Participating Frequently

Answered

Flattening image changes it

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
May 11, 2017
5 replies
22566 views

Hi all.

I dont remember ever seeing this before but am today. I have an image with over a dozen adjustment layers. When I flatten the image, it changes. Specifically it gets a little darker. What am I missing?

Thanks

Correct answer davescm

OK, I just saw for the first time this happen with flattening, which APPEARS to change the image. I've been dvised now by at least 2 people to view the changes at 100% to see the actual image. I can do this but of course at 100% it is necessary to scroll around the image to verify how different areas respond to edits. Doing this for every change is not reasonable IMO. So when flattening if the iage appears to change, I now know I should look atr the 100% view to see how it will actually look. So if I export the flattened image to the printer, what will the printed image look like? The one I see at 100% or the one I see at fill screen after flattening?

Hi

gma_Arts wrote
...... So if I export the flattened image to the printer, what will the printed image look like? The one I see at 100% or the one I see at fill screen after flattening?

The actual image is the version rendered at 100% zoom (flattened or not).

When sent to the printer there is also the conversion to inks on paper to take into account. This will always change the look (light emitted from a screen will always be different from that reflected from paper). You can preview a simulation of that change, using View - Proof Color, if you have a colour profile for your particular printer, paper and ink combination - but that is another subject in itself

Dave

R

rgbnites

Known Participant

Hello- Tiff> two layers with a blend for desired effect> color differs from preview when flatten or save as JPG. Very annoying. What to do> take screen shot of preview (mac: Command 4)- it's for video use anyway. Note: color also changes when enlarging preview. If screen shot can do it, why can't photoshop? And why can't photoshop convert the low res preview data to high res to be used in printing output? Doesn't photoshop do something like that when converting in "Image Size?"

D Fosse

Community Expert

@rgbnites

Read the thread again. The explanation has been given several times.

Short version: In some cases, like this one, you must view at 100% to see adjustment and blending previews correctly. 100% has nothing to do with size. It means one image pixel is represented by exactly one physical screen pixel.

This is exactly the type of image (sharp pixel-level edges and transitions) that will be maximum affected by this. In a "normal" photograph it's not an issue. Here it is.

S

Senhor_Ron

Participating Frequently

Things are really confusing...
Adding my two cents, I'll explain my situation and let's see how that has anything to do with 100% viewing, and please let's also remain patient.

Tiff Image with layer style: gradient, opacity:50%, blending mode:difference

Flattening or rasterizing the layers appears to change the gradient style blending mode to normal.
But here is the really weird thing:
Even before flattening the layers, when opening the file in Lightroom, Lightroom shows the image as if the layer style blending mode is set to normal.

So, I'm pretty much lost in my efforts to understand what's going on...

J

jack6947

Participant

My solution is: Don't flatten your images! Why would you want to lose track of the work you've done? Depending on what you're using it for, better to export/save a jpeg. In my experience color and luminosity are unchanged.

Leslie Moak Murray

Community Expert

Good advice. I NEVER flatten anything. You can save it as any flat format but keep the layered file.

C

case86

Participant

I would be ok with not flattening it. However, when I go to resize the image, that also changes the coloring/shadows/etc.
So, I thought flattening would help. While it technically works, as when I resize it after flattening it is perfect. It's the flattening part that modifies it too much. Any thoughts there? I will say, I am not very proficient in Photoshop and do most of my work in Illustrator and this has never been an issue. *Hope that makes sense.

C

ChrisDx

Participating Frequently

Got it! I experienced the same thing for the first time after having used Photoshop for about 30 years. [Yes, since the ealry 1990s.] The replies so far herein, did not resolve my issue which had nothing to do with viewing percentage, proofing, or the price of potatoes. In my search of the interweb, I finally came across the right issue and subsequent solution. The issue occurrs when there is a high dgree of noise in one or more of the layers. I reduced the noise with a gaussian blur of 3% and, bingo, that was it. That was it for me, your mileage may vary.

D Fosse

Community Expert

The issue is still the same as discussed above. Noise is a very typical case. The answer is still the same: view at 100%.

davescm

Community Expert

Hi

Is it changing when viewed at 100% zoom (before and after)?

At other zoom levels Photoshop blends a preview of the image layers to speed up the screen rendering. In the majority of cases that will look the same but, depending on content you may see changes when flattening .

100% zoom uses the actual image layers so you should see no change.

Dave

G

gma_ArtsAuthor

Participating Frequently

First in response to Warunicorn I did put small jpgs in here, one before flat and and after and they looked identical so I didn't post it.

To davescm - Amazing that they do look identical at 100%. Set layered image to 100% then layer->flatten and the two look identical. But when I select 'fill screen' or 'fit screen' the change becomes apparent again. The flattened image is darkened. Naturally the look of the layered image is what I want. I suppose I could then adjust the image to try to get back what I wanted but ... why should I have to?

davescm

Community Expert

Hi

As I explained earlier - at less than 100% zoom you are not viewing the actual blended image but a blend based on previews. This was done to speed up rendering. There is a question as to whether such steps are necessary these days, with high speed graphics cards, but that is how Photoshop works at present (and has for many years).

It is always recommended to check your image at 100% prior to flattening.

Dave

War Unicorn

Community Expert

Any chance we could see the before/after? I know that merging layers with different blend modes will look different. Haven't heard of an image totally changing when flattened.

A

ATGuitarNinja

Participating Frequently

So... There is no real solution because this is just how Photoshop works to simplify things when zoomed out?

I have noticed this behaviour for a while working with text and other layers and the layer Blending Options > Blend If feature. It's very annoying to have to waste extra time tweaking something that renders one way on screen while zoomed out (I work with large images) only to flatten / merge the layers and have the blending appear to change significantly (and it does too). I want what Warunicorn wants, this behaviour to stop happening. I want to see what I am going to get pixel for pixel at all resolutions,which, after thinking it through some more, seems technologically impossible, Adobe would have to change their rendering code to somehow compensate for such things while zoomed out.

What proofing option would best mitigate this rendering problem?

Is this render problem even solvable in the current version of photoshop?

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded