The difference between "Merge" and "Flatten" in terms of the file size

All I have this 2gigs of a photoshop file.
I notice that Merging and Flattening give me a different file size.. a huge different,
Merge: 850mb
Flatten: 150mb

What is the difference? I don't have any transparency. And this is for print.

Thanks

On 2011-05-04 13:34:58 -0400, Kobe Fried Rice said:

All I have this 2gigs of a photoshop file.
I notice that Merging and Flattening give me a different file size.. a huge different,
Merge: 850mb
Flatten: 150mb

What is the difference? I don't have any transparency. And this is for print.

Thanks

With Flatten, you merge all layers

With merge, you merge a layer ontop on another like merge layer 9 on layer 8

Hope this will help

JR

On Sun, 8 May 2011 00:08:52 -0400, R2D3 wrote:

On 2011-05-04 13:34:58 -0400, Kobe Fried Rice said:

All I have this 2gigs of a photoshop file.
I notice that Merging and Flattening give me a different file size.. a huge different,
Merge: 850mb
Flatten: 150mb

What is the difference? I don't have any transparency. And this is for print.

Thanks

With Flatten, you merge all layers

With merge, you merge a layer ontop on another like merge layer 9 on layer 8
Hope this will help

JR

i tried this myself out of curiosity. and i got the same end result from flatten and merge.

psd was just shy of 8mb
both saved jpg's at level 8 were 695k

so not quite sure why youors would differ, i did try it on cs5

david johnson found these unused words:

On Sun, 8 May 2011 00:08:52 -0400, R2D3 wrote:

On 2011-05-04 13:34:58 -0400, Kobe Fried Rice said:

All I have this 2gigs of a photoshop file.
I notice that Merging and Flattening give me a different file size.. a huge different,
Merge: 850mb
Flatten: 150mb

What is the difference? I don't have any transparency. And this is for print.

Thanks

With Flatten, you merge all layers

With merge, you merge a layer ontop on another like merge layer 9 on layer 8
Hope this will help

JR

i tried this myself out of curiosity. and i got the same end result from flatten and merge.

psd was just shy of 8mb
both saved jpg's at level 8 were 695k

so not quite sure why youors would differ, i did try it on cs5

There's also "Merge Visible", but all processes, if carried to have just one layer, end up the same size.

This is interesting about the file, merge, flatten etc. and sizes. I never really knew the difference, I mainly just flatten before I save, or if I'm going to do something that needs all on one layer. I have PS CS3 and mainly "self taught" (with a lot of help from tutorials and groups)
Maybe the different sizes of the files is because of the quality they are saved at? Like when you save a new file it has a setting for low, medium, high?