TIFF files are black in PSu

[GrantCee]

I recently upgraded to El Capitan (10.11.6), and I'm aware that this update has generated issues with TIFF files not showing at the OS level. However, I'm having trouble with PSu not showing TIFFs where the OS does.

Specifically, when I process RAW files in DxO it generates a TIFF; when I import those into PSu, everything is fine. Thumbnails show correctly and the enlarged image is likewise fine.

However, if I work on one of those files in Affinity Photo and export as a TIFF, PSu shows the resulting file as black (both thumbnail and full size.) However, those files show perfectly fine in the Finder, in Preview, and in Aperture! It appears to be a PSu-only problem and makes PSu rather difficult to use with edited images.

(I am using the Beta of Affinity, which has the fixes in place for the known El Capitan bug.)

Suggestions?

[Hert]

Hi, could you send me such a TIF sample file that turns black? Send it to support@idimager.com

Thank you

[GrantCee]

Hi, could you send me such a TIF sample file that turns black? Send it to support@idimager.com

Thank you

On its way!

[GrantCee]

I've done some more experimentation; it seems that the problem occurs only when a file is exported as a 16-bit greyscale image using any other resampling parameter EXCEPT bilinear. Exporting as 16-bit greyscale using Lanczos resampling causes the issue; the same image exported using bilinear does not.

The same image exported as an RGB TIFF using ANY resample is fine — the problem seems limited to 16-bit greyscale images.

I've also reported this as a potential export bug to the Affinity Photo team.

[Hert]

Thank you for providing a sample. I'll look at it shortly.

[Hert]

There's nothing wrong with your TIF file as written with Affinity.
There are so many different TIF variants and I think by now PSU is offering the most broad TIF support of all the DAM tools. Your file is a monochrome TIF with a alpha channel and the alpha channel is what lead to the black image. That is now fixed for the next release.

[GrantCee]

Thanks much for letting me know! I'll be sure to tell the Affinity people.

I did not realize that the TIFF file format was so variable. Makes me question my decision to keep archival copies as TIFFs instead of JPEGs.

Any idea when the next release will ship?

[Hert]

Using TIF as your archive format is fine, but be sure to use the most common configuration; for instance: 16 bit RGB with LZW compression is a good choice. Monochrome TIF with an alpha channel is not a common configuration and up to your report nobody had reported to me that the format isn't being rendered....meaning hardly anyone uses that type of TIF files. And that's where your risk is as an archive format.
Again, a 16 bit RGB with LZW (or without) compression can be considered a future proof TIF format.

When updates are shipped isn't communicated up front.

[GrantCee]

Is there any downside to storing a monochrome as an RGB? I haven't tried doing that and printing, for instance, which might be an issue?

[Preston B]

You would need to open the file in your image editor, convert the file to RGB and then save as Hert indicated above. As far as printing goes, you would need to make a test print and then adjust the tonalities, if needed.

After saving my file as a Photoshop (PS) PSD file, I keep it in the Adobe RGB color space. If I need a black and white image, I use a B&W adjustment layer in PS to create the B&W rendition. I then save the adjusted file as a PSD and retain the Adobe RGB color space.
--P