P: File extension set to never append, overwriting files with no warning

[Tiemmothi]

Bug or not. Preference to not append file extension in CS4 vrs CS5. In CS4 if you turned the append extension to never, it it wouldn't append the extension for the file type in the save as dialog. If you typed in one yourself it would ignore what you type cause it just didn't care. ie. i have a file and i name it file.eps it would save the file as file.eps. I had to manually type the extension, something i prefer and the reason why i had the never save file extensions chosen in the preferences. In CS5 with the same preference set up if you type file.eps it removes the .eps from the save as dialog. The first time this happened i went hmmm retyped it and hit save. It saved the file with out the extension and overwrote my working layered file with a flattened eps file with NO prompting or warning. This is very concerning to me.

[David__B]

I see what you mean.

I think one of the pitfalls of the way it worked with Photoshop CS4 was that the original file extension was included with the file name and didn't change when altering the file type which could lead to user error (this behavior is Mac only). Since the Mac OS doesn't really use the file extensions, I suspect this change was to help prevent user error when when saving files for cross-platform use.

[Tiemmothi]

Yea, now that i'm aware of the issue I can kinda be ready for it.. but it has ruined a few files because I wasn't "thinking" about it.

[Tiemmothi]

Update... If you choose the "Ask" option instead of never or always, it behaves a little like CS4 did on the mac. It still deletes any hand typed extensions. Only stickler is now, you have to click to check boxes when saving a file. It's still annoying to me, but more workable.

[Brett N]

I see what your are talking about. The choice to "Never" append the file extension is being enforced with CS5. Actively removing even manually added extensions is pretty serious, it doesn't even matter if the extension is the same as the file type you are saving as. In fact, it will remove any alphanumeric combination up to 4 digits long added after a period.

The most disconcerting part is how it will just save over another file without prompt. I'll let our engineering folks know about this.

Also, could you let us know the reason you want to manually add the extension instead of having it auto-added?

[Tiemmothi]

In my work environment, we work with two to three file types. As our environment is 100% mac, and has been all along most of us that work here never had to worry about extensions unless for some odd reason we had to save a file for a pc (read never). So our work flows have evolved around what we need, what our printer needs and what Media Bank needs. As a standard workflow we name files with an 8-10 digit sku, a catalog code and _ then a page number and a small two to three digit file descriptor - 01234567AD_0001_4c.eps - would be a final name for Media Bank and our printer.

There are many of us working here and we need to keep tabs on what version of the file were working on. So for example, my initial scan (digital now a days) would be named 01234567AS_0001_clp-1TA5h, and this would tell the proofer that i wanted the file to be printed 5 inches tall, and would inform me when looking at the proof that its my first version of the file. The TA would inform other people with work on the proof that it was my image and helps with facilitating the getting the proof to the next person in line with un-worked images still on it. Back in the day we would run into problems of hitting the max chars for a file name (catalog codes hit 3 charicters, then more descripters became common place, ie _fad etc.) and the one thing that could go, was the extension, since the Mac OS and any of our internal systems didn't care about having it or not. On top of that a lot of files would get .cmyk at the end to show the page builder the file was final and ready for print (this has since changed).

So my workflow has evolved to not using any extensions until the file is final and ready to be sent to media bank for the page builders, at which time it will get the proper file extension, .psd or .tif for a layered transparent file, .eps for the rest of the files. Manually typing the extension was just so much more simple. So think about this.. i have my working file open.. its named 01234567AD_0001.layered (my way of saying its my working file with smart object and layer adjustments. Its ready to be sent to round one (this means I think color is good enough for the buyers and the guy that gives the final ok to see it). I hit save as and I get the file name of the current file in the save as dialog. I know that if i dont type anything in there once I choose photoshop eps file, photoshop is going to add "copy" in the file name (annoying) so I remove my .layered and overwrite with .epsTA5h and then choose photoshop eps and a location. Fortunately even cs5 doesn't mess with this so its a non issue there for me. It becomes an issue when i have a rush file that I try to save for OK to SYSTEM, or for the web department and try to append .eps on and overwrite my working file cause i'm in a hurry. And to be honest I don't even remember what brought about my revelation of this, other than the fact I overwrote a working file somehow and was never prompted for an overwrite warning.

I apologize if this is not well written (was written in a matter of mins), but if you have any more questions, please let me know.

[Tiemmothi]

Something else that is kinda, bleh.... if you want to overwrite a file in the save as dialog, and not type the whole file name... you used to be able to click on it and it would put the whole name in the save as dialog. Now it puts the name up to the period for the extension and then nothing else. So now your stuck typing everything after the period.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I am having problem with saving files that I had never experienced before with Photoshop Elements 9. I would always save the file as, for instance, a jpeg. It would automatically appear as an extension on my file name. I now have to type the extension in every time. Going into the Preferences, I noticed that the Append File Extensions was selected as Never. I can change that but it always reverts to Never. It's irritating but I can get used to typing in each extension when saving a file. Is there a patch or fix to this problem? Perhaps I should reinstall the software?I use Mac 0S 10.6.8.
Thanks.

[Brett N]

The topic of this discussion doesn't cover what you are experiencing Marcia. Instead, you'll want to take a look at this: Photoshop Elements: Append File Extension preference set to Never

[J453]

Fixed in Photoshop CS6 or later.

[wendy238652004rgi]

Hi Jeffrey,
I have CS6 - and have just discovered that it deletes everything after the period in a file name when I go to save it in another folder - is there a way to stop it doing this? i.e. I need the name to stay the same, including the period...
w