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Photoshop help needed - mask channel on TIFF file

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
This issue was raised as an incidental at the end of a longer post, but I thought I would set it out where it might get noticed!

I have some TIFF files that were written by a non-Photoshop image editor (Picture Publisher 10). Because I didn't know enough about this, they were saved including the mask channel. Its default state is all opaque. (You would think I would notice that when editing the image, but in fact if there is no selection made, the mask channel is considered "inactive", so all operations affect the entire image just as if the mask channel were all transparent.)

When I load these files into Photoshop, no image appears. Evidently, the "mask channel everywhere opaque" suppresses all the pixels (not really a surprise).

I would like to be able, in Photoshop, to modify the mask channel (to "all transparent") or delete it, so the image can be seen.

We might think that the mask channel would appear in the list of channels, but it doesn't. It doesn't appear as a layer mask on the layers panel for the image layer either.

Does anyone know how I might be able to work that mask layer in Photoshop?

************

Incidentally, yes, I can load these back into Picture Publisher and either:

• Make the mask channel all transparent, or

• Save the file without the mask channel (an option in the Options dialog for the Save As TIFF dialog).

But I'm baffled by not being able to deal with this in Photoshop.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Doug,

If the mask layer is not shown on the layers panel, perhaps you can (re)create a "new" channel mask? That might bring up the hidden opaque mask layer, which you can than delete. I am just shooting in the dark, but one never knows. I am right now not in front of PS so I can´t help any further, sorry.

Edit: as Bart wrote, promote the background layer as the first step. :)

Cheers,
 
We might think that the mask channel would appear in the list of channels, but it doesn't.

Hi Doug,

That's indeed where I'd expect the mask channel to appear.
I'm equally surprised.

Sorry, no solution. Unless, when you double click the Background layer in Photoshop, you can promote it to a regular layer, with the possibility to (un)lock things like transparency. Maybe something in that direction?

Cheers,
Bart
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This issue was raised as an incidental at the end of a longer post, but I thought I would set it out where it might get noticed!

I have some TIFF files that were written by a non-Photoshop image editor (Picture Publisher 10). Because I didn't know enough about this, they were saved including the mask channel. Its default state is all opaque. (You would think I would notice that when editing the image, but in fact if there is no selection made, the mask channel is considered "inactive", so all operations affect the entire image just as if the mask channel were all transparent.)

When I load these files into Photoshop, no image appears. Evidently, the "mask channel everywhere opaque" suppresses all the pixels (not really a surprise).

I would like to be able, in Photoshop, to modify the mask channel (to "all transparent") or delete it, so the image can be seen.



We might think that the mask channel would appear in the list of channels, but it doesn't. It doesn't appear as a layer mask on the layers panel for the image layer either.

Does anyone know how I might be able to work that mask layer in Photoshop?

************

Incidentally, yes, I can load these back into Picture Publisher and either:

• Make the mask channel all transparent, or

• Save the file without the mask channel (an option in the Options dialog for the Save As TIFF dialog).

But I'm baffled by not being able to deal with this in Photoshop.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

What channels appear in the "Channels" dialog box? Is there a mask channel. If so, switch it off.

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Bart,

That's indeed where I'd expect the mask channel to appear.
I'm equally surprised.

Sorry, no solution. Unless, when you double click the Background layer in Photoshop, you can promote it to a regular layer, with the possibility to (un)lock things like transparency. Maybe something in that direction?

• If the mask is all black (the default), and the file is been saved with the mask saved, when opened in PS there is only Layer 0 (not a background layer.) It is shown as all "transparent pixels".

• If I make the mask all white, and the file is been saved with the mask saved, when opened in PS there is only Layer 0. It shows the image.

• If I save the file with the mask not saved, when opened in PS there is only the Background layer, which shows the image.

This may all be a result of "irregular" things done by Picture Publisher 10. There are a number of these in other areas (such as Exif metadata). (It is vintage 2001.)

Well, it's probably not worth spending much time on. It is not causing any actual operational difficulty. Just a curiosity.

Thanks for your inputs.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Doesn't photoshop associate channels and mask channels to each layer? In addition to that, you can have masking layers (which then operate on all channels of the layer). That makes a lot of masks to check...
 
Just a quick thinking (my usual) if you add an alpha channel and/or a mask>then "save as" TIFF with all ticked: "layer" "alpha channel" then open back, does the mask appears?

What version of PS? If I remember well old versions doesn't accept layered and masked TIFFs (but really old versions!). Correct me if I'm wrong...
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Sandrine,

Just a quick thinking (my usual) if you add an alpha channel and/or a mask>then "save as" TIFF with all ticked: "layer" "alpha channel" then open back, does the mask appears?

Yes indeed it does. So what PS saves is obviously different than what Picture Publisher 10 saves insofar as the alpha channel goes.

What version of PS? If I remember well old versions doesn't accept layered and masked TIFFs (but really old versions!). Correct me if I'm wrong...

I'm using PS CS5.

Thanks so much for your thoughts on this.

Best regards,

Doug
 
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