How to flatten a layer and its effects

I have a layer with some image effects. I want to flatten this layer, that is, merge the image with its effects. When I select the layer and choose Layer->Flatten Image it wants to discard hidden layers but I don't want to discard them.

Are you using Photoshop? If so, then you can select all of the layers that you want to merge in the Layers Palette.

Hold the CTRL-key and click on each layer that you want to include, then choose the Merge Layers option.

(CTRL key is for Windows mchines, i think is OPTION key on Mac?)

you can also create a new empty layer under the layer with the effects, then select the effected layer and do a "merge down"

Yes I'm using Photoshop. I should have said that.

I only want to merge one layer -- merge it with itself I guess so the layer effects merge with the image.

Since there's only one layer, the merge layers option isn't possible.

If I create a new empty layer, then I can follow your suggestion by selecting the layer I want and the empty layer. This seems kind of clunky, but at least it works.

Thanks for your quick response.

[Added: Chip's response wasn't there when I started this reply. He is right, of course.]

I'm not at my Photoshop machine right now, but if all you want to do is render the Layer Effects you have applied to a single layer, I believe there is a selection under the Layers menu that reads something like "Render Layer". Try right-clicking the base layer that you have applied the Layer Effects to, and look for the "Render Layer" or "Rasterize Layer" or something similar.

The "Rasterize" keyword is greyed out on the Layer menu.

The "Rasterize Layer" keyword is greyed out when I left click on the layer.

In the Layers pallette, right-click on any of the effect layers and choose "Create Layer". This will render each effect as a separate layer, clip-masked to the layer in question. Then, with the underlying layer selected, from the Layer menu, choose Merge Clipping Mask, and all of those effects layers (as well as any other layers clip-masked to this one) will be merged with the underlying layer.

Cool! Thank you Deanna. Very simple once you know how.

Nice, Deanna. I learn new things every day Very handy.

Thank you, Deanna. I usually fumble through that one by looking at the existing menu selections, and haven't done it enough to have the selections memorized.