P: Support cataloging PSB files

[alanterra]

Lightroom should catalog psb files, just as it does psd files. I have many psb files that are not over the 65,000 pixels per side or 512 megapixel limits, but are larger than the 4GB limit on psd files, and it would be nice to see them in Lightroom.

[Amitzi Photography]

but then it is bigger than the limit much faster. 

[johnrellis]

The engineering effort to accommodate PSBs is minimal: 
https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom_support_cataloging_psb_files?topic-...

I learned this while implementing the PSB Quick Look plugin.

[TheDigitalDog]

Even if it were not minimal, it is something Adobe should have done a long time ago. There's no excuse for not supporting a native Photoshop file format IN Adobe PHOTOSHOP Lightroom. No excuse. 

[SunshineySusan]

seanhoyt-
It’s easy to exceed the limit doing large abstract composites. I often have over 20 layers, including some smart objects with applied filters and others with masks and multiple adjustment layers. All sized for print at 24”x36”x300ppi. The files get big fast.

[SunshineySusan]

seanhoyt-
I wasn’t familiar with linked smart objects though. Will try that, see if it’s something that helps. Thanks.

[Amitzi Photography]

My Sony A99ii shoots 42MP, I need to switch to TIF if I do major editings on it. The ArIV shoots 61MP and up to 240.8  with pixel shift. That's a lot, even without any major editing.

[johnrellis]

I've got a large number of photographers and retouchers using my PSB Quick Look plugin who regularly create PSBs with 15 layers or more (the recommended method of doing non-destructive editing with Photoshop). They start with high-resolution images and all those layers cause them to exceed the 2 GB PSD limit and the 4 GB TIFF limit:

50 megapixels * 6 bytes/pixel * 15 layers = 4.5 GB

[davidg19038978]

100% agree, I don't think Adobe listen to their customers.

[davescm]

@seanhoyt-dot-art. Yes easily when building up layers. I often combine camera images with 3D multipass renders (at the same resolution as the camera) so exceeding 4GB is very easy indeed.

[Paul Takeuchi]

I'd still love Adobe to implement this. It is LONG OVERDUE. Any compositing with more than a handful of layers with 30-50MP shots will hit the 2GB limit for PSD very quickly.

[adann]

It is a shame Adobe won't explain why this problem hasn't addressed.

There is a work-around, however.  You can create a linked one-layer Smart Object file, save it as a TIFF and import the TIFF into Lightroom.  Sean Bagwell has a good video on it on Youtube: A BETTER Way to Save HUGE Image Files in Lightroom

[jonathan.lipkin]

Higher resolution cameras are becoming more common. I layer my photographs from medium format cameras, resulting in files 4-17G. Lightroom's lack of support for large document format files means that I have to create complicated workarounds. Adding the ability to catalog the files would make my life much easier.

Thanks!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Trying to add my composites and paintings to Lightroom Classic (latest version), but it won't read .psb files. Is this correct? Adobe can't read it's own files still, or am I missing something here (wouldn't be the first time)?

[jonathan.lipkin]

Correct. LR does not read large document files. It should, though

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Couldn’t agree more. 

[thibaudr73078643]

Me to

[TheDigitalDog]

Yes, it should read PSBs, no question.
Patience grasshopper. 😉

[jonathan.lipkin]

Andrew! you're still around!! I'm glad - I read a lot of your stuff, like, a decade ago

[adann]

Grasshopper is patient, but would like to hear from Adobe that this feature is on their development team's roadmap.

[TheDigitalDog]

but would like to hear from Adobe that this feature is on their development team's roadmap.

They are not going to tell you, unless you work for them or test for them. When it's released, you'll know. Until then, be patient. 

[adann]

For those looking for a workaround, Sean Bagshaw has posted an update on his approach using Smart Objects.  This version uses a linked smart object -- a more effiicient approach. 

Here it is: A BETTER Way to Save HUGE Image Files in Lightroom, by Sean Bagwell

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Having same issue as well. Please giva at least a workaround. Thank you.

[Arnie47]

nice, Adobe finally listened to their Lightroom users:
with today's Lightroom Classic release 9.2 PSB files are supported!
(and it really works (just tried it))

[Jerry Syder]

Yup, they didn't do too bad after 9 years 

[davescm]

Thank you, thank you , thank you ! 🙂
Dave