A method is disclosed for generating 2D reconstruction images in the scope of image post-processing from a 3D image data set of a study object recorded particularly by use of a magnetic resonance device. In the method, the position of the 2D reconstruction layers in which the 2D reconstruction images lie is defined with the aid of layer position information which defines the position of individual 2D recording layers in which 2D layer images are recorded after recording the 3D image data set of the study object, or have already been recorded, and which is optionally stored in an operating mode for automatic layer position adaptation, or with the aid of layer position information defining 2D reconstruction layers which is stored in an operating mode for automatic layer position adaptation.