Importing into LR a psd/tif (saved in PS), what if some layers are turned off?

[Art M.]

Suppose that I edit a photograph in Photoshop and I decide to keep a few of the layers turned off.    I did not merge the layers.   I save the file in Photoshop.  Then I import the saved file into Lightroom.  

Does Lightroom create, in effect, a merged copy of the image using the layers that were turned on? 

That's what I am hoping, and have been assuming, but now I wonder .....

Thank you.

Art

[DdeGannes]

As far as I am aware Lightroom does not work with Layers.

[Art M.]

Yikes.  So what do I get when I import the tif file into Lightroom, and it has layers?

[DdeGannes]

Please explain exactly what you are trying to achieve.

Are you using the "Edit in" function to send the file from Lightroom to Photoshop to work with it in Layers in Photoshop then saving the edits?

Or are you opening the file directly Photoshop in Photoshop and saving the file with the Layers?

Explain and you should get detailed direction how to proceed.

[cmgap]

Yes - the layers are still there as you expect they would be. However... You won't see the layers in Lightroom you have to Edit Original in Ps to get at the layered file. Lightroom doesn't work with layers.

[Art M.]

I am expecting that I won't see the individual layers when I open the TIF in Lightroom.

This file started out as an "edit in" from Lightroom to Photoshop where I added layers.

I am just wondering what to expect upon return to Lightroom if the top layer is not a merged version of the other layers.

Is Lightroom just using the top layer upon return, or, does it merge the active layers?  Or does it merge all the layers, active or not?

Thanks,

Art

[cmgap]

When the file is closed / saved in Ps as a .tif or .psd the visible layer (top layer) is what you will see in Lightroom.

Even if the layers below it are on. The topmost layer doesn’t need to be merged.

Sent from my iPhone

[Just Shoot Me · Accepted solution]

LR can't read a Native PSD file. That is why you have to save PSD files in Max Compatibility mode for LR to see/read them. What that does is saves the Current state of the image inside the PSD file as a separate image that LR can see/read. It is the same with TIF files but TIF's do that anyway without having to turn on any option.

Try saving a PSD with Max Compatibility turn on then do a Save As of the same file with Max Compatibility turn off. The file with Max Compat turned on will be almost twice the size as the one with it turned off.

TIF files will always be larger that PSD files with Max Compatibility turned off.

If you have layers turned off when you save the file in PS then LR will see it with those layers turned off. If you save it with them turned on then LR will see it that way.

[Art M.]

That makes sense -- and is what I was hoping would happen.