Photoshop: artefact burned into a layer... ?!?

[Micronaut]

I'm a professional PS CS user and have worked with various versions, from PS CS2-CS5, for >5 years. It's now the second time I experience this strange thing:

During the coloration of a greyscale image, I suddenly notice that one layer (in this case the color of the layer was orange) has an artefact imprinted. The artefact looks like a barcode and the colors of the artefact (red and green) are clearly distinct from the color of the orange layer. The area of the artefact is very small and stretches horizontally. No other area except in the right upper corner shows anything similar. No other layer shows it. I have absolutely no clue what it is nor why it is there (see attachment; I'm new in this forum and I hope it's there).

Did you ever come upon something similar? Any ideas what it is or how it is produced?

What you see on the picture are pollen grains from red cedar captured with a scanning electron microscope (FYI).

Sincerely,
Micronaut

 

[$1r_M4x1mu$]

You are right, doesn't make sense, never happened to me.

what method o coloration are u using?

also if that artifact shows up when aplying another shade of orange?

Try switching color profiles,

 

[Micronaut]

I always color layers in a single color and use masks to show parts of them (and hide other parts).

--> once the artefact has appeared, it behaves "normal", i.e. if I change the color of the layer it also changes the color of the artefact

--> if I copy the layer (or copy-paste it into a new file) it stays there

--> if I change the new file from RGB into Greyscale the artefact persists (not its colors, but the structure is still there)

By the way: the original file is large (>2 GB) and I work with a MAC (2.8GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB 1067 MHz DDR3 in combination with the latest 64bit PS CS5 and Mac OS X 10.6.6). But it has also happened once, with a different MAC and PS CS 2 or 3...

 

[dv8_fx]

This is strange. Have you tried replacing the problem layer? -- Delete problem layer, save file, close, open file, add new layer?

 

[Micronaut]

Yes, the layer can be deleted and I can continue with a new layer copy. But this is now the second time it happens within the last two years and on two different MAC's, with different PS CS versions (CS 3 and CS 5). So I cannot blame my computer model, nor the specific PS CS version. It's a technical miracle for me and I thought it would be interesting to know if anyone has ever stumbled upon something similar...