Problem Flattening Image With Image and Text Effects Turned On

[Chaz Photog]

I have created a card that includes a photoand several different text layers.

One text layer has Bevel & Emboss plus Drop Shadow added and turned "On."

When I attempt to Flatten the image I am asked to Discard Hidden Layers.  I click OK.

Now when image is flattened the Drop Shadow disappears from the text layer even though that layer and all its effects are turned ON.

What gives?

[Jeff Arola]

What version of photoshop and windows are you using?

Can you post a screenshot of the Layers panel before flattening the document?

[Chaz Photog]

Photoshop 25.3.1

Windows 11

[Trevor.Dennis]

Chaz, for screen shots to be useful they need to be full res of the entire workspace showing layers panel, and all other panels relevant to the question.  We need to see as many of the layers as possible in case of an obvious interaction, so that might involve undocking the layers panel and sizing it accordingly.  Effects need to be twirled open and visible.   Thanks.

[Chaz Photog]

[Trevor.Dennis]

Thanks for that.  We can't see the top of the stack, but the sort of thing that can cause confusion from higher up layers are copy merged that hide changes made beneath them.

So your issue is that Flattening the image causes a drop shadow to disappear?  It's usually easier to find a workaround than track down exactly what causes flattening issues.  That includes making the problem layer a Smart Object, which should work.  If not, and what I do as a matter of course anyway for various reasons, is to select the upper most layer (which must be turned on) and adding a copy merged layer to the top of the stack (Shift Ctrl Alt E).  You can always flatten such a document and get what you expect usung that approach.

However, that loses you the layered document that you put so much time into, and you might want to use that as the base for next year's card.  So with the copy merged layer in place, Save As as a JPG, and then again the layered document as a PSD.  Most of what I do goes online, so if that can be done pasting, then you can Ctrl A (select All), Ctrl C (Copy) Ctrl V (paste to forum etc.)

[Chaz Photog]

Thank you, kindly, for the information and instruction.  Appreciated! I will take it under advisement and fiddle around when I have more time.