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Feature Request: Time for PSB and PSD to become one?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
December 20, 2018
4 replies
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Isn't it time to retire the 2 different file formats? Can the PSB format become the new PSD?

It's awfully annoying to wait for your large file to save only to stop and tell you it's too large for PSD format....and then have to do it again.

Seems redundant to me as so many of my files regularly get hit with this notice.

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Correct answer davescm

The issue would be that although Adobe created the PSD format it is also used, and read, by other applications. So a change would mean that those other applications may no longer read the files.

Anyway - the place to raise a feature request is at the link below where it will be seen by Adobe staff:

Photoshop Family Customer Community

What I would like to see though is the psb format being read by more applications including Adobe's own Lightroom.

Dave

SeanWBBFAuthor

Participating Frequently

FWIW, I didn't have compression on when saving the TIFF. Both files were on the company servers (about 20ft from me) but the loading times have always been consistent, meaning I don't even notice that I'm working from a server. I moved both files to my desktop and tried again and both seemed to load in the same amount of time.

(I don't care about compression either, tho, amusingly, I worked at studio recently (a huge one) and they needed pngs of psds for their internal tracker. Well, the pngs were compressed but huge... I could go rotate my tires in the time it took to save those damn things.)

As for my Apple reference... (smh)... I should point out that it was the processor switch about a sesquidecade ago that was pretty seamless. I know Mac OS has been a pain for many as of late. I only just updated from Yosemite in October. But I can't believe this has been a splinter subject to this thread. The example was meant to highlight the difference between a platform change and a file format, that's all. I'm an Apple user but I'm in no way an evangelist. They do many things that suck (like claw back of app functionality). But there are many things I prefer in the OS than I do in Windows (and I've used them all, thank you).

Cheers.

D Fosse

Community Expert

Yes, I get that, but it was your argument ("if Apple can do it"), and somebody had to put that in proper perspective. That Apple does this kind of thing does not mean Adobe can do the same. That's all.

SeanWBBFAuthor

Participating Frequently

I was referring more to the technical challenge, not that it was accomplished by Apple. You might not like Apple and that's totally cool, but there's no fire here for you to stamp out. (Apple today is not the same Apple in 2004).

The last few updates and mobile offerings Adobe has of late, actually have really impressed me (after years of seeing them just repaint the livingroom). So I do think Adobe can accomplish something seemingly impossible.

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

The backwards compatibility issues are with other people's apps (and older versions of the same apps). It isn't Adobe we want to adjust, it's everyone else.

SeanWBBFAuthor

Participating Frequently

Granted.

But with Illustrator updates, the format is updated and when saving, backwards compatibility can be set.

I'm not advocating for an end to the old format, just some forward thinking on the format's future.

It would be trivial for Adobe to integrate a compatibility tool into PS. Or even to create an API to add to other apps. How many websites are there to convert your file from one format to another?

davescm

Community Expert

SeanWBBF wrote
Granted.
But with Illustrator updates, the format is updated and when saving, backwards compatibility can be set.
I'm not advocating for an end to the old format, just some forward thinking on the format's future.

We have the forward thinking format - it is PSB. Now we just need every other app that reads PSD to also read PSB. That includes Adobe's own apps.

SeanWBBF wrote
It would be trivial for Adobe to integrate a compatibility tool into PS. Or even to create an API to add to other apps. How many websites are there to convert your file from one format to another?

When you have made a format open for other applications to use it is not a trivial matter to change it. Technical changes can be made easily but the outcry then comes from all of the other applications that read and write PSD.

If you read the file specification, PSB is already based on PSD but with the additional sizes built into the format

Adobe Photoshop File Formats Specification

So what we should be advocating is for PSB to take over as the new standard. I would definitely support that.

Dave

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Please, please no. We still want PSD to be readable by other apps. It might be useful for Photoshop to have a clever thing where it starts saving a PSD, and if it hits the limit it scraps it and starts again with PSB. It knows what you want....! If you're happy with it, why not just save PSB every time...

SeanWBBFAuthor

Participating Frequently

I agree with everything you're saying. What I want is there to be no limits to the PSD file size.

It's almost 2019 and 8K is upon us. File sizes aren't getting any smaller. Many of my files are 10K minimum to start. Having 2 file types (and one only moderately supported) due to file size restrictions is antiquated.

davescm

Community Expert

Chris Cox who was an Adobe engineer commented a while back that the PSD format (including it's restriction to 2GB) cannot be changed due to " the file format design and compatibility with other applications".

That is why the psb file format was introduced - it has a 4 Exabyte limit , although you would likely hit the 300,000 x 300,000 pixel limit long before the file size limit.

Dave

davescm

Correct answer

Community Expert

The issue would be that although Adobe created the PSD format it is also used, and read, by other applications. So a change would mean that those other applications may no longer read the files.

Anyway - the place to raise a feature request is at the link below where it will be seen by Adobe staff:

Photoshop Family Customer Community

What I would like to see though is the psb format being read by more applications including Adobe's own Lightroom.

Dave

SeanWBBFAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks Dave!

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