Placing photos and PSD files in Vectornation by Zaweba
Place PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, HEIC and many more raster formats, open PSD and PSB files with their layers, and export a layered PSD from Vectornation.
Almost every design job mixes vector artwork with pictures. Photos from a phone, product shots from a supplier, textures, scans and layered Photoshop files from a retoucher all need to come in. Vectornation by Zaweba takes a long list of raster formats and treats Photoshop files with some respect for their layers.
You can place PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, WebP, TIFF, ICO, Targa, PCX, HEIC, JPEG XR, JPEG 2000 and PICT. PSD and PSB files open with their layers, and File > Export > PSD writes a layered Photoshop file.
Everyday photos
JPEG and PNG cover most photos and screenshots. HEIC matters because many phones now save photos in it, and being able to place one directly saves a conversion step. WebP is common on websites, so pictures saved from the web come in too.
TIFF is the usual format for high quality scans and print photography. Older formats such as BMP, PCX, Targa and PICT are there for archives and old projects that still need to be used.
Photoshop files with layers
When a retoucher sends a PSD, the layers often matter: a product on one layer, its shadow on another, a background you may not want. Opening the PSD with its layers means you can hide the background, keep the shadow, or move things about, without asking for a new file.
PSB, the large document version of PSD, opens too. That helps with big poster and banner artwork.
Exporting layered PSD
The reverse trip is useful when the next person works in Photoshop. File > Export > PSD (layered) writes your drawing as a Photoshop file with layers, so they can add retouching or effects to a particular part without having to cut it out first. Name your layers clearly before exporting, because those names travel with the file.
Remember that a PSD is a pixel format. The vector shapes become pixels on export, so choose a resolution that suits the final use.
Linked or embedded
Pictures can be placed normally or linked. File > Place linked keeps the picture as a separate file, which suits large images and pictures that may be updated. The Links panel then lets you relink, update or embed. For a finished file going to print, File > Package gathers linked images with the drawing.
Getting pictures ready for print
Resolution is the first check. A small web image placed large on a poster will print soft. Look at a picture's size in the layout and make sure it has enough pixels for the print size before building a design around it.
Colour is the second. Phone photos and web images are usually RGB. For print, Vectornation's colour management and CMYK output handle the conversion at export, and the separations preview shows the result, but strong screen colours may look duller in print. Check bright images in the preview.
Small slips that cost time
Placing a huge photo when you only need a corner of it makes the file slow. Crop image trims it.
Flattening a layered PSD in another program before sending it throws away the layers that make it useful here. Ask for the layered file.
And transparent PNGs keep their transparency, which is usually what you want, but check edges against your background. A soft fringe from the original cut out can show against a dark colour.
