Photoshop running slow

[4R Graphics]

Ok I am working on a digital print banner that is 32" tall and 72" long I am designing @ 150ppi full scale and well photshop is running SLOW and taking up massive amounts of scratch disk space I have had to burn and delete stuff just to have enough space on the scratch disks so my question is how can I get it to run better and not have space and memory problems? My computer is an intel dual core 3.2 gig with 2 gigs of memory and I am running photshop CS3. Please help I have never had this problem before but I have never worked on anything even close to this size.

 

[John M]

Since your problem is scratch-related, I'd add memory first. See if the situation improves with 3GB of memory.

 

[ProWraps™]

you dont have enough memory. reboot your computer before you work on your machine. windows has a wonderful problem with its memory manager which means you get mem leaks, and memory that never gets returned to the memory manager. so start with a fresh restart, ad a gig or two and you will see a huge difference.

 

[Ken]

Yeah, photoshop is a total memory hog..add RAM if possible..
Ken

 

[4R Graphics]

Ok memory fix understand that BIG question is since at full scale 72 feet by 32 inches I only have the option to go tiff or psb and well I need to get the file to a reasonable size right now when I save as tiff the file is in the gigs I am outsourceing the print job so I have to upload to the wholesaler any way to get the tiff file size down? I will be sending it to merritt I am going to call monday and see if I can break it up into a couple of fills that they can piece back together but I am just wondering about the file size I really want to use a gradient but the gradient alone is 1.5 gigs when saved. I was told to do it at 150 ppi if I go down to 72ppi it really makes a difference in file size ( still big) but I am worried about the print quality and dont want to eat the cost of a bad banner and have to redo in a higher ppi.

 

[Ken]

First you said 72 inches..now you're saying 72 feet. I expect you mean 72 inches.
You could break this file into tiles, thereby making each piece more manageable. But really, that size file at full scale should manageable with a relatively new computer. Mine is about 4 years old now..2 gigs RAM..Putting out 50- 100 MB files to my RIP..slow..? it's relative. If you're a high production shop..gotta spend the bucks..
Good luck!
Ken

 

[4R Graphics]

Ken,
No I typed it wrong the first time the banner at full size is 72 FEET by 32 INCHES finished thats why I am having these massive files and slow issues I am by no means a high production shop in fact I dont even have a printer I am outsourcing print work until I buy my printer so since it is 72 feet by 32 inches what can I do?

 

[Ken]

Hey..that's a cool gig...
I really dont think you have to go that high with resolution. Can we assume this sign will be away from close-up scrutiny ? You may (should) be able to get by with 72 dpi if that is the case.
Ken

 

[Left Coast]

Id prolly try knocking it down to 72 DPI and do a small test print of a section and just see how bad or good it turns out! Thats a big ass banner though!

Cheers

 

[4R Graphics]

Yah the thing is that the banner will be hanging from the eve of a sports bar so you can actually touch it as you walk under the overhang and into the bar but its not designed to look really good up close its for attracting customers from the road which is 100 feet or more the bottom of the banner will be roughlly 7 feet from the ground and you walk under it to get in so know what about quality nad I cant print a sample as I dont have a printer I am sending it to merritt graphics to be printed.

Whats the best way to break this thing up into sections what would I google to get a tutorial on how to do it I have never tiled anything in photoshop before never needed to I am running CS3?

 

[Ken]

Hey Bear..not sure how far away from your printer you are..you could send the whole file to them...have them print about 3 feet of it..then check it out. Ask their opinion!!
File size, file type etc.
Can we see it?
Cheers!
Ken

 

[4R Graphics]

I would love to put a pic up so you guys can see it but I dont know how to save it to a format that is not really big in size if I scale it way down you cant see the logos and stuff. Ken if you tell me how to save it so that the file is small enough but the quality is good enough to see all the logos and what not Ill be happy to post what I have so far.

P.S. I need to scale it to show the customer also so help with that please.

 

[mondo]

How do you want it this to be proofed. On a bond paper or on the actual media? If its to be on a paper you have no choice but to show it section by section or tiled. It's a huge banner at 36" x 864". And yeah I would also do 72 dpi on this kind of huge banner. 150 dpi for this big will give your software hard time to process it. That's about 2 gig of file size. Crashes may occur too or it may hang-up on you. 72dpi is about 500 mb. I can go as low as 56 or 50 dpi. It really depends on how much your computer can handle it. But like the other guy said try to print a portion or section of it if it pass your taste or if it's approved by your client. And if you decided to do it by section on your computer just add an 1" over lap and send it to your printer. They can tile it for you. Unless they dont charge extra for doing that for you.

 

[Sign-Man Signs]

Just out source it to signs365. You cost would be about $540.00 according to their site
www.signs365.com

Full digital print.

 

[4R Graphics]

Sign man,
Thats what I am doing but I am using Merritt. I still have the problem of a huge file size to upload to them. I have really scaled it down to show the client as they are going to be viewing on the computer but for print I think I am going to have to go down to 72 or 100 ppi to get the file small enough to upload I am calling merritt monday to find out about tiling.

Ok so how do I tile this thing into small sections to send to the printer I understand to add a 1" over lap but what is the best way to break it up into the tiles? I have never done this before as I have never had something this large that needed to be tiled so Help explain to me how to break it up into managable files.

 

[thewood]

72 ppi will be more than sufficient resolution for the viewing distance.

I would strongly consider designing this in a vector based application.
Are there effects you're using that can't be duplicated in vector format?

 

[Ken]

Save as a .pdf and you can post larger files here. To send the file to the printer save to CD, and mail it away or deliver. Set up a time with them so they can print a portion of it while you attend.
Cheers!
Ken

 

[GK]

lol at first i was confused because it said 72" and with that setup that would never be an issue, but at 32" x 72ft @ 150ppi now wonder you are having issues. There is no need to be that hi-res on a banner.