PS Help - File Size (Roundtripping with LRP)

[Mike Buckley]

As far as I know, one can't open an image in LR without importing it.

While that is technically accurate, if one wants to ignore the cataloging capabilities of LR, the image can be imported, edited, exported and then removed from the catalog. In effect, the cataloging capabilities in that situation are not used. That's how I use LR the relatively few times I make use of its image-editing capabilities.

[DanK]

While that is technically accurate, if one wants to ignore the cataloging capabilities of LR, the image can be imported, edited, exported and then removed from the catalog. In effect, the cataloging capabilities in that situation are not used. That's how I use LR the relatively few times I make use of its image-editing capabilities.

Yes, but that doesn't contradict what I wrote. I was just pointing out that as far as I know, to open it, you have to first import it. I was not making a comment about using the DAM functions.

[Manfred M]

Now he's saving it all including the layers which are of no use anymore. In this specific example the file size is to big, thanks to all the extra's

Carefully said, we don't know what Erik wants to do with the edits. It depends to some extent on his workflow.

I can only look at my own workflow and would say that when I save a file in Photoshop as a .psd or .psb I want to keep the layer information so that I can go back and do some more editing at a later date without having to rebuild the file from the beginning. For my purposes, saving the layers, is important as I will revisit some images over a few days or weeks and tweak my previous work.

I've never worked with the output the edited file as a .tif, so other than the little bit of exploring in response to comments on this thread, I can't discuss this in any detail. In theory, saving things as a tif file rather than native Photoshop formats preserves edit data in a non-proprietary format, so if someone decides to no longer use Photoshop, the alternative editor will be able to open these files. I can't begin to guess how well that will work in "real life".

[Manfred M]

As far as I know, one can't open an image in LR without importing it.

That is one (of many) reasons I prefer the Adobe Bridge / Camera Raw workflow. As someone who uses other Creative Cloud programs (Illustrator, Premiere Pro, etc.) the common interface is probably more important to me than people who are just using Photoshop.

As someone wh I primarily use both Bridge and Lightroom as a browser to open files for further editing (after raw conversion) in Photoshop. Generally the only feature I use in Lightroom that I can't get in Bridge is the Map functionality, that allows me to see where I took the shots, when I use my GPS.

[jisner]

I spent some time working with a 12 image pano that I imported into Photoshop. The output from LR / ACR is a 623 GB dng file and if I save it from Photoshop, it turns into a 2 GB .psd file. Add just a few basic adjustment layers - sharpening, some contrast and a few global tweaks, the size grows so much that I'm into a 4 GB .psb or a 4 GB .tif, before starting any local adjustments.

An interesting experiment would be to turn off "maximize compatibility" and re-save the file. I'm guessing that compatibility accounts for 50% of the file size you're seeing.

[Manfred M]

An interesting experiment would be to turn off "maximize compatibility" and re-save the file. I'm guessing that compatibility accounts for 50% of the file size you're seeing.

Actually that option does not appear anywhere. I remember seeing it in past versions of Photoshop, but not when I am working in CC 2017.

[Dave Humphries]

Actually that option does not appear anywhere. I remember seeing it in past versions of Photoshop, but not when I am working in CC 2017.

Err, I think I found it - in Edit > Preferences > File Handling

It may have changed appearance recently, but that little drop list lower right of my screen grab offers Always, Never, or Ask options.



I haven't tried the experiment though, don't have a suitably large file.

Dave

[Manfred M]

Thanks Dave. I must have turned that off at some point.

The difference between compatibility mode on / off is about 1GB (3.3 GB vs 2.3 GB).

[DanK]

Could that be the inclusion of a flattened file that LR can read?


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[jisner]

The difference between compatibility mode on / off is about 1GB (3.3 GB vs 2.3 GB).

That's interesting. It's a lot, but I thought it would be more. Of course once you turn off compatibility LR will no longer be able to handle the file. Say you go from LR to PS with compatibility turned off in PS. You edit the file in PS and save. LR will refuse to see the resulting PSD or PSB. In order to function, LR needs a preview that has been made by the external program. It cannot make a preview on its own from PS edits. I believe TIFF files always have the preview.

[DanK]

It was as I guessed: maximize compatibility causes PS to create a flattened version of the image within the file. this is from Julieanne Kost:

In order to save a layered Photoshop file with a high resolution preview for other applications to use (Lightroom for example), it is necessary for Photoshop to create a “flattened” version of the image and save this flattened version within the file.

[TheBigE]

Sorry all for being away a bit on this thread - just returned from the 14 day cruise (on train now heading home). I shot 14 different Panos over the cruise. I imported nightly into LR and I ended up using the Photo Merge function of LR to do my Pano Merging. I generally ran this process nightly for the photos that I took during the day. I used LR extensively for cataloging and managing/sorting my photos. For me LR and its collection features are key part of my organizational and workflow. Using LR I never ran into a file size issue.