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masons35645689
masons35645689
Participating Frequently
September 22, 2011

P: How did I get a flattened PSD after saving PDF?

  • September 22, 2011
  • 72 replies
  • 2212 views

So I'm not going to rage. I really want to. But I won't. I'm using Photoshop CS 5.5 (Windows). I was on the sixth version of a high fidelity Website mockup. The client asked that I provide them the design in PDF format. So from within the .PSD file, I select "Save As" and choose PDF as the format. I complete the PDF wizard and all seemed good.

No. Apparently, when you save as a PDF, it turns the PSD file you actively have open into a PDF? I noticed that the file type changed to PDF from PSD on the tab. "That's stupid," I thought. "I'll just change it back to a PSD, since I've made a few modifications since I saved it last."

You know, in Dreamweaver when you execute a "Save As", it opens the new file in its own tab. Just a thought.

Maybe my next choice was wrong, but it seemed instinctive to me. I decided to "Save As" again, but this time as a PSD file. I still had my layers in tact, so I didn't think there would be a problem.

I close out the file. When I open the PSD file back up just a few minutes ago, it's COMPLETELY FLATTENED. GONE. MY WORK IS GONE. Awesome. Thank you.

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    72 replies

    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    February 26, 2021

    @JeffreyTranberry god bless u

    wes calvinb79648485
    wes calvinb79648485
    Participant
    December 4, 2019


    Saving as a PDF window used to have the box checked for "save as copy" by default... now its not. This makes me check it every time manually.... and I forget half the time. I save out a pdf proof... continues working on the file, save etc. then when I come back my psd is flattened.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    April 23, 2019
    I make many statements such as "It makes the most sense to me" and "this seems most logical" however I know I'm not an engineer of this software. It's likely the fix is much more difficult than I make it out to be. But considering Adobe is such a huge company, and pulls in so much money for their software, I believe it's definitely worth fixing so that its user base is getting the most out of such expensive software? That's why I'm trying to understand the downsides of implementing this function.

    I just think it's really sucky to lose so much work over such an easily-missed UI checkbox 😞
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    April 23, 2019
    Hi- as stated above I agree with those outraged by this error that could easily be fixed with a better error message window, or if the Layers [] box was ALWAYS automatically checked when saving a PSD- i think this is the most logical choice. 

    As a student, I often save unpreserved PDFs to send via emails to have them printed at my school. However, this allows a user to STILL work as if the layers are there after you save. You could put countless hours into that file, save multiple versions even, but if you've previously saved as a PDF and miss the Layers [] box, you're simply out of luck. As Amadea Erhard notes above, you ONLY see the merged layer effect after you have saved, closed, and reopened the file (that is then unrecoverable in every sense). 

    Why is the Adobe engineering team so against having Layers [] automatically checked when saving a PSD file? I see threads that go back 8+ years with people having this issue, and am genuinely wondering if the reluctance is because this is useful in other contexts. It makes more sense to me that users who want to save flattened versions of PSD files will intentionally do so, since PSDs are expected to be manipulated and flattened file formats like PNG and JPEG are readily available for those who want to save flattened versions. I do not think it should be on the user, who is actively saving PSDs but misses a small check box that renders their work ultimately uneditable, but rather be on those intentionally saving flat PSDs to uncheck the box or flatten their image in the Layer>Flatten Image panel. Like if someone wants to save a flattened PSD, can't they just merge layers and then save?
    TibiTaebi
    TibiTaebi
    Participating Frequently
    March 20, 2019


    You loose all layers when doing the following:
    - save a multilayer PSD file as Photoshop PDF without the option Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities
    - you still see all layers
    - save the file as Photoshop PSD
    - close the file and open the just saved PSD file -> only one layer exists even though all layers were visible at the time the file was saved!!!!

    When saving the PSD, you have to check the [ ] Layers box in the Save As dialog. It's apparently being cleared when the file is being saved as a PDF.

    --> The box should not be cleared.
    also see the following discussion: http://forums.adobe.com/message/37867...
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    March 20, 2019



    I often save as a pdf and uncheck the option to preserve photoshop editing capabilities so that I can send the pdf via email easily and it flattens the layers which is fine - lets say I save the file as "test". I still have that save file open in photoshop - then I hit save as and save it as a different file name ie. "test-editable" and check the option for preserve photoshop editing capabilities. 

    Then if I open the test-editable doc the layers have all been flattened

    But if I go to close photoshop, I get message saying The adobe document C:/users\...\test.pdf has not been saved completely because the current file format does not support all the features of your document.... 

    and you would think that doesn't matter because its referring to the file that i unchecked preserve on purpose. 

    and if I then hit the yes option to save with layers it will let me save as editable. 

    Just seems like a bug that happens if you initially save as and don't preserve the layers then the next time you save as and its not pre-ticked it wot save as an editable file even if you do check the box beside preserve.

    This happens every time I save a file and uncheck preserve and then later save as and tick preserve. 

    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    March 20, 2019


    1. Save a layered document as a pdf WITHOUT LAYERS (common for print)
    2. Save the same document as psd, and "layers" are unchecked by default.

    This has resulted twice in me losing hours of work by accidentally saving a flattened PSD.

    Anytime a PSD is saved it should [by default] include the layers; no matter what I chose to do the last time I saved.

    How often would you purposely save a flattened PSD? Never, so why would it EVER be a default?
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    March 20, 2019


    I only saved my image as a PDF so when I go back to Photoshop I cant edit it. Is there anyway I can still edit all the layers and everything or is it permanently gone?
    wes calvinb79648485
    wes calvinb79648485
    Participant
    March 19, 2019
    Don't flatten. Just choose JPG and photoshop will automatically save as a copy and the jpg will be of course flattened. 
    A
    alisong83764930
    Participating Frequently
    March 19, 2019


    Photoshop CC automatically flattens my layered files. I save the psd file, flatten it and 'save as' jpg/tiff whatever I need. When I reopen the psd file, it is flattened. At first I thought I used saved and not "saved as", but I have subsequently done 4 tests with the same outcome. Can someone please help?
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