Opening PNG Images Now Defaults to Raster Layer in Paint Sho

[haytil]

The default behavior in my installation of Paint Shop Pro changed yesterday, and I'm not sure why or how to change it back.

Before yesterday, whenever opening an existing PNG image file (either via the menu or by dragging it into the PSP window), the image would open with a single "Background" layer.

However, as of yesterday, whenever opening an existing PNG image file, it opens with a single "Raster" layer.

The original "background layer" behavior is still the default for BMP and JPG files (I haven't tested other file types). But I don't know why PNG files are treated differently (whereas they were treated the same before).

This is really impacting my workflow, as I prefer not to use Raster Layers for my simple image editing (one example: I like to use the "delete" key to fill in a selection area with a given color - now it just deletes the entire from the raster layer. Another example: Saving as PNG now requires a layer merge first, else a dialog pops up that needs to be handled). Constantly having to merge layers to the background when I open PNG files is not only time-consuming and annoying to have to remember, it also makes it unfeasible to open dozens of image files at once (especially if I'm opening images of different file types, each of which is apparently being treated differently).

Does anyone know what may have caused this change in behavior and how to revert to the old behavior?

I'm currently using Windows 10, and my PSP is version 8.

Yes, I know it's a very old version of PSP, but it works for my needs. If you know how to deal with this issue with my old version, I would appreciate hearing from you. Even if you only know how to handle this behavior in the newer versions of PSP, I would appreciate hearing you - knowing how to fix the problem in later versions may give me valuable clues to fixing this version, as I'll know what to look for (and google for).

Thanks!

[LeviFiction]

That sounds like the file not PSP. JPG and BMP formats don't support transparency (at least usually) so they open as Background layers. Background layers also don't support transparency as you noted by wanting to use the delete key to fill the selected area.

PNGs on the other hand do. So if the file provides transparency information I imagine PSP imports it as a raster layer rather than a bitmap. Take for example I have PSP8 installed on my machine as well. I have one PNG that was created by VLC from a DVD screencap. This image loads into PSP8 as a background layer, and an examination of the file shows it's 8-bit RGB only. I also have a PNG that was created from an RGBA stream of data. This one opens as a raster layer. An analysis of that file shows 8-bit RGB with Alpha encoding.

In later versions of PSP there is a setting under File -> Prefrences -> File Format Preferences that lets you load transparency as an alpha channel rather than as transparency in the layer. When I have this option selected all PNGs even those with Alpha transparency load as background layers. This option is not available in PSP8 as far as I can tell, which makes me think PSP has always worked this way and it's jut the files you're using that have changed not PSP.

[haytil]

There should be no reason that the PNGs I generate (they're all from screenshots) would be any different now than they were two days ago.

In addition, I have older PNGs (same method - from screenshots), going back for months - they are all loading as a Raster layer now too, when I am confident they never used to do this before.

So I don't think it's the file, it must be a setting in the program.

There's something else are two things I didn't note, as I didn't think it would be useful, but I might as well do so now: I ran the latest Windows Updates sometime in the past two days (I was only a few weeks or months behind, at most). But there's no reason I can see why Windows Update would alter how PSP loads PNG files, right?

[LeviFiction]

I cannot find a single setting in PSP8 that would do this. Not saying there isn't just saying I can't find one. As I said later versions have a setting that can be used but it's not present in PSP8.

Humor me for a minute, I'm attaching a zip file with a script in it. Extract the Script into your Scripts-Trusted folder for PSP8. Then open a PNG file and open the Script Output Palette. Then run this script. It'll give you three basic details about the file. Size (w,h), BitDepth, And Color Type. If it says "Alpha" in the color type then it has an alpha channel. If it doesn't, then it's just a regular RGB file.

[haytil]

Thanks for your advice and the script. I've been using it on a variety of images I've worked with over the past year or so, trying to figure this out.

Most of the images do in fact have an alpha channel. I can only conclude that perhaps my memory is faulty - that my previous workflow wasn't quite as I remembered it, leading to confusion on my end.

Thanks for taking the time to help out, anyhow.

[magnoliasouth]

What is saving your screenshots? I have opened thousands of pngs and it really depends on the software that generated the png. Dropbox saves my screen caps and they open as rasters. However, if I Google a transparent png and open it in PSP it is sometimes a background image and sometimes a raster image. It's like throwing dice. The point is that If you updated Windows or the software that generates your pngs, that may be the issue. You probably already know that but I thought I'd throw that out there.