could not complete your request because the file is not compatible with this version of photoshop

>I'm looking at what I believe to be my save dialog box but see no place to check or uncheck "hide file extension"

Its in the bottom left of the system save dialog

You do that in finder

Finder > Preferences > Advanced

There will be a check box for Show All File Extensions (or some wording like that, I'm not currently on one of the Macs).

Edited to add: that's the fun of bouncing between platforms all day . . . I almost gave the Windoze answer for this. Sheesh!

I'm looking at what I believe to be my save dialog box but see no place to check or uncheck "hide file extension"

Not if the PSD has the wrong file extension.

The latest entries about file type extensions seem off the original topic of having problems with the PSD files opening.

on the Mac there is a hide file extension check box in the save dialog uncheck this. This a hold over to the old Classic Mac days when Mac did not use file extensions.

Jim and Neil,

Thanks for all the helpful information. The problem seems to be that when I add layers to what was a jpeg file from my camera and then save it as a tiff, ".tiff " is not automatically being added at the end of the new file name. The saved file will then not open until I add .tiff to the file name.

Anyway, I like the idea of re-saving any .jpeg from my camera as a tiff or a PSD before working on it. Also I'm glad to be reminded of the compounded compression issue with repeatedly saving jpegs.

Thanks again

>You need to get rid of the "jpg"in all those file names. ASAP.

A filename like 'IMG 399.jpg.tiff' or even 'IMG 399.jpg.gif.bmp.eps.pdf.tiff' will open in any applicaiton as the operating system only looks at what comes after the last period. You are not required to remove the '.jpg' but it is pointless to leave it in the filename.

You may wish to review the Photoshop manual to determine the best format to save your layered files. TIFF is usually good but you may also see reason to use PSD.

Dix,

And be aware that .jpg files are intrinsically lossy -- that is, they permanently lose image information with every Open --> Save --> Close --> Open [etc.] cycle. The higher the compression level; the more image information is replaced with artifacts.

If your camera only saves in .jpg format, be sure to resave them as .psd or .tif before working on them. Use Open --> Save as... The file format itself is not changed by simply changing the extension.

Neil

Dix,

The JPEG format does not support layers. Ever.

You need to get rid of the "jpg"in all those file names. ASAP.

I have no idea how you managed to save layered files with a jpg extension. You were driving Photoshop nuts!

Your problem was/is very different from what's being discussed in this thread.