P: Version 23 has introduced file compression on large files which slows down saves

I've added this as a feature request here - hopefully adobe are reading these? No response yet. Not sure if that's the correct place to post it?

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/photoshop-23-4-2-psb-rle-compression-please-add-this-as-an-option-in-future-releases-adobe/idi-p/14298382

Just to communicate my point above I have done further tests to prove how good the RLE compression was that Adobe introduced in 23.4.2 when you ticked 'disable compression of PSD and PSB files' in preferences. It has the speed of saving uncompressed but at a fraction of the file size.

SAVING TIMES

Photoshop v25.2
With compression / To server / 4:02 / 3.8gb

Photoshop v23.4.2
With no compression (where adobe added RLE**) / To server / 0:41 / 5.5gb

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Opening times of those files from any version of photoshop...

File saved from v25.5 With compression / From server / 0:31 / 3.8gb
File saved from v23.4.2 With no compression (where adobe added RLE) / From server / 0:10 / 5.5gb

**when you ticked 'disable compression of PSD and PSB files' in preferences.

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So as you can see, yes the files are a tiny bit bigger in the newest photoshop, but MY GOD look how much slower it is!

Please Adobe, can we have the RLE compression you added in 23.4.2 as an option in preferences at least please?

My only point here is...

In 23.4.2 Adobe introduced the RLE compression by default when you save uncompressed. Agreed this was not the best move for those who save locally as it did slightly slow save times down.

BUT for those of us that run and work in a studio where working on a shared server is critical and the only option, this RLE compression was actually a god send. So much quicker to save and the file sizes were only fractionally bigger than the normal VERY SLOW compressed sizes.

All I ask is that Adobe introduce a 'save with RLE compression' tick box in preferences and harness a really good thing they showed in 23.4.2. It's so important to our workflow that our whole studio works on this old version.

We've tried going to new versions and the save time is so bad with compression. With uncompressed the files are enormous and not practical for the volume of files and resolution we are working with.

Please Adobe can you implement this tick box?

RLE compression depends heavily on content. For a file with large single color areas, I would expect those to compress quite well.

I've read the entire thing. And?

Hang on. Are you saying that a 92 GB file shrinks to 13.6 GB with RLE compression? That's jpeg-level compression efficiency. In my own testing back when this issue was up, I managed at most 20 - 25 % reduction. Are you really sure about those numbers?

Not denying that compression is way too slow, but I assume they're using existing and established algorithms and not writing this from scratch.

BTW saving directly to server is unsupported and generally asking for file corruption.

@Lumigraphics - best to read the whole thread to understand the issue fully before commenting 🙂

I'm fully aware of the tick box...anyways please read back to understand the problem at hand.

There is a checkbox in preferences to disable compression of PSD and PSB files. I don't have a 92GB file on hand to test with but what compression is used there? The only mention I find in help is for compatibility

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/optimize-photoshop-cc-performance.html

I don't think TIFF will be an option for the 92GB file in the previous example ( a couple of posts up) 🙂

Dave

Have you considered using TIFF instead of PSD? There is grandular control of TIFF compression, far beyond PSD options.