Photoshop - "Rasterize"?

JaneCompti

Hi,

Just wondering what exactly this means and also a question:

I think I have rasterized the image because I just typed in text and pressed okay when trying to access another button. I want to use the spot healing brush again but also maintain the text as it is - how do I do this?

Also, how do I save my work and have it so that I can come back to the saved version later and use it to edit again. And my final question - if I want to show other people it, is it okay to use PSD or which format? The text is small (and has to stay that way) but I would like to be a good quality image/readable while not huge in size (although, that might not be as much of an issue?)

Kenny Logins

Put the text on a new layer. Rasterising turns text into pixels.

Photoshop isn't great for text work, except for web graphics. For print, leave the text as text and export a PDF - if you have a recent version of PS it will output a vector text layer which will be pin sharp when printed.

Save as .psd for further editing.

im invisible

ScumLord

Rasterization basically turns fancy photoshop layers like text or shapes into simple pixel data. If you want to maintain the easy editability of shapes and text later on down the road avoid rasterization like the plague.

The main reason to rasterize a layer is to apply an effect like blur but there are ways around that like turning the layer (or layers) into a smart object. This basically saves the layer as it's own image file and you can do what you like to that smart object including adding effects (and being able to change the effects properties later on something you can't do with a rasterized layer) and when you need to go back and edit the contents of your smart object simply right click the layer and edit contents. Make your changes and save it.

Always save your files as PSD, nobody else will be able to read that format so also make a second jpeg copy for sending to people or like Kennys says print it as a PDF using something like bullzip.

JaneCompti

Thanks. You all explained it far better than any internet guidelines I have read before. I even have trouble figuring out what a damn layer is! What would you say are the top 10ish things people should know when starting out with Wordpress?

What do I do now that I have already rasterized it and saved it as a PSD (oops...) and now need to do more spot healing on it?

JaneCompti

I also have a question on another section of the forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81612428#post81612428 It's about starting up a website, if anyone has any suggestions

ScumLord

JaneCompti wrote: »

What do I do now that I have already rasterized it and saved it as a PSD (oops...) and now need to do more spot healing on it?

You can still do spot healing it's just you're working with one layer. From now on keep your layers, don't delete them just turn them off (the eye symbol) and towards the end when you know you won't need them again, delete them to bring file sizes down.

I'm a great believer in getting tutorial style books that walk you through all the different tools and how to achieve basic tasks. I got the missing manual book for Photoshop CS5, even though I'd been using photoshop for a while you can save yourself a lot of work and hardship by learning how to do things right from the start.

Once you have the basics down you can just search google for more advanced tutorials on how to achieve specific things. You can just about type anything that comes into your head into google and someone will more than likely have a video made telling you how to achieve what you want, you just need to know the basics so you can follow what's happening.

JaneCompti

Great, thanks I clicked on "new background from layer" and that seemed to do the trick.

My next goal this week is to test out professional looking headers for a blog...not sure where to start, but I'll give it a go.

You're right about getting a guide book of some sort and the fact that the instructions are online but that it's about being able to understand them.

Thanks for the help!

JaneCompti

So, I saved my image in Photoshop the other day but I've now decided that I want to change two pieces of the text - is there any way to access the text again?

ScumLord

Not if you rasterized it. It's a flat image now.

JaneCompti

Darn it. Why does it need to lock in these changes?

JaneCompti

Is it possible to move the text instead?

5uspect

JaneCompti wrote: »

Is it possible to move the text instead?

It doesn't need to lock them in. Just leave then as vector text layers. If you really must flatten a text layer into another, the duplicate both and flatten the duplicates. You can also just use smart layers.

You have to save in Photoshop's native format, PSD. Anything else is not likely to support layers. PDF will if you click the preserve editibility box.

Just work in PSD and save copies of other formats you want along the way. You can also create history snapshots along the way that will also be saved to the PSD.

Kenny Logins

JaneCompti wrote: »

Darn it. Why does it need to lock in these changes?

It doesn't, you must have made that choice at some point.

pearljamfan

hiya, i learnt mostly everything i know to do with editing using photoshop by watching the online tutorials with creativelive.com, lesa snyder specifically, shes brilliant. i also did an online fás course in the early days which got me started. i found that if i did a little bit every day i wouldnt forget things

regarding the wordpress site, i have one - see my sig, i think its there...and find it really easy to use, i just need to post more content on it! seems like a simple way to make a pretty website.