Adobe Photoshop help

[Patrick]

Although this relates to still photography...the original images were shot on film....1600asa...super grainy!

Anyhow, now to my situation. I'm currently doing a montage of multiple copies of the same image in Photoshop. Each time I drag a photo into the image window, a new layer is created. And I'm spending quite a bit of time aligning the photos so that each one is placed exactly where I want it. So far, so good.

The problem is that is that when I flatten the image (to combine all the different layers) some of the different photos in the montage shift position very slightly. This spoils the whole thing. A number of times, I have had to start again from scratch, carefully aligning all the photos again, and then seeing them shift position again when I combine the layers.

Now the really weird thing. On at least one occasion, I saved the file when I had all the photos precisely aligned (before I merged the layers.) I then merged the layers which once again caused the shifting. Though when I went back to the saved version (prior to merging the layers) the photos are still shifted which makes no sense! I have also saved a file in which I completed the montage (before merging the layers) then closed that file while everything was aligned just right. Then I open that file again to see some of the photos have shifted position very slightly once again. Frustrating and ilogical.

Anyone has any ideas why this is happening and how to fix it? Has anyone experienced these problems before when using Photoshop to do a montage? I'm using a rather ancient version of Adobe Photoshop - 5.0. Not only that but it's the Limited Edition version which means that Adobe has put a number of restrictions and limited features on it. Just wondering if it's the LE version that causing this? Shortly, I'm planning to download a trial version of the latest version of Photoshop....just hope that will set things right.

[super8man]

Have you made sure each image is precisely the same size? Down to the pixel? That's all I can think of...or the LE version does random things just to make you mad...

[Rollef]

I have merged tons of pics, same size and not, into one picture to make huge panoramas in CS3. I'm using the photomerge function so it's not quite the same as you are doing and that function isn't in your version either, but I have never experienced that kind of "shifting".

[sarmoti]

Try aligning the photos at 100% zoom scale (pixel for pixel), older versions of Photoshop didn't have a great scaling engine so if you're viewing at let's say 33.3% zoom the pixels might not be scaled perfectly in the display as they actually are in the image. Hope this works and makes sense.

Also, a trick I use when aligning is to set the layer to be aligned above the reference layer and select the DIFFERENCE transfer mode, when you align them perfectly the image should not show any (or minimal) edges and look flat. Obviously, once aligned turn the layer transfer mode back to NORMAL or whatever other transfer mode you're using.

[Patrick]

Super8man: "Have you made sure each image is precisely the same size? Down to the pixel?"

It's actually the same file of the same image (multiple copies of it) so it should be identical in size pixel for pixel.

"or the LE version does random things just to make you mad..."

Oh yes, I'm sure that Adobe tried to make this version as frustrating as possible so disgruntled users would rush out and shell out cash for the full version.

Sarmoti: "Try aligning the photos at 100% zoom scale (pixel for pixel), older versions of Photoshop didn't have a great scaling engine so if you're viewing at let's say 33.3% zoom the pixels might not be scaled perfectly in the display as they actually are in the image. Hope this works and makes sense."

If the zoom is set at 100%, wouldn't this mean that it's zoomed in all the way on the image? If so, I would only be able to view an extremely magnified view of a small section of the image, right? I was figuring that I'd have to see the whole image in order to create the montage. Or maybe I'm interpreting this wrong?

"Also, a trick I use when aligning is to set the layer to be aligned above the reference layer and select the DIFFERENCE transfer mode, when you align them perfectly the image should not show any (or minimal) edges and look flat. Obviously, once aligned turn the layer transfer mode back to NORMAL or whatever other transfer mode you're using."

Ummm...I think I might be understanding this...maybe! Do you mean temporarily place a copy of the image over the top of another copy just to see if they are the exact same size? I am not familiar with this 'Difference transfer mode' though I doubt that this version would have something like that.

[Patrick]

Okay, I'm playing around with the zoom on an image right now. I zoom in all the way to 100% and then from the View menu, select 'Fit On Screen.' I can then see the whole image on the screen but the problem is that now the zoom reverts to 66% zoom scale. Though I guess I can play around with doing a montage whiole being zoomed in on each individual copy of the image...might make some things easier and some things harder.

[Patrick]

Sarmoti, you're a genius! After I merged all the layers at 100% zoom scale, all the individual 'pictures' retained their position precisely. And they remained that way when I zoomed out to a wider view. Though this time, I was using a regular PC rather than a laptop (which I used the other time.) I wonder if that had anything to do with it also.