Flatten images change appearance

I'm having a problem with two layered files. when I flatten them and they change appearance, that is they don't look the same as the layered file. I'm working in cmyk and the numbers remain the same but the file looks very different. One file I can turn off a levels move and a high pass layer and it will flatten ok. I know its not a profile issue because all my other working files flatten ok and the color setup is the same, Has anyone ever seen this before. I'v been working in PS since 3.0 and never had this type of problem.
BOB

In my experience, g ballard's advice will resolve most instances of this issue.
When 100% viewing and merging visible to a new top layer has not worked the image has always had lots of layers with layer masks and different blending modes applied.
Solution in these cases, for me, has been to:
1) Determine which mask boundary is changing when image is flattened.
2) Reload mask as a selection.
3) Expand or contract the selection by 1 or 2 pixels (usually enough).
4) Reflatten the image and evaluate effect of change at 100% scale.
5) Repeat for each mask until you find the selection that is causing the change in appearance.
This works for me.

Similar Messages

Flattening image changes values of adjustment layers

I'm working with CS3 on a Mac OS 10.4.9, 4.5 gb ram. My image consists of 6 adjustment layers and a background layer. 5 of the adjustment layers (all curves) are set to luminosity and 1 color balance layer is set to normal blending mode. When I flatten the image the tonality in part of the image changes. I also tried merging down the adjustment layers one by one into the background layer but the final result is the same. Any suggestions?

Are you looking at the image at 100% of size (actual Pixels)?
It make a difference to what you see on the monitor when you flatten Layers.

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.

Flattening an image, changes it

When I flatten my image at completion, The images changes. Looks like my adjustment layers reset blending modes and adjustments. Tried uninstall, restart of photoshop and Mac, tried to flatten from tiff, psd and PDF. Same thing happens.. Please help!

Your layered and flattened documents are 16-bit RGB and the zoom is below 20%.
I bet the layered doc matches the flat one when they are viewed at 100% zoom.
Viewing at less than about 64% zoom when image Cache Levels is greater than 1 results in Photoshop taking shortcuts in calculating the display composite of a layered image, which will distort the appearance. Among the shortcuts is reduction of bit-depth from 16 to 8.
A flat document is, of course, not subject to display compositing shortcuts.
If you layer an image to achieve a particular look when zoomed to below 64% then it's likely to look significantly different when viewed at a greater zoom percentage, or when flattened.
Viewing at 100% is the only way to reliably determine the appearance of a document. Regardless of compositing distortion, the interpolation to produce Photoshop's zoomed-out display is not calculated in linear space (although it should be, in my opinion) so tones can be severely distorted, even in a flat document, at zoom less than 100%.
Something to try is going to Preferences > Performance and setting Cache Levels to 1 in order to avoid compositing shortcuts. However, Cache Levels 1 in combination with 16-bit mode can cause problems for some graphics cards. If you do change Cache Levels, relaunch Photoshop to ensure the change becomes effective.

PDF image changes when opening in photoshop

sometimes when we open PDF files in photoshop the image changes. sometimes text disappears and other times fading occurs. Here is how it can be duplicated:
1. First try downloading the file here http://www.m3printing.com/files/wierd.pdf
2. open the file with acrobat. take note of the red NYN in the upper left
3. open the file with photoshop. you will notice the YN becomes faded
any clues as to why this is happening would be greatly appreciated
ps. we use photoshop CS2

This doc is unnecessarily complex in its color structure.
It uses CMYK and seven spot colors. CMYK is DeviceCMYK,
which means, the space is not defined in the doc by an ICC
profile.
A part of the red text vanishes if the doc is opened in Photo-
shop in CMYK mode. I don't know why. Perhaps a trans-
parency flattening problem.
Analyzed by Acrobat > Tools > Print Production > Preflight.
My suggestion: convert each page into a well specified CMYK
space as recommended by the printer.
The fastest solution:
Open in PhS in Lab mode with reasonably high resolution,
for instance 288ppi, convert into a specified CMYK space
and save as TIFF.
The correct solution:
Go back to the source program (InDesign) and replace all
Spots by process colors. Flatten and save by new name.
Export as PDF.
Flattening in advance to Export guarantees the appearance.
Export with layers contains the risk that flattening at the
receiver turns out to be wrong.
Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

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.

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.

Camera raw images change colour in adobe bridge

I have photoshop CS4 and import my camera raw images into Adobe Bridge. When I view the thumbnails in bridge my raw images look vibrant and exactly like they appear on the camera but when I go to open them in camera raw edit they change colour and look washed out before I've made any changes. Can anyone help me figure out how to correct this?

ssprengel wrote:
My camera is set to shoot sRGB JPGs and is set to all zeros for the brightness/contrast/saturation parameters.
What is your camera set to as far as these basic toning settings, as well as any automatic things like DLighting or highlight compression and perhaps any custom curves or whatever that is called for Nikons?
First paragraph - so is mine.
Second paragraph - all other settings are neutral/zeroed/turned off, as per my post to which you responded. That is, no additional tone curves - Active D-Lighting turned OFF (why anyone would let the camera decide what to do do with highlights and shadows is beyond my level of trust) , Jpg compression is Optimal (least possible) et cetera.
Think I now have an explanation for the different displays in ACR (and Bridge) that I have been experiencing. Took a new duplicate Jpg/Raw shot with the in-camera Picture Control set to Neutral. Now, when both the Jpg and .NEF Raw are viewed in ACR, with the ACR Camera profile set to Camera Neutral, they appear, ASAICT, identical. Saved Camera Neutral as the default ACR Camera profile. Now back in Bridge, the images also appear pretty much identical.
I think what was happening previously was that I had failed to save Camera Standard in ACR as the default Camera profile, and it was defaulting to Adobe Standard, and hence it was rendering Raw thumbnails for Bridge to that Camera profile - hence the difference in appearance between the Jpg and Raw in Bridge. Unless I have got it completely wrong, I think my problem is now solved.

How do I flatten images in Illustrator?

How do I flatten images in Illustrator?

The Object>Flatten transparency does not change the kb for the document.
I'm trying to make the piece smaller so I can send it via drop box or
yousendit quickly. The original is 55+kb and takes a couple of hours to
download (I'm not in a community so I don't have really fast internet). I
thought if I could flatten the images it might help but Object>Flatten
doesn't seem to work. Would it change the kbs or leave them the same and
just make it send faster?
Coyotes Singing Studio
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Monticello, UT 84535
435-459-9691
[email protected]
LOVE, LEARN, AND BE KIND.
On Sat, Jan 11, 2014 at 3:27 PM, Larry G. Schneider <

Pdf is it a flatten image?

actually i got a file in pdf format for printing, when i send to the printer, i found that the FONTS, it is changed.
i thought the file convert to pdf is become a flatten image, it wont be any error.
Or any setting i set it wrong?
Pls advise

The PDF is a very complex format that is more then images and text it includes multimedia. With this amount of varied context the file is far from a flat image. Although, one could certainly have an image.
You can select to use the system fonts or even select to print the PDF as an image.

Converting to another color space flattens image (forgot about the option in the dialog)

I have been working on a layered Pro Photo RGB tif document which I want to keep layered, but when I go to Edit>convert to profile>sRGB this flattens the image. I also tried it converting to Adobe RGB and the same thing happened. This didn't happen in previous versions.
Windows 7, 64 bit.

See if unchecking Flatten Image to Preserve Appearance at the bottom of the convert profile dialog makes a difference.

Why won't image change in aperture once I've export to edit in photoshop?

On going learning issue!
I finally managed to edit in photoshop via aperture. I have to change the photo from 16 bit to 8 bit so I can edit it. I like to take the photo into Photoshop (elements 4) to fix some spots and such.
It's supped to change in aperture when you are done editing in photoshop..right?
What I see is a new version of the photo, but the changes have not been made.
What am I doing wrong? I can see this becoming a problem when I try to export to print, burn a CD or even to web.
How I fix it?
Thanks!
IMAC G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

<...>
3) Execute a File > Save command in Elements. (NOT a
Save As...).
4) Close the file in Elements.
The edited version will show up in Aperture
automatically with all of your changes applied.
<...>
One note on that excellent summary - you do not have to close the file after saving, you can continue to work on the image and save multiple times. Each time you save Aperture will recognize the changes and update the Aperture thumbnail.
As to the original problem, it sounds like possibly you were saving the image somewhere else? Converting to 8-bit should be fine, as is resizing the image - Aperture should adjust for any changes made to the image.
Another possibility is that Elements does not have something called "compatibility mode" turned on for PSD saves - if you've turned that off to conserve space turn it on again, because that compatibility mode saves a flattened image which is what Aperture uses to recognize image changes.

Main image not appearing on slideshow

Hi -
All of my thumbnails appear -- I don't have the basic slideshow on loop or autoplay - but I want an image to appear upon the page loading. Right now, I have to click on a thumbnail to get the first image. so the page is basically blank with thumbnails, upon opening.
thanks -
Dan

Hi Dan
The possibility here can be due to any other page object frame overlapping with hero image or the hero image is lowered down in layers.
Please check both and then try to change page elements position so that they don't overlap with Hero Image or if you see the image lower in list in layers , then bring it forward. You can check this by copying the same slideshow in a new page.
Thanks,
Sanjit

My vector (flattened) images are pixellated when imported in Illustrator. How do I fix this?

Hello.
I am experiencing an issue in Adobe Illustrator.
When attempting to import picture files in Illustrator from PhotoShop, the image appears blurred/pixellated. The image (a .psd file) is converted in Illustrator to a .ai file. I create vector (flattened) images in PhotoShop, which should maintain their picture clarity and quality regardless of what program the vectored image is opened with. Somehow, they are becoming pixellated when converted to .ai files in Illustrator.
I use both Adobe CS6 and Adobe Creative Cloud
Is there a setting or solution that I can implement to rectify this issue?
Many thanks in advance for everyone's input and assistance.

Hello, Doug and John.
Thank you for your replies and for providing feedback.
I am aware that vector format files are only for illustrator. However, I believe you can make a smart object in photoshop using the vector art and it will keep its vector file format in photoshop allowing it to not pixelate.
I would be more interested in seeing if uninstalling and reinstalling the programs would have anything to do with it and also trying to find the settings. Would anyone happen to know if this will resolve the issue? I am hoping this is correct forum in which to post this topic/issue.
Thank you again for your help.

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?

Flatten images change appearance

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