Converting to PDF from Adobe Photoshop (Windows)

Owned by
James W Yan
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024 by
Cole Marchant
3 min read

In Photoshop, flattening typically refers to merging all visible layers into a single layer, and it's not directly related to saving as a PDF. However, if you want to save your Photoshop file as a PDF with flattened layers, you can follow these steps:

Remember that saving as a PDF in Photoshop retains layers by default, even if you've flattened the image before saving. If you want to make sure the PDF is flattened, ensure that you've flattened the image before saving, and you can confirm this by checking the Layers panel to see if there is only one background layer.

Always keep a backup of your original Photoshop document before making significant changes or exporting to a different format. If you need to maintain the ability to edit the content in the future, make sure to keep a copy of the original Photoshop (.psd) file.

You must have your EID at the beginning of every file you submit. We will not release any incorrectly named plots. EX: EID_filename

Step-by-step guide

  1. If your Photoshop file has multiple layers and you want to flatten them before saving as a PDF, you can do so by going to the "Layer" menu, right-click and select "Flatten Image."
  2. After flattening or if you don't need to flatten, go to the "File" menu and select "Save As" or "Save a Copy."                   
  3. In the Save As dialog, choose "Photoshop PDF" from the Format dropdown menu.
  4. A PDF Options dialog will appear. Here, you can configure settings for the PDF file. Make sure to choose options that suit your needs. You might want to select a preset like "High Quality Print" or customize settings based on your requirements.
  5. In the PDF Options dialog, you can also configure compression settings for images. Choose settings that balance file size and image quality.
  6. After configuring the PDF settings, click the "Save" button