Mastering Photoshop can be a challenge regardless of your skill level, but rasterizing images is something that every designer, photographer, or digital artist should know. Being able to convert images, text, shapes, or smart objects into pixels expands the creative possibilities of what you’re able to create. In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of how to rasterize an image in Photoshop.
What is rasterization?
Rasterization refers to the process of converting an image constructed of vector graphics (shapes) into one based on pixels. Changing an image to pixels makes it better suited for output on a video display or printer, and is a popular method of producing 3D graphics on a computer. The raster process provides a quick way to update an image so you can more easily apply certain adjustments or effects that only work with pixel layers.
How to rasterize an image in Photoshop
1. Open up your image
Inside Photoshop, navigate to the top menu. Click on File > Open and select the image you want to rasterize, then click Open.
2. Rasterize your vector layer
Once your image has loaded, go back to the top menu. Select Layer > Rasterize, then choose the best option based on your requirements from the list (Layer or All Layers should work to rasterize an image.)
3. Confirm your choice
Based on your version of Photoshop, you may or may not get a prompt to confirm your choice. If you do, select “OK” to finish the process of rasterizing your image.
Rasterizing other content types
When you select Layer > Rasterize from the top menu, you’ll see different options for what you can rasterize from your current file. Instead of rasterizing all of your layers or a specific layer, you can choose to raster specific elements like type, shapes, smart objects, and more.
Find vectors and more on Storyblocks
Learn even more tips and tricks with our other Photoshop tutorials. If you’re looking for high-quality vector graphics for your projects, you can find over 100,000 high-quality options in the Storyblocks image library. With a Storyblocks subscription, you can unlock unlimited downloads of over a million royalty-free stock video, audio, and image files for one flat fee with comprehensive licensing. Explore our plans to find the one that meets your creative needs today.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to include additional information. It was originally published on August 30, 2014.
