Any suggestions or does anyone else even experience this?

[cherylzyx]

I've noticed when I flatten an image to save for the web that my shadows that were light and fluffy become dark and hard lined. I've noticed this most with ribbon shadows.

My signature below is where I first noticed it. See the shadow on the pink loop to the left of the butterfly? In my psd file that was soft and light.

Is there a way to prevent my shadows from being changed? Does anyone else have this happen?

[heathert]

Well, in the case of your signature, it may be that the size is preventing it from being soft and fluffy--in other words, as compressed as it is on the screen (because it's very small) the shadow is going to be condensed too. Another factor could be the blending mode you're using, and the order in which you flatten the layers. I would try first flattening the shadowed layer with the one underneath it, then doing the rest of them. Dunno if that will help for sure, though!

[jacinda]

Are you flattening the image layer by layer, or all as one? Sometimes that makes a difference. What programme are you using?

[cherylzyx]

Thanks for the help, guys. I use PSE 6. I have been using Layers - Flatten Image but I tried doing just the two layers at a time and it didn't help with the siggy but I haven't tried anything else yet.

I'll take any and all suggestions! LOL

[juliesouthern]

Did you try merge visible? I used to have trouble with PSE 6 if I resized without merging - my shadows would get huge, like everything was floating off the page about a foot, LOL.

Worst case scenario you can just make your shadows on a new layer. It's tedious, but it would get around the problem.

[hollyinjapan]

I use a lot of preset shadow actions and I notice that some designers shadows get completely squished in the flattening process and other designers shadow actions don't. I also use a resize for web action (from Something Blue Studios) that I think does a fairly decent job with minor tweaks that I do to suit my own tastes. I've never been brave enough -- or skilled enough -- to do the legwork all on my own.

[cherylzyx]

Did you try merge visible? I used to have trouble with PSE 6 if I resized without merging - my shadows would get huge, like everything was floating off the page about a foot, LOL.

Worst case scenario you can just make your shadows on a new layer. It's tedious, but it would get around the problem.

I've had the huge, floating off the page thing happen with PSE 6 too! LOL And I've done merge visible and still get the sharp shadows, unfortunately.

I usually use Miss Tina's pre-sets, tweek them, run Anna Forrest's action to move the shadow to it's own layer, tweek it some more, then flatten. And I'm getting harsh shadows, sigh.

[cherylzyx]

I use a lot of preset shadow actions and I notice that some designers shadows get completely squished in the flattening process and other designers shadow actions don't. I also use a resize for web action (from Something Blue Studios) that I think does a fairly decent job with minor tweaks that I do to suit my own tastes. I've never been brave enough -- or skilled enough -- to do the legwork all on my own.

Hmm, you've got me thinking. When I get home from work tonight I'm going to try using the shadows that come with PSE 6 and tweek them and see how they handle being flattened.

I appreciate all the suggestions, I'll keep trying things and hopefully get this worked out. Does anyone know if this is specific to PSE 6 or if I upgrade will the problem still occur?

[juliesouthern]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the blend mode that is applied to the shadow. As I recall, you don't have any control over that in PSE. I can remember using CGE's drop shadows and being so disappointed with the print out because they looked so brown. Now in retrospect I wonder if it wasn't because they were supposed to be linear burn, but PSE either changed it or didn't get the message, LOL.

[cherylzyx]

When I get home from work tonight I'm going to try using the shadows that come with PSE 6 and tweek them and see how they handle being flattened.

I used the PSE built-in shadows, they stayed soft and light when I merged visible layers but when I went to save for the web they changed to hard dark shadows. I just don't get it.

[cherylzyx]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the blend mode that is applied to the shadow. As I recall, you don't have any control over that in PSE. I can remember using CGE's drop shadows and being so disappointed with the print out because they looked so brown. Now in retrospect I wonder if it wasn't because they were supposed to be linear burn, but PSE either changed it or didn't get the message, LOL.

No, PSE doesn't allow changing blend mode - at least that I can find. I'm still pretty new with it.

[juliesouthern]

How do you save for the web? Do you use the save for web wizard thing, or do you just save as a jpg and choose the quality to get the size you need? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I couldn't get mine to do it.

[cherylzyx]

How do you save for the web? Do you use the save for web wizard thing, or do you just save as a jpg and choose the quality to get the size you need? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I couldn't get mine to do it.

No problem, Julie, I appreciate the help. I use the File - Save for the Web option. I must admit I'm stumped.

[juliesouthern]

OK, just for kicks, try resizing your file, and then save as jpg and choose the quality you want without using the save for web option, and see if it happens. If not, then we know it's the SFW option that's messing it up.

[jemy70]

Relating to the huge shadows, I finally realized that I had to make sure the "scale styles" box was checked when I was changing the layout from 300 to 72 ppi to fix that issue. It wouldn't happen all the time, so it was driving me crazy trying to figure out the problem! lol

[juliesouthern]

You're right Jennifer, sometimes it's just some setting somewhere that inadvertently gets changed... I'm guessing that's probably the culprit here, too!

[jk703]

Y'know... I aways use an action... but I never flatten it, lol!

Cheryl... I hope you get it figured out! Cute siggy, btw!

[cherylzyx]

Relating to the huge shadows, I finally realized that I had to make sure the "scale styles" box was checked when I was changing the layout from 300 to 72 ppi to fix that issue. It wouldn't happen all the time, so it was driving me crazy trying to figure out the problem! lol

Thank you! That was driving me crazy too!

[cherylzyx]

OK, just for kicks, try resizing your file, and then save as jpg and choose the quality you want without using the save for web option, and see if it happens. If not, then we know it's the SFW option that's messing it up.

Yep, it does it with saving as jpg without save for web option. I appreciate your help but I may just let this one go and accept harsher shadows, I'm getting frustrated with it ! Thanks much!

[cherylzyx]

Yep, it does it with saving as jpg without save for web option. I appreciate your help but I may just let this one go and accept harsher shadows, I'm getting frustrated with it ! Thanks much!

Ok, I tried one more thing. I used Gaussian Blur on my separated shadow layer and made it blurrier than looks right on the psd. When I flattened the image it sharpened it but it was better. I think I'll just use this work around. At least until I'm less frustrated with trying to figure it out! I appreciate all you guys' help.