I remember several monthes ago someone posted a detailed step-by-step tutorial of how to merge image files in Photoshop. I have searched confocal mailing list archive without success. Will someone please re-post it and mail it to me? Thank you.
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From: Paul Goodwin (pgood@FRED.FHCRC.ORG)

You don't say what the source images are or what version of Photoshop you are using. For full frame BioRad MRC600 files and Photoshop 3.o, the instructions follow. For other options, contact me and I'll be glad to help.
First import the confocal images into Photoshop using "Open..Select all files..file type RAW"

The "Raw Open" screen prompts you for Width (768) Height (512) Channels (1) and Header (76). Then say OK and OK again when told that the specifications are smaller than the actual file size (It is smaller due to footer info at the end of the file).

Do the same for whichever files you are trying to merge. A hint is that you shoud open them in Red-Green-Blue order since it will save a step later. If you are not merging 3 channels, then you will need to duplicate one of the channels (Image..Duplicate) and then fill the duplicated image with black (0). At this point you should have three grey-scale images. There are a couple of ways to go from here. My favorite is to convert one of the grey-scale images to RGB using the Mode...RGB command, lets say the "red" image. Then go to whichever image is to be "green" and select all (Command-A on a Mac or Cntrl-A on a PC). Do a copy (command- or cntrl-C). Go back to the Red window and select the green channel (Command-2 on a Mac) and paste the green image in (Command-V). Then go to the blue channel, select all, copy and go to the red window, select the blue channel (command-3) and paste. Command-0 (that is a zero) will show you the merged image.

If you are going to make color prints, you may wish to "enhance" the blue since pure blue does not print well on most printers. To do this, use the calculate command (Image...Calculations) to add 50% of the blu into the green channel which will make the blu much lighter (close to Cyan which will print much better). In the Calculations menu, choose the blue channel as source 1, the green channel as source 2, for Blending choose add, Opacity 50% and Result the Green channel. I normally save this as a seperate file from my true 24-bit color merge. The original 24-bit file should be OK for slides, but we find the Enhanced version far superior for printing.

I hope this is clear. Let me know if you come up with something easier. In Photoshop Version 3.0 or higher you can create short-cuts using the commands window for many of theses tasks.