The agony of flattening layers with blend modes

StrongBeaver wrote: I need to flatten a series of layers within a group, which have different blend modes.  I've tried merging group, that resorts all layers to 'normal mode', I have also tried merge visible which does the same as 'merging group', convert to smart object, same results.  I don't want to go the route of flatten image, it has worked to a degree, my photoshop file is organized how I want it and I want to strictly take the group or select those layers and merge them while keeping the blend mode in tact.

There is (I think only one) special case, where this is possible: when the bottommost layer of the layer group (you want to merge) is set to normal blending and if all the remaining layers in your layer group just affect the group's bottommost layer, i.e. because they are clipped to it via clipping mask and/or they don't have (non-transparent) pixels outside its (non-transparent) pixels.  [it=bottommost layer]

You should then be able to merge all selected layers with CTRL+E (without change in the composite image).

But generally speaking:

If you merge multiple layers with different blend modes into a single layer which can - very obviously - have just one blend mode and if - despite that fact - you expect this single layer to still reproduce the same effect as your multiple layers with different blend modes, I fear this is not possible. At least not with a simple merging operation.

Why?

It's easily understandable. Let's say your background image is a landscape and the layer group you want to merge includes a person (normal blending) and the shadow it casts (multiply). If you set the merged layer to normal, you lose the shadow effect. If you set the merged layer to multiply, the person will be multiplied into the background landscape. Either way it does not quite work, right?

Depending on your specific layer architecture there can be individual solutions however, but it's difficult to generalize. You would have to post the .psd file.

Sometimes - especially if you don't need to further move the aforementioned layers - it is helpful to copy-merge ("stamp" selected layers via CTRL+ALT+E) all layers below your layer group, then do the same but this time include your layer group when stamping, and finally difference blend the 2 resulting layers, remove all black (i.e. same) pixels and you are now left with your merged layer group (including some background if layers were not fully opaque). But I fear that's as good as it get's if you need a one-size-fits-all type of general solution.

Assuming my answer isn't leading you to a solution, put up a picture of your Layers panel and describe specifically what you want the result to be.

-Noel

Without looking at your composition, here's a very general response, intended to give you another idea to try...

1.  Make only the layers you want to merge together visible.  Click the visibility "eyeball" off on all the others.

2.  Layer - Merge Visible.

You mentioned Merge Visible, but I'm not sure if you've done step 1 first.

-Noel