# PhotoshopElements

# Flatten an image

When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements merges all visible layers into the background, greatly reducing the file size. Flattening an image discards all hidden layers, and fills any transparent areas with white. In most cases, you won’t want to flatten a file until you’ve finished editing individual layers.

1. Make sure that the layers you want to keep in your image are visible.
2. Choose Flatten Image from either the Layer menu or the Layers palette More menu.
   You can see the difference between your image’s layered file size and its flattened file size by choosing Document Sizes from the status bar pop‑up menu at the bottom of the image window.

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- Understanding layers

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- This page on the Web