3 Replies Latest reply: Nov 26, 2012 7:38 PM by Sudarshan Thiagarajan RSS

    What is the difference between merge down, merge visible, and flatten image?

    geegadwah Community Member

      What is the difference between merge down, merge visible, and flatten image?

        • 1. Re: merge?
          Sudarshan Thiagarajan CommunityMVP

          Hypothetically, say you have 10 layers in your Photoshop document:

           

          • Merge Down - This will let you choose only a few select layers and merge only those layers. Try it out - Without any layer selected, Merge Down option will be inactive. Choose a combination of 2 or more layers (it could be any of the layers from your layers panel). Shortcut is Command + E (Mac) or Ctrl + E (Win)
          • Merge Visible - This will merge all visible layers in your document. Say out of 10 layers, 2 layers are 'hidden' from layers panel, this option will omit those 2 layers and merge the rest into one layer. Shortcut is Command + Shift + E (Mac) or Ctrl + Shift + E (Win)
          • Flatten - This option is very similar to 'Merge visible'. Basically, discard individual layers and make them all into one. If there are some 'hidden' or 'invisible' layers in your document, choosing this option will prompt you if you want to 'discard' hidden layers or keep them. If you choose to discard hidden layers, it will get rid of those hidden layers and flatten your image with the other layers to just give you one layer. If you choose to keep the hidden layers, it will work exactly as 'Merge Visible' - merging all other layers, also keeping the hidden layers

           

          Trust this helps.

           

          -ST

          • 2. Re: What is the difference between merge down, merge visible, and flatten image?
            Kendall Plant Employee Hosts

            Hi there -

             

            To suppliment Sudarshan's extremely informative answer, here are some screenshots of an example of these actions:

             

            I am using an image with four layers: a background, plus three shapes on their own layers.

             

            A1.jpg

             

            If I click on the Arrow layer and select Merge Down, the Arrow and Checkers layers will become one layer. Even though my image still looks the same, the arrow and the checkered pattern have now become one shape.

             

            A2.jpg

             

            Note that if you select multiple layers from your layers panel by Shift-clicking on the layers, Merge Down will switch to Merge Layers. This would result in the same effect as above, but this technique works well if you are merging together more than two layers.

             

            A1.1.jpg A1.2.jpg

             

            Say that I wanted to hide the Checkers layer. I can do so by clicking the small eye icon to the left of the layer thumbnail in the Layers panel. Now, if I select Merge Visible, the background, Arrow, and Circle layers will merge together. But since the Checkers layer was hidden, it will remain its own separate layer.

             

            A3.jpg

             

            If all of my layers are visible and I select Flatten, all of my layers will merge together and will become a locked background layer. If you need to edit this layer, you can unlock it by double clicking on the layer and clicking OK.

             

            A4.jpg

             

            If one of my layers had been hidden, say my Checkers layer, I would get this message when I select Flatten.

             

            A6.jpg

             

            If I click on OK, my layers will merge and lock, and my Checkers layer will be deleted.

             

            A7.jpg

             

            Thank you Sudarshan for the great answer!

            • 3. Re: What is the difference between merge down, merge visible, and flatten image?
              Sudarshan Thiagarajan CommunityMVP

              Thank you K, for providing screenshots to help OP more 'visually'!