Use of .png files in Photoshop

[whatalotofrubbish]

I use Fireworks to create graphics using layers with each element on its own layer.

When I send them to some companies, they state that a .png file cannot be edited by photoshop, and that the file has only one layer.

Can anyone answer a few questions about .png and Photoshop?

1. Can Photoshop read and edit .png files?

If so,

          a. Must the layers be unlocked for them to be read as individual layers?

          b. When they have been edited in Photoshop, can they still have seperate layers that can be read in Fireworks?

All help would be appreciated.

Howard Walker

[Chris Cox]

Photoshop reads and edits PNG files just fine.

But PNG files do not normally contain layers.  Fireworks puts layer data in a private chunk inside PNG - and other applications cannot edit the Fireworks data.  When you open a Fireworks PNG with layer data in Photoshop, Photoshop will warn you that the layer data is being discarded.

If you want to edit layer data, save the file as PSD/PSB, TIFF, or PDF with Photoshop layer data.

[the_wine_snob]

Chris,

Thanks for that. I have just learned something. For me, PNG is a format to Save_As FROM PS, and I have to admit that I have not used Fireworks in ages.

Whenever I meet that warning message, I will now know what that is about.

Appreciated,

Hunt

[whatalotofrubbish]

This is very interesting.

My .png files created by Fireworks always contain layers (at least Fireworks describes them as layers) unless I delberately select a group of layers and "flatten" them, in which case they combine into one layer.

At this link is a ,png file created in fireworks containg three layers and saved in .png format.

At this link is the same file saved as a .psd file by Fireworks.

I cannot open the .psd file, as I cannot afford to purchase Photoshop.

If I try to save as a .tiff file, I am warned that all layers and vectors will be turned into a single bitmap.

I believe that this was not always the case, but could be wrong.

Perhaps one of you could try to open these files using Photoshop and tell me if they contain any layers, and if so are they editable?

There are no options given in Fireworks when saving in the .psd format with regard to transparency or otherwise. (Fireworks CS4).

Howard Walker

[Guest]

The links don't seem to work.

whatalotofrubbish wrote:

...as I cannot afford to purchase Photoshop...

You can download a 30-day Photoshop trial for free. But you don't need Photoshop to review a PSD file. You could download GIMP for free and at a much smaller size than Photoshop. GIMP can open most PSD files and show you what your receivers will see.

...but can't you re-open that PSD in Fireworks to see it?

[whatalotofrubbish]

Marian Driscoll wrote:

...but can't you re-open that PSD in Fireworks to see it?

I find that I can open PSD files in Fireworks, but not when viewing them on the web - must check my file associations for PSD files.

However, it would not be good as Fireworks CS4 takes about 3 minutes to open on my system. Thanks for the suggestion Marian.

Howard Walker

[Noel Carboni]

Howard, both your links returned this for me:

-Noel

[whatalotofrubbish]

Sorry about the links error - I omitted the directory when creating the links - after first testing them with it. Its an old age thing!

Please try the following:

Link to .png file

Link to psd file

I don't particularly want to open .psd files - just to know if the ones created from a .png file have editable layers.

Howard Walker

[Noel Carboni]

No layers in PNG, when opened in Photoshop, as has been stated above:

However, the PSD is just fine:

-Noel

[whatalotofrubbish]

Many thanks Noel.

I will now send out files in .psd format, thus saving lots of problems.

Marian - thanks for the info about Gimp, which I have downloaded and found it to be exactly as stated.

Best wishes to all who have helped.

Howard Walker

[Aragorn24]

Is it possible to edit the text in this above png image?

If yes, please help me to do it...

Thanks

[kut_kutty]

So easy a caveman could do it!

[Aragorn24]

Thanks for your reply....Its amazing that you could do it. I am a Chemical Engg. Student and not good in this stuff..

Could you please explain how you did it or by using which software you did this?

[emil_emil]

Aragorn24 wrote:

Thanks for your reply....Its amazing that you could do it. I am a Chemical Engg. Student and not good in this stuff..

Could you please explain how you did it or by using which software you did this?

He Photoshopped it

[whatalotofrubbish]

If the file was created in Photoshop then it must be edited in Photoshop. I don't have a copy cos its too darned expensive to even think about - but - if you visit the adobe site you can download a free copy for a months trial. Do your edit and then delete it - takes a long time to download and a lot of disk space, and in my case, the learning curve is not really worth the effort. The software that usually works best for you is that which you are familiar with.

[whatalotofrubbish]

Its not a .png file if opened in Fireworks, as it only has a single bitmap image in it.

.png files as I understand them have layers for each item, so the text is on one layer, bitmaps are on another and none bitmaps such as circles have a layer each, and all you need to do to edit an item is to click on it and Fireworks will automatically select a suitable tool to edit the item. So whatever our friend above is using to edit it, its not Fireworks.

Unless someone else knows better?

[Aragorn24]

Thanks for your reply.... So if it can't be done with fireworks, what's the way to do it?

[Noel Carboni]

I didn't think the PNG format had the capability to carry layers, though I'm no expert on that format.  There is certainly almost no mention of the word "layer" in the format specification on a quick look...  Your best bet would be to see if Chris Cox (of Adobe) will comment on this tomorrow (Edit:  HAH!  He beat me to it).

That said, there's an alpha channel that is interpreted by Photoshop as transparency. Photoshop can read and write PNG files with transparency.  I've just never seen any evidence that it can handle anything like layers with PNGs.

Can you use the PSD format for transfers of multi-layer documents between apps?  That would seem be more likely to be properly handled.

-Noel