Photoshop PSD File size

[GK]

Resolution is 12" x 12" at 300 PPI (3600 x 3600 pixel dimension). Flattening the image destroys the transparency which is the point of what i'm trying to preserve. Lowering the resolution reduces the quality of what I sell. My customer is the wide format printers and sign guys. they will use it for banners, wraps and other large sized background needs.

Double click the background layer and delete it then merge your existing layers, you wont lose transparency as a .pdf or .tiff. Do you mind posting a sample of one of the files? what is the target size you want to get it down to?

 

[Fuzzbuster]

I know this is obvious but what we had to do BECAUSE we were having the same problem as Fred, is go with FTP option for large customer file transfers

 

[Fred Weiss]

What version of Photoshop are you using? I just took a layered image I had and flattened it and it didn't affect the transparencies. Obviously, you can't edit it after it's flattened.
Maybe you can merge layers that don't have transparencies together. Layers add alot of weight to the file size, how many do you have in your image?

I am using CS2. All the files in question have just one layer. Were there multiple layers I would merge them into one. My understanding of the term flattening as used in Photoshop is to force everything into a background layer which at the same time destroys the transparent background and forces it to whatever you have set at the time as your background color.

I think you are not understanding what I am working with or my terminology. I am working with seamless texture tiles. some that we sell utilize transparent backgrounds so they can be placed on top of other components in building an image and allow portions of the background to show. When you flatten an image, that transparency is lost.

I am attaching a sized down example of what I am working with (500 x 500 vs 3600 x 3600). It is a fence with a transparent canvas or background. The PNG version is 146 KB and the PSD version if 971 KB or more than 6 times larger.

The files open identically in Photoshop and the only difference is that PNG files utilize lossless compression. The problem again, is that Flexi does not support PNG but does support PSD. We would like our files to work in Flexi as we would like them to work in as broad a range of popular applications as possible. The new TIFF standard is not a usable solution for our situation because Flexi opens it but misinterprets the transparency as black. So I am researching whether or not distributing PSD files is a viable option for us with our seamless tile collections. The typical saved file sizes at 3600 x 3600 for PSD, one layer images ranges from 40 MB to 80 MB. The same file saved as PNG, ranges from 4 MB to 15 MB. The sizes for either format are affected by how much content is transparent.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Would going to edit-preferences- and un-check "always maximize compatibility for PSD files" reduce size?

Hmmmmm ... that did do some good. A 970 KB PSD saved with the feature turned off is now 579 KB. A 49 MB full size is reduced to 33 MB.

THANKS!

Now I need to figure out what compatability issues may come up down the road by turning off that feature.

 

[GK]

Hmm well turning compatibility mode off and saving it as a copy with no thumbnail got the file size down to 688k and saving as a pdf but leaving preserve photoshop editing got it to 768k still transparent. Not much, but something...and no loss.

 

[ChiknNutz]

...My understanding of the term flattening as used in Photoshop is to force everything into a background layer which at the same time destroys the transparent background and forces it to whatever you have set at the time as your background color...

I don't know if this would work and you may have already tried, but can't you set the background to be transparent in Photoshop (just like setting a color, but transparent instead), so that when flattened it would have a transparent background? This way you could then save it in the preferred TIFF format?

 

[Fred Weiss]

Double click the background layer and delete it then merge your existing layers, you wont lose transparency as a .pdf or .tiff. Do you mind posting a sample of one of the files? what is the target size you want to get it down to?

Our files are a single layer with no background layer in the mix. See post #23 for downloadable samples.

 

[Fred Weiss]

I don't know if this would work and you may have already tried, but can't you set the background to be transparent in Photoshop (just like setting a color, but transparent instead), so that when flattened it would have a transparent background? This way you could then save it in the preferred TIFF format?

Unless you know something I don't, this is not possible for a background layer in Photoshop. If you have a background layer it has a color even if that color is white. Photoshop defines white as

CMYK = 0,0,0,0
Brightness = 100%
Hue = 0
Saturation = 0
RGB = 255,255,255

It defines transparent as "No Pixels".

Try opening my samples and you should see the difference.

 

[GK]

Just curious but have you tried to see what the size became when actually compressing the file (not in the software) but a WinRAR or WinZIP and mac StuffIt. I just made an archive of your test file and got it at 401k using normal compression.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Just curious but have you tried to see what the size became when actually compressing the file (not in the software) but a WinRAR or WinZIP and mac StuffIt. I just made an archive of your test file and got it at 401k using normal compression.

That is very likely going to be part of our solution for online users. It would be a PITA for DVD buyers though so we're not looking to use it there.

 

[Fred Weiss]

The Maximize Compatability preference setting appears to be the most significant thing i can do. In researching it, here is what the Adobe Help file has to say about it:

Choose Always from the Maximize PSD File Compatibility menu. This saves a composite (flattened) image along with the layers of your document.

Note: If file size is an issue or if you’re opening your files only in Photoshop, turning off Maximize PSD File Compatibility reduces the file sizes significantly. In the Maximize PSD File Compatibility menu, choose either Ask to be asked whether to maximize compatibility when you save or Never to save your document without maximizing compatibility.

If you edit or save an image using an earlier version of Photoshop, unsupported features are discarded.

Thanks everyone for your input.