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Photoshop Question.

rga

Member
Though I know there is a photo processing forum, I thought I'd pose my question here as it most likely only happens with MF folks.

I stitched three exposures from my IQ160 together and spent a few days playing/tweeking it in Photoshop CC14. Lots of layers making the file a whopping 7.7GB! So I had to save it with all layers in the large document format file format (.psb).

When I go to prepare it for printing as a .tif and merge visible layers (all the layers are visible), the look of the image on screen changes dramatically.

Has anyone experienced this? Is there a way to stop it from happening?

Thanks for any help,
Bob
 
Last edited:

Scott Tansey

New member
Hello Bob,
I just had an exhibition in Los Angeles. I stitch up to 13 images together. I always flatten my images before I print. The print came out great. The gallery was extremely happy with the prints.

Scott
scotttanseyphoto.com
 

rga

Member
Hello Bob,
I just had an exhibition in Los Angeles. I stitch up to 13 images together. I always flatten my images before I print. The print came out great. The gallery was extremely happy with the prints.

Scott
scotttanseyphoto.com
Congrats Scott. Were they .psb files before you flattened them? Did you use the flatten layer function, the merge layers function or the merge visibles?

I only just encountered this problem when I used any of the above three functions with a .psb file...
Thanks,
Bob
 

alajuela

Active member
Hi


Also try a flatten image command instead of merge visible and see if you have different results. Then of course a "save as" a tif

Hope this works, a lot of work invested, - please post it if you get a chance

Phil
 

Scott Tansey

New member
Bob,

My workflow is different than yours. I do many edits in Lightroom and then merge into photoshop. Then the items are merged. I use flatten layers. Do some more edits in Lightroom. Finally I do my final adjustments in photoshop. Then I merge layers.

I might recommend having different versions saved, but a 7 gig file is to big to use. I would do different steps and save, so you could go back and make changes. However the final file should be flattened.

Scott
scotttanseyphoto.com
p.s. you can give me a call. I live in SoCal and you live in NoCal.
 

GregMO

Member
I also use Flatten Image and have never noticed the image looking different.

Like Scott recommends..always keep a layered file in order to go back to make adjustments in the future as well as an additional flattened TIFF as a separate file.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Copy the file before flatting it. Save the non (huge) flattened file before going to the copy. In the copy file flatten it and do a test print. If the test print works for you then you have your finished file.

The above is a small portion of my normal workflow. I also shoot with a IQ160 and can have huge files by the time I get to the point of printing. I'll save the working non-flattened file and copy it before I flatten the copy and print. If I like the print I'll only end up saving the copy as a good print or master print file and delete everything else. If on the other hand I need something else I'll return to the non-flattened file and tweak it....

Hope this makes sense. Also another reason my storage is measured in terabytes.


Don


One last thought is I always save as a Tiff as that is the most standard and should be readable for years to come.
 

rga

Member
Copy the file before flatting it. Save the non (huge) flattened file before going to the copy. In the copy file flatten it and do a test print. If the test print works for you then you have your finished file.

The above is a small portion of my normal workflow. I also shoot with a IQ160 and can have huge files by the time I get to the point of printing. I'll save the working non-flattened file and copy it before I flatten the copy and print. If I like the print I'll only end up saving the copy as a good print or master print file and delete everything else. If on the other hand I need something else I'll return to the non-flattened file and tweak it....

Hope this makes sense. Also another reason my storage is measured in terabytes.


Don


One last thought is I always save as a Tiff as that is the most standard and should be readable for years to come.
Thanks all for the input. The file is 4.3GB, not 7 as thought before (not sure where I got that from; brain fade...). Still the same problem and one noted by many on the web, especially if the CC layers are different blending modes (normal, soft light, screen, etc.).
I think I do the same as you, Don. I will always have my saved master file with all the layers. I will then merge it (I usually use merge visible, but I tried merge flatten with the same result). Then I'll save the file with only the one layer as a .tif file.
When I do the merge in the master file, there is a definite change of contrast mainly. Perhaps saturation too, but it's quite noticeable. The part I don't do is a test print, which I think is a good suggestion, as that is what the final outcome is.

The web offers much advice, from taking the view up to 100% and ensuring the histogram has been "filled out" by hitting the triangle with the exclamation point before merging. Adding an empty layer on top of my pile-o-layers before merging, etc. etc. But the change still happens.

What I am doing now is tweaking the curve for a bit more contrast and painting a mask where the contrast isn't needed (clouds usually) on the .tif file after the layer merge. Gets me close, but sort of defeats the point.

I'll go to printing next and see how that works. Thanks for that suggestion. If yo or anyone else finds a different solution than yours and those given above let me know. You may want to try it yourself to see what I'm referring to. It may even happen with smaller files...
Thank you all!
Bob, whose storage is also measured in terabytes!
 

alajuela

Active member
Hi

You have mentioned PS CC a couple of times. Do you still PS6 on your machine, if so, try to open the file - then Flatten and a "save as" a tiff.
To see what happens

Also I just read that this might be due to multiple masks in psb format.

I would maybe try to merge down a layer at a time starting from the bottom - so you merging into a layer w/o a mask (assuming you have a background layer) for example layer 1 (which has a mask) into the background layer etc.

Again just to see what happens

Phil
 

etrump

Well-known member
Try doing a stamp visible before flattening. The visible stamp should look the same as all layers.
 

alajuela

Active member
Try doing a stamp visible before flattening. The visible stamp should look the same as all layers.
Hi

The keystrokes for "Stamp Visible" are

Press Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E (Windows)

or

Shift+Command+Option+E (Mac OS).

If it works, then duplicate the new layer into another file and save it as a tif.

Hope we have hit on something here

Phil
 
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