Inspiring

Answered

AI giving different dimensions when saving PSD files

Forum|Forum|8 months ago
June 12, 2025
2 replies
2187 views

Would like to understand what is happening here. I have a PSD file and I flatten it to 4 layers then save the file (but leaving it open in PS) > I go into Bridge , choose that same saved PSD file and open with AI > Save as AI file. The resulting AI file size can be wildly different even thought the settings are the same and the file is saved the exact same way.

Example:

PSD File is 2850 x 2850 @300 ppi

first time I saved this as an AI file is saved as 648 x648 @300 ppi

When I did it again, same file, same settings, same everything, it saved as the same size as the PSD: 2850 x 2850 @300 ppi

waht is going on here? thanks.

Correct answer Ton Frederiks

Interesting. I looked at both of the examples above with more metadata selected to display and this is what I got:

for the one displayig 792 px Sq @ 300ppi the metadata is showing 6.7 cm sq, but the transform panel shows 19.3 cm sq.

For the one displaying 3300 px sq @300ppi the meadata is showing 27.9 cm Sq. but the transform panel shows 19.3 cm Sq.

so you are right, it seems to be a Bridge thing. Do you think it is giving me the thumbnail size? There is a difference in scale when I hit the spacebar to preview the images in Bridge. the 792 gives me a smaller preview than the 3300 does. thanks for sticking with me on this.

Luckily this does not affect export or print. You may want to check the Bridge forum, maybe someone there can explain it: https://community.adobe.com/t5/bridge/ct-p/ct-bridge?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Illustrator just scales the image to honor the 300 ppi set in Photoshop.

The amount of pixels is the same, the image is scaled 24 %.

R

Regina 7Author

Inspiring

I kind of get what you are saying, but why would the file save it as 648 sq vs the next time I save it the same way it saves it as 2850 Sq? I have attached a screen shot of what I am talking about. this is a differnet file than the one I have been referring to, but it is the same question. Just wondering why it would save seemingly indescriminantly at two different sizes.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

If you use a resolution of 72 ppi you will get the size in pixels that is the same as the pixelsize in Photoshop.

Because you tell Illustrator that the amount of pixels have to be condensed to 300 pixels per inch it will show you a smaller image on the artboard. Pixels per inch is just metadata, it does not change the real amount of pixels in the file. A pixel does not have a fixed size. Illustrator has to assign a default size for a pixel, so it uses 1/72 of an inch for a pixel as default. The higher the ppi the smaller it will be displayed in Illustrator (and the other way around).

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I don't understand the workflow.

Why are you opening that file with Illustrator?

Sizes of files are a completely different thing in Illustrator than in Photoshop. You can't compare that.

R

Regina 7Author

Inspiring

Because it creates a smaller file. In this case the PSD is 10 MB and the same file saved as an AI file is 6MB. This is small in comparison to others I usually send, but I am sticking with the same example here. Aslo, the factory I am working with often requests AI vs PSD files and the intricately detailed waterecolor artwork (in this case) cannot be converted to vector files. If you know a better way I am all ears.

I am not trying to compare file sizes in PSD and AI, I am trying to understand why the same file would save at two wildly different dimensions (648 sq vs 2850 sq) when I save it exactly the same way.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Export it as a TIF file without layers.

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