Photoshop merged my layers for me, can I recover

[Guest]

I exported a project as a pdf by clicking Save As under the file menu, then I saved the original psd by choosing Save As again and selecting PSD this time.  When I came back to the project today all the layers had been merged into one.  I _never_ merged them myself.  Is there any way I can recover all that work or have I been hosed by this "feature"?

[Carlos_Pixelcraft]

If the file had smart objects in it and at some point move to the trash or place into another folder, the file will reopen without working layers.

Carlos

[warrenf14706944]

Very definitely a bug with Photoshop after saving to PDF, which seems to be happening quite frequently, without a doubt. Here's my current workflow.

1. Create and work on, let's say, original.psd.

2. Save original.psd to folder.

3. Save as original.pdf.

Now, the file name reflects as original.pdf in my open Photoshop window, but still shows all the layers. To make sure I keep the file intact, I save again as original.psd as the layers all show.

After closing and opening the file again, the PSD is now a single layer. Can anyone explain that to me please?

[alisong83764930]

Good tip. Thanx Warren.

[dianer_macperson]

maybe if you use time machine on your Mac you can get your layered file back from an older date. Just a suggestion.

[tishg55083571]

I too have about 20 years experience with Photoshop and it has happened to me on at least 3 occasions.  It just happened today, which is why I'm on this forum.  I lost several hours of work again.  Very frustrating.

What a disappointment that Adobe doesn't got on this thread and at least acknowledge the bug and give us hope for a fix.

... it doesn't help that people like bichler live up to their name and add insult to injury.

[D Fosse]

There is no bug. You're offfered to save a copy because the format you're saving to doesn't support all properties in the file.

You're losing your original layers (or whatever) because you're closing the original file without saving it.

[tishg55083571]

D

I was very careful to “save as” the layered file as PSD before closing it.

I was paranoid enough to save it twice before closing Adobe Photoshop.

Tish

[c.pfaffenbichler]

I was very careful to “save as” the layered file as PSD before closing it.

Can you reproduce the issue?

[tishg55083571]

Yes, unfortunately I reproduce it about every other month now that I have Adobe CC.

The problem is that I cannot reproduce it on demand!

It’s probably not a hard bug but a process bug – a way of doing things in Adobe that has changed and requires information I don’t have.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

The problem is that I cannot reproduce it on demand!

You might have omitted to check »As a Copy« when saving the pdf.

It’s probably not a hard bug but a process bug – a way of doing things in Adobe that has changed and requires information I don’t have.

It may be bad user interface design but I think it does not qualify as a proper bug.

Did you see this thread?

Photoshop: How did I get a flattened PSD after saving PDF? | Photoshop Family Customer Community

[D Fosse]

I agree, and I still think the core "problem" is a lack of understanding of file formats and what properties they support.

[davescm]

Hi

I agree this is not a bug but it is poor interface design. There is also a significant difference (at least on Windows) between the screenshot Jeff shows, in the link you gave,  and the Save as dialogue now.

In Jeff's screenshot there is a yellow warning triangle and a descriptor underneath

In the current version on Windows there are no such yellow warnings to grab a users attention.  There is a grey warning button which you must press to see anything.

Poor interface design

Dave

[D Fosse]

Well, I have used Photoshop in a professional capacity - that's 8 hours a day when I'm not out shooting - for more than twelve years. I have never, ever, seen layers just disappear. So I'm very hesitant to accept a "bug" here.

It does happen, however, when you branch out a copy to a format that doesn't support Photoshop layers. In that case you need to be very clear on the fact that you are dealing with a secondary copy, separate from the original, and handle them accordingly.

Sometimes I think it would be better if Photoshop simply refused to save until the file complies fully with the format specifications. In fact I think that's how it used to be - but someone will complain over that too.

[davescm]

The issue comes after saving as a pdf with flattened layers. When you later save the same file as a PSD the save layers box is unchecked. There is warning about this when you save the pdf but the implication is easily missed.

I agree with a comment made earlier in this post, the default save should have the functions supported by the file format checked no matter what was done earlier. That way it is always a conscious decision to uncheck.

Dave

[D Fosse]

Well, OK, I seem to remember this coming up a couple of times. As you describe it, I concede it qualifies as a bug.

Still, the natural instinct would be to save and safeguard your PSD first - then worry about the PDF later.

In any case most of the posts here concern jpeg, where this doesn't happen. And in the majority of those posts, it appears the posters don't reflect on the fact that jpeg is a very limited file format that supports almost nothing at all.

[davescm]

Hi

I was not at my desk earlier, when I replied, so just to demo this clearly:

With an open, layered, PSD document I choose to Save As and select  PDF as the file format and get this , rather bland, warning :

The problem occurs if in the next dialogue this is unchecked (checking it gives a potential compatibility warning):

With the original layered document still open, all layers still visible I now (or after further work) go to save it as PSD - to keep my master and find the "Layers box" has been unchecked in Save As

Whether this is by design or by bug , it is easy to be caught out by this  and lose your layers.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

But if I retrace the described steps and then try to close the pdf (which has Layers as open in psd but none as the pdf on disk) I get this message

which seems to clearly warn me about what’s going on.

[davescm]

Hi c.pfaffenbichler

Retrace the steps and don't close the pdf just continue working on the layered document then use Save As and this time save as PSD - there is no warning - just that layers box unchecked.

From Neil's description, above, it sounds like there is a warning triangle on the Mac. On Windows it is as shown in the screenshot. No triangle just an unchecked box and the ability to miss it and save without layers.

This is not new - I came across it a few versions ago, and was caught out by it.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Retrace the steps and don't close the pdf just continue working on the layered document then use Save As and this time save as PSD - there is no warning - just that layers box unchecked.

If I »Save As« from the pdf it does so as a copy (by default and without Layers), ergo the open files is still the pdf and when trying to close it I get this warning:

[davescm]

I get that warning when I go to close but remember:

a. I was happy not to have layers in my pdf - in fact that preserve editing capabilities was unchecked on purpose for compatibility

However I can still see all my layers so -

b. Heeding the warning, you show above,  I go to Save As a psd. Not realising the layers box is unchecked (in all other situations it is checked by default) I unwittingly save as PSD without layers.
c. I now go to close my pdf again and again I get that warning (the header tab still shows the pdf) but knowing I have just saved as a psd I close

d I go to open my psd and find a flattened image

I know about this so understand the warnings - but many do not and do get caught out by these slightly unclear dialogues and by the inexplicable decision to uncheck the Layers checkbox when saving a document in which teh layers panel is still showing layers.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

c. I now go to close my pdf again and again I get that warning (the header tab still shows the pdf) but knowing I have just saved as a psd I close

But as indicated in the document’s name the open document is the pdf, not the psd, so »obviously« one did not save the open layered file but a copy (even if it went unnoticed that it was flattened).

And the warning should be sufficient to make one aware of the goings-on or at least vaguely suspicious.

[davescm]

Suspicious yes - but, as evidenced in these forums, some do not understand the implications of those warnings. They have after all taken the precaution of saving as a PSD and, if they had checked the layers box - would have preserved those layers that are all still visible in the layers panel. So they get caught out.

The warning on closing the pdf for example could easily be read as - "that is a warning about my pdf - not the psd I've just saved and for which there was no warning".

So either a similar warning when saving the psd or better still having the layers box prechecked to save the layers would have avoided the issue, even to newcomers to these dialogues.

Dave

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Suspicious yes - but, as evidenced in these forums, some do not understand the implications of those warnings.

True that.

[tishg55083571]

Thanks Dave - very helpful and abundantly clear. 

Adobe's nasty no-layers default is the cause of the problem, but, thanks to you, at least I understand it fully now and will no longer lose hours of work.  😃

[NB, colourmanagement]

HI davescm

that's not good, I wonder what it is that's triggering that - maybe you're right and its the status of preserve photoshop editing capabilities when making the Photoshop PDF that then affects subsequent saving of the layered PSD

I attempted to reproduce it and i can

its happening here, on mac with Sierra - Photoshop CC 20.0.1

I saved my layered (CMYK PSD) file as Photoshop PDF - Layers option checked

I see the warning you showed about settings being overridden by setting in the the PDF dialog

in that dialog Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities is checked there by default

so I unchecked preserve photoshop editing capabilities - and a saved the PDF

next I go to save my original PSD

in that save dialog the Layers option is now unchecked -

well - at least there's a warning triangle next to that!!

it needs fixing for sure I think - save with layers should always be the default action

oh dear,

so, I still recommend saving the layered (full size) PSD first

making a copy and doing any resizing or sharpening to that copy, then flatten and save as Jpeg/ PDF whatever

then discard the copy

its all very well writing that now though - when its too late for the OP

neil barstow, colourmanagement