Info Pallete Bug? (CS3 and CS4)

Posted By
Nov 21, 2008
Views
295
Replies
5
Status
Closed

1. Create a new document, transparent background.

2. Add content or paint on Layer 1, doesn’t matter what. Note the color values in the Info palette.

3. Reduce Layer 1 to less than 100% opacity.

The info palette still reports the color values as if this layer was set to 100%.

If you add a white layer beneath, or flatten the document, Info switches to report the actual color values.

If a just a portion of an underlying layer is not transparent (for example, select half of the underlying layer and fill with white), Info will report the correct values over the non-transparent areas, and the incorrect values over the transparent areas.

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M
Mylenium
Nov 22, 2008
I don’t follow. The behavior is correct and logical. The "transparent background" does not register as valid content, so no blending operations are calculated for it which in turn means that the pixel values don’t change from their original values. This is no different in other programs that employ such a scheme, e.g. After Effects – you see a grid or solid colored background, but it does not influence the calculations of the layers.

Mylenium
Nov 24, 2008
It’s not a blending, it’s an opacity, and the image will output at something less than 100% opacity. IMO that is what should be reported in the Info palette, since I am actually changing the opacity of the layer regardless of what it falls over. If I set a 50% tint to 50% opacity, that layer will output as 25% tint — if that is over nothing then it will just be 25%; if it’s over some other background then that will be added to the 25%.

If this is functioning as designed then I would say it’s confusing at best and dangerous at worst — if I’m checking ink values for an image to make sure they are within print range, the Info palette should give me accurate data as to how the image will output.
SK
Stefan_Klein
Nov 24, 2008
In CS4 you have the options to set the Info palette to "actual layer" or "all layers". The problem is, I can see no difference. The values are always the same.
SK
Stefan_Klein
Nov 26, 2008
Can anyone give me an example of what the difference between "actual layer" and "all layers" in the options of the eyedropper tool is?
(Sorry, I mixed up the eyedropper tool with the info palette in my previous post.) I always get the same values (of course on multilayered files) no matter wether it`s set to "actual layer" or "all layers".
I`m on a german version, so I`m not sure how the correct translation of the commands is.
SK
Stefan_Klein
Dec 2, 2008
Anyone?

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