Do you have to flatten layouts?

[iteach3rdgrade]

I haven't been. Do I need to?

Thanks!
Nancy

[Darcy Baldwin]

They're super huge if you don't.

It depends on how you store and what you do with your layouts.

In order to upload them to galleries, you should flatten the layout, size appropriately and save that copy for a webversion that can be deleted once you've uploaded it. If you print, you should also flatten it, make appropriate adjustments in size and sharpness, and save that until you've printed.

If you're talking about just storage of the layout, itself, I save the layered version until it's printed, then delete, but I always save a high resolution flattened version of the full-sized layout to store in case I need it in the future.

Is this what you meant?

[iteach3rdgrade]

Yes, that's exactly what I was wondering about. I've been making photo books, but I have not flattened anything yet. I guess I need to start. I don't upload to any galleries.

Thanks!

[Darcy Baldwin]

don't replace your layered files...just save a flattened one to upload to your photobook site - it'll probably help the upload go much more quickly!

[iteach3rdgrade]

I don't mess with my layered files. Faster would be better! Thank you!

[MichaelsMomJo]

I keep all my scrapbooking files on a 500 GB external drive. I flatten and save a high res copy for printing and a low res copy for gallery upload, BUT I also save the layered file. Believe it or not, I've gone back to the layered files months after I've finished layouts, usually because I notice a typo that I failed to see when I printed the layout. Even with saving all these copies, I only have 95 GB used on my drive. That includes all my layouts (layered, high res flattened, low res flattened) as well as all my supplies. And we're talking thousands and thousands of files because I started scrapping digi four years ago! So, if you have a large drive, saving the layered files couldn't hurt, because you never know when you just might need to make a change.