-web-design-html . After you know the average pixel count size of the monitors of the intended viewers then you can decide how large as pixel count you want your images to appear in that space. You have to make this decision by viewing your images at 100% zoom. At 100% zoom one pixel of your image fits into one pixel of your monitor. When you zoom out less then 100%, a group of pixels from the image will be represented using their average color with one monitor pixel and this causes loss of detail and changed image appearance like the one you are experiencing. When you zoom in more than 100%, one pixel from the image will occupy a group of monitor's pixels and this will give enlarged pixel appearance (steps like effect) jaggies. Web browsers by default display images at 100%. If your images are for a web site that is yet to be designed, and you are one of the design decision makers, create a new Photoshop document with a pixel count that is the average pixel count size of the monitors of your intended viewers and having in mind the other elements of the web page, decide the amount of space your images will be occupy in the overall design. If your images are going to appear on existing web site/s. Visit the site and make a screen capture of your screen, go back in Photoshop, choose to create a new document which automatically is set to the the pixel count of the content on your clipboard, and after that paste the screen capture. Then create or scale down your images to fit in the desired space. Again, the final effect will be what you view at 100% zoom. With all that said, have in mind that if your images are going to be posted on certain web site like this Adobe forum - images posted here are displayed in the messages as previews with certain size limit. Images larger than this limit will be scaled down automatically by the site but if you click on the preview image, it will show the full size as it appears at 100% zoom in Photoshop. You have to check how your images will be treated on the web sites you plan to use and then you can create them with the optimal pixel count size.
Another thing that you also have to be aware is that you don't have control over the physical size of your images because different monitors and display devices have different size pixels and this will make an image with the same pixel count displayed with the same zoom to appear at different physical sizes on the various monitor models and devices such as smart phones.

How can I export a smallformat flatten PDF-file with transparant parts in?

My post on a PDF - more clear with images (english):
http://www.logicontrol.be/gallery/documents/help-eng.pdf
Deze post in nederlandstalige versie:
http://www.logicontrol.be/gallery/documents/help-nl.pdf
Scope?
I'dd like to export an Indesign-file (.indd) to a PDF-file that has to be:
- the smallest possible file size
- which displays images and text sharp on the screen
- which also certainly remain transparent parts of .psd-files after exporting
- that is flattened for easy print
The problem?
▪ How and with which of settings can I export such a file from InDesign 5.0?
▪ If necessary in combination with some settings (after exporting) in our Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro?
Further explanation
The export file contains lots of text, graphics, photographs and drawings. Many of these items are .psd-files that contain transparent areas. The intention is that this transparent parts actually remain transparent even after exporting/flattening /decreasing the PDF.
▪ With InDesign 5.0?
→ In the window Export Adobe PDF: (images see: http://www.logicontrol.be/gallery/documents/help-eng.pdf )
Should I start from a default PDF preset   (if yes > which one??)
Possibilities are: High Quality Print / PDFX-1a: 2001 / PDFX-3:2002 / PDFX-4:2007 / Press Quality / Smallest File Size
Or is it better to create a PDF preset on my own?     (if yes > which settings??)
Standard > PDF/X-format?
Compatibility > PDF-version?
Compression > If artwork should be compressed and downsampled, and if so,
                        which method and settings to I have to use ?
Ouput > How can I control colors and PDF/X output intent profiles in the PDF-file?
Advanced > How can I control fonts, OPI specifications, transparency flattening, and JDF instructions are
                  in the PDF file?
▪ With Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro?
→ How can I reduce the file size extra, so more reducing after exporting into PDF ?
→ How can I flatten the exported file (if not done during the export) ?
!! Important, when I export/reduce/flatten the file, I ‘dd like that the parts of images who were transparent before, stays also transparent after !!
WHAT CAN I DO ??

Hello,
I'm sorry you're having trouble. Unfortunately, this forum is for the ExportPDF service of Acrobat.com. The ExportPDF service functions as a PDF to *.docx file convertion and we can't help with problems specific to the desktop version of Acrobat or InDesign. I'm happy to point you in the right direction.
Acrobat Users moderated forums:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/acrobat
InDesign forums:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/indesign/indesign_general
Good luck!

Has anyone experienced Apple Mail flattening .PSD file attachment when sending?

One of my students encountered the case when Apple Mail flattens .PSD file when sending an attachment.
Running latest Mac OS X 10.6.2 (10C540) Mail Version 4.2 (1077). Multi layered .PSD file 120K was saved on desktop and than attached to email. None of the Adobe applications were running at that time. After it was sent, the attached file in Send mail folder was flattened and it size dropped to 88K.
The flattened file was sent to destination. Although we could not reproduce this problem on the other computers, it always happens on this particular machine.
When the problem was reported to Apple, the answer from engineers was more disturbing than the problem itself.
They said "... it is OK to flatten the file to reduce the size of attachment when sending. It is expected email behavior". I am very troubled by this attitude from Apple. Flattening the image discards information contained in individual layers. This is actually EDITING the contents of an attachment when sending it.
Has anyone experience this problem? Also, I would appreciate feedback on Apple's position that it is OK to edit attachments when sending them withou asking the user first.

Marian,
I'm afraid you have missed the point. People send binary files via email all the time: images, video and music clips - in fact any attachment is a binary file. Underlying protocols are implementation details, a mail client may choose any form of encoding/encryption to send an attachment. However, the internet standard requires that an attached file is delivered exactly as it was sent, mail clients/servers are not allowed to take upon themselves to "optimize" attachments without the end user knowledge and permission. It creates a dangerous precedent. In this particular case my photography student had no way of knowing that for whatever reason his particular setup would flatten the image and ruin his homework.
Also, none of the protocols: FTP, SMTP or HTTP is inherently binary or MIME encoded, it depends on the settings and implementation ( Check RFC's)
I am not asking for a work around, which is trivial. I am simply trying find how serious is the problem. This is not a normal behavior, I know for certain only about two cases when it happens. With such a rare occurrence it seem to be a bug rather than a feature. That is why Apple reaction to is so surprising.
Sergei Petrov
http://spandas.com

Flattening images in Acrobat X pro

Hi everyone,
I need to flatten some images in a pdf. It is a thirty page pdf and when printed all the images have transparent boxes around them. So far the only solution I know is to take each page into photoshop, flatten the image and reinsert the image back into the pdf. This of course is taking forever. I was wondering if Acrobat has any built in tools to take care of this kind of issue? I am using Acrobat X pro on Mac running 10.8.5.. I have tried using "preview transparent objects" tool with the raster set to 100 and vectors to 0 but it didn't seem to make a differnce. Any help would be appreciated.

What I was refering to by flattening is the "flatten image" function in Photoshop. As in the option directly below merge visable and merge down in the layers flyout menu. For some reason running that function or the rasterize function in the object menu in illustrator is the only way I can make sure transparecny boxs dont show up when I print through my Fiery Rip software. Like I mentioned this method works well with individual pages in multiple page pdfs, but I often have to do this for many images at a time. It would be nice to be able to do the same thing in Acrobat to the whole pdf all at one time.( Of course what would really be nice would be if people would submitt their files correctly to avoid this problem in the first place but that is asking way to much)

Why is image file size getting inflated by Pages?

I have a newsletter I am creating, and I have inserted 6 photos. They have been pre-downsized using Image Ready, so each image is around 30k. But after they have been inserted, the file size of the entire Pages document is huge. So I opened the Package for the document (Control click on the icon) and I see that now the images are each around 300k. The images have not been manipulated in Pages, no shadows or strokes. They have been resized just a teeny bit (made smaller in all cases).
So what is going on to cause this huge inflation of file size. It is making my document too big to email (although it has helped to control the pdf export to "Good"... or even better to use the Color Sync file size reduction dialog, which is buried so deep in the Print dialog that I can't believe this is a common way to do it...)
Anyway, all help would be appreciated. Thanks, Peter

yes, you are right that the best results that I got were from the Print command and the color sync option to reduce file size. Without that, I took a Pages doc that was around 2.7megs and the pdf varied from 1.8-2.5 using the export command. With the color sync method I did get it down to a 450k pdf, which I am satisfied with.
Still it baffles me that a 40k jpeg will inflate to 300k in Pages. I don't see multiple copies in the Package for the document, so I don't think it is multiplying. And I think that at least one of the images lives in the document without having been resized from within Pages, so that doesn't seem to be involved.
I am using jpegs, adjusting them in Photoshop and then optimizing them with Image Ready, but they are JPEGs all thru the process, and they clearly are averaging around 35-40k after Image Ready does it's t hing. That is the whole purpose of Image Ready, it comes with Photoshop with that intention solely. I could try saving the image file in Preview or some other program and seeing if it inflates liek the Image REady jpegs do.
Anyway, I am still curiouis about why this happens, but I can live with the rather bizarre method of using the Print>Color Sych method.
Thanks to all of you for your help, really,
Peter

Scaling image files for Slide presentation in Keynote

I have had great problems importing and scaling images for Keynote presentations with approx 500+ images. Having tried to adjust the image to fit the full screen the scaling results in unacceptable pixelation. I seem to have solved this now by batch processing my image files and saving them as PDF files. These are then imported from the Aperture Library as iPhoto wont recognise the PDF file format!
It's a pity that Keynote has so many restrictions for use in Slide/music presentations, having seen incredible professional results with Pic2exe (which unfortunately at present is not available in Mac format - tho the Win exe file will run I am told).

Please tell us what you are really trying to do!!
You know like dumb stuff like where are the images from? What's their resolution? If you';re using Aperture you can't be a newbie.
You can achieve incredible professional results in Keynote, but you need to know how it wants to work.
Kelly is right. This is not just a ***** session but a place to get real help from real people.
Silly things like Image Placeholders will make your life much simpler. etc.

Adjusting frame to image - linked images

hi, I have a bunch of images inserted in indesign, linked from an eps file. I have modified the images in illutrator and now updating links I have to modify the frames because the graphics are longer and they don't fit the image frame.
I can go one by one and do "adjust frame to image" but, is there a way to do this automatically for all the links? There are actually all linked to the same image... please help!
thank you

Hi John,
I have one image in each of 100 spreads, and it is not the only image in each spread. Is there a way to select them all? is it possible to do that from the links menu? they are all linked to the same image.
thanks!
L

Read the raw image file

I want to read the raw image file , i have the basic labview 8.0 version

That is a broad question... I'll make some asumptions.
I think you have a file with some raw image format. This can be quite a few formats. Every camera firm has it's own proprietry format. Often, when talking about a raw image, it is simply a 2d array of colors. So you'll have a file with numbers that are U8's that represent R G B, alpha R G B, B G R, etc., or a U32 that represent the same, combined in one U32...
The data can be stored binary or ASCII. Both formats are handled differently.
The ASCII format can be one large array of data, or seperated with enters for each scan line.
In both cases, you might need to remove information, like height and width, from the data before parsing the image data.
You can use the "Spreadsheet String To Array" to convert the a ASCII string to a LabVIEW 1D or 2D array. Or use "Read From Spreadsheet File.vi" to read the file directly as an array. Use Reshape Array to convert a 1D array to a 2D array.
The binary file is a bit different. Use "Read Binary File". It will get you a string. This string is a converted array of U8, the string doesn't need to be ASCII. convert this string to an array of U8's, with "String To Byte Array". Convert the 1D array just like before.
Now you have a 2D array. You can convert it into a pixmap with "Flatten Pixmap.vi". You can then display it in a picture control with "Draw Flattened Pixmap.vi".
Regards,
Wiebe.

Filter image files in finder against txt/xls file

I'm looking for a solution to the following scenario:
I have a folder that contains over 15,000 images (jpgs).
I receive a request from a customer for 200 of those images. (This list exists in txt/xls format only.)
Is there a way to filter the images and extract (in a new folder) only the 200 out of 15,000 image files that my customer needs without manually searching for them one at a time?
The list of items requested will change with every customer, so I'll need it to be flexible whenever I receive a new list of items requested. I'm not sure if this is something that can be done with Automator or AppleScript.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!

well, ok, here's a basic script that you'll need to adjust to your needs. Note that it expects a text file with one file name per line.
set imagePolderPath to "~/Main Image Folder"
set destinationFolderPath to "~/Destination Folder"
-- choose the text file with the list of names
set listFile to POSIX path of (choose file)
-- the following assumes the list file is a text file with one image name per line
set dataList to paragraphs of (read listFile as «class utf8»)
tell application "System Events"
repeat with thisFileName in dataList
-- I've used 'begins with' since I don't know whether you'll get these file names with or without extensions. This could in aberrant cases result in unwanted files being included.
move (files of folder imagePolderPath whose name begins with thisFileName) to destinationFolderPath
end repeat
end tell
the as «class utf8» bit is there in case you have non-English file names (applescript will misread uft8 characters).
Note that if your only goal is to create a zip file, that can be done straight from the script without moving files.

Adjusting a flattened image file

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for