'collaging' a bunch of images in photoshop

[todd_jacobs]

Hello All,

 

I'm gonna create a collage for my father of 4 generations of photos.

Probably 25 to 40 images total. Output on 13x19 paper. I expect to use

Photoshop to compose them. While each image will not have a very large

file size, once I start stacking them up its gonna be big. I am using

an iMac with only 356 mgs of Ram so I'm trying to keep the final size

of the image small enough to work and print.

 

My question is when should I start combigning the layers into one.

After each successive addition? Should I stack up a few to a dozen

layers before I combign them? Am I going to loose some detail when I

combign layers?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Todd Jacobs

[EricM]

i do this alot too. i usually, depending on mood, will make a duplicate and flaten it. i save both files with a name so i can reconize which one is the layered and which one is flat without having an image program open. then i start off a second time, like you suggest, with the flat one and then after a few layers on it, rename it and duplicate it. again, i save both, one layered and one flatened. it goes something like this...

 

poster 1 lay.psd

 

poster 1 flnt.psd

 

poster 2 lay.psd

 

poster 2 fltn.psd

 

it's a pig on the hard drive, but i can always go back and make changes.