Trouble With Drop Shadow Changing

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

jim

"jim evans" wrote in message

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

jim

Rather than flattening the image, try slightly modifying the name and saving it as a PNG, TIFF or PSD without layers.

I've had the same experience and saving as a nonlayered file seems to do the trick, while allowing me to maintain the original layered PSD file should future modification become necessary.

Peadge :-)

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 18:51:58 -0700, "Peadge"
wrote:

"jim evans" wrote in message

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

jim

Rather than flattening the image, try slightly modifying the name and saving it as a PNG, TIFF or PSD without layers.

I've had the same experience and saving as a nonlayered file seems to do the trick, while allowing me to maintain the original layered PSD file should future modification become necessary.

Thanks for the tip, but I tried PSD and TIFF without layers and it did the same thing as flatening.

jim

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 14:03:56 -0500, jim evans
reverently intoned upon the aether:

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

jim

Are you viewing the image at 100% zoom when you see this? Otherwise, PS often has layer compositing issues in displays that are not 1:1.

enjoy,

Sean

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

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Last Updated 23 June 2005

jim evans wrote:

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

Do not just flatten, but rather merge down each layer individually, starting with the bottommost first and ending with the topmost. Or, as I use to overcome this problem, which will most probably turn up when groups of layers are involved, "select all", "copy merged",and create a new image from the clipboard. This should look exactly as the original does.

Peter

On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 18:51:58 -0700, "Peadge"
wrote:

"jim evans" wrote in message

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

jim

Rather than flattening the image, try slightly modifying the name and saving it as a PNG, TIFF or PSD without layers.

I've had the same experience and saving as a nonlayered file seems to do the trick, while allowing me to maintain the original layered PSD file should future modification become necessary.

i've had this same problem with many layer effects. Flatten the image and they either lose or gain intensity.

the above method is good, or, if you must flatten, save your file as an alternate version, and then play with the intensity of your layered effects/dropshadows and flatten the file. Experiment until it comes out right. thats all I have ever been able to figure out. Sometimes I had to clone multiple layers of the same effected layer, in order to build up enough intensity, so that when the file was flattened, the effect had the desired intensity.

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:21:23 GMT, (Peter
Wollenberg) wrote:

jim evans wrote:

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

Do not just flatten, but rather merge down each layer individually, starting with the bottommost first and ending with the topmost. Or, as I use to overcome this problem, which will most probably turn up when groups of layers are involved, "select all", "copy merged",and create a new image from the clipboard. This should look exactly as the original does.

thats a neat trick, i hope i can remember that one.

So many wonderful suggestions. I've ended up opening my Notepad and cut/paste the hints.

"howldog" wrote in message

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:21:23 GMT, (Peter
Wollenberg) wrote:

jim evans wrote:

When I have an image with several layers I often want to flatten the image (often for sharpening) before printing, but when I flatten a image with a drop shadow the shadow changes sizes and densities -- normally it gets smaller and darker.

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

Do not just flatten, but rather merge down each layer individually, starting with the bottommost first and ending with the topmost. Or, as I use to overcome this problem, which will most probably turn up when groups of layers are involved, "select all", "copy merged",and create a new image from the clipboard. This should look exactly as the original does.

thats a neat trick, i hope i can remember that one.

In article ,
jim evans wrote:

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

The drop shadow does not change when you flatten the image. What oyu are seeing is an optical illusion. You can demonstrate this for yourself by making sure you are zoomed in to 100% when you look at the image, then flatten it while zoomed to 100%.

All the tricks and techniques other people have given--flatten down, copy merged, and so on--are unnecessary.

What you are seeing is not real. When you zoom out of an image, so you are not looking at it at 100%, Photoshop uses some tricks to make it look smoother on your screen; the way it renders drop shadows and so on is slightly different from the way it renders them on the screen when you flatten the image. The image SEEMS to change, if you flatten while you are not zoomed to 100%. But in reality, it has not changed at all; it will print identically, it will look identical on the screen before and after you flatten. Only the on-screen preview when you are zoomed out will be different.

--
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On Tue, 19 Jul 2005 20:41:33 GMT, tacit wrote:

In article ,
jim evans wrote:

Is there any way to prevent the drop shadow from changing when flattening the image?

The drop shadow does not change when you flatten the image. What oyu are seeing is an optical illusion. You can demonstrate this for yourself by making sure you are zoomed in to 100% when you look at the image, then flatten it while zoomed to 100%.

By golly, you and Sean are right, at least for the images I was talking about. When I view the flattening at 100% they do not change. Apparently I must make the shadow larger and lighter so when it will print the way I see it on the monitor.

jim