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A
AllynSar
Inspiring
May 9, 2018
Answered

Document Sizes Badly Wrong?

  • May 9, 2018
  • 3 replies
  • 841 views

I have an image that Photoshop reports is 2 GB. When trying to save that image as a TIFF, I get a dialog box stating the file is greater than the 4 GB TIFF limit. Where did the extra 2 GB come from? After saving the image as a PSB, I find that the PSB file is 2 GB. Flattening that image allows me to save a PSD whose file size is 500 MB. Why can't I use the Doc value to decide whether I can create a PSD, TIFF, or PSB? System: Photoshop CC 2018, Mac Pro, Latest Mac OS.

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Correct answer AllynSar

Problem Identified: Uncompressed Multi-layer TIFFs are bloated.

Solution: Save PSDs unless Photoshop indicates they are close to or beyond 2 GB but less than 4 GB, then save a compressed TIFF. For images greater than 4 GB, save a PSB and then save a flattened PSD for use by Lightroom.

I came to this conclusion after observing a 930 MB image result in a 2.87 GB TIFF and then performing the following experiment:

   I created a single-layer 64 MB Photoshop image and saved it as an uncompressed TIFF. It was 67 MB.

   I then added 9 un-modified curve adjustment layers and saved that as an uncompressed TIFF. It was 337 MB!

   I then saved the same image as a PSD. It was 131 MB.

   I then Saved the image as a compressed TIFF (Zip compression for both file and layers). It was 76 MB.

My workflow is Lightroom —> Photoshop (optionally —> On1) —> Lightroom, thus I need either a PSD or TIFF as a result since Lightroom will not display PSBs.

Allyn

3 replies

A
AllynSarAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
May 13, 2018

Problem Identified: Uncompressed Multi-layer TIFFs are bloated.

Solution: Save PSDs unless Photoshop indicates they are close to or beyond 2 GB but less than 4 GB, then save a compressed TIFF. For images greater than 4 GB, save a PSB and then save a flattened PSD for use by Lightroom.

I came to this conclusion after observing a 930 MB image result in a 2.87 GB TIFF and then performing the following experiment:

   I created a single-layer 64 MB Photoshop image and saved it as an uncompressed TIFF. It was 67 MB.

   I then added 9 un-modified curve adjustment layers and saved that as an uncompressed TIFF. It was 337 MB!

   I then saved the same image as a PSD. It was 131 MB.

   I then Saved the image as a compressed TIFF (Zip compression for both file and layers). It was 76 MB.

My workflow is Lightroom —> Photoshop (optionally —> On1) —> Lightroom, thus I need either a PSD or TIFF as a result since Lightroom will not display PSBs.

Allyn

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 14, 2018

Problem Identified: Uncompressed Multi-layer TIFFs are bloated.

In post 1 I had asked for

the exact and complete settings for the various save operations

but you don’t seem to have acknowledged that question.

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
May 9, 2018

Doesn't sound at all wrong. TIFF and PSD/PSB used entirely different compression systems so you can expect wildly different sizes. You will notice you have multiple choices for compression type when you save as TIFF - which have you tried?

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 9, 2018

For layered Tiff images there are even separate options for Image Compression and Layer Compression while psd and psb’s Layer Compression happens »under the hood« (unless disabled in the Preferences) so like Test Screen Name said …

A
AllynSarAuthor
Inspiring
May 9, 2018

Thanks to those who pointed out that PSDs and PSBs have compressed layers thus explaining odd file sizes. This I did not know. However, that does not answer my original question.

To clarify what I mean by document sizes, when an image is opened in Photoshop, on the lower left of the window is an informational area that can contain one of the many items in its associated menu. I chose Document Sizes. The information is in the form "Doc: 352.0M/2.10G" The first number is the unmodified image and the second is the size of the modified image. The second number is the one that concerns me.

My process starts in Lightroom. When I ask Lightroom to edit in Photoshop, I have told it to send a TIFF. I process the image in Photoshop and may or may not send it from Photoshop to On1's Photo Raw for additional processing. When I am satisfied with the result, I "save" the image which should return it to Lightroom as a TIFF. I do not know if I have control over how Lightroom prepares its TIFF so I do not know if the TIFF is compressed or not or what Photoshop does when it returns the file.

The reason I care about the size that is reported in the Doc area is that Lightroom does not acknowledge the existence of PSBs so I must send either a PSD or a TIFF back to Lightroom. If I see that the reported document size is bigger than the 4GB limit of a TIFF, I first save the document as a PSB, then I flatten the image, and then save it as a PSD or TIFF which Lightroom will acknowledge.

The issue I have is knowing if I must go the PSB-PSD route by looking at the document size that Photoshop claims. What I have observed is that even if Photoshop tells me the image is way under 4 GB, the TIFF is often claimed to be larger than that. I can understand that a TIFF can be compressed. What I cannot understand is how a reported "2.10G" image turns into a greater than 4 GB TIFF.

Question: Is the reported size inaccurate? 

Thanks for your help!

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 9, 2018

Can you provide the file?

What do you mean by »Doc value«?

What is the images content?

What were the exact and complete settings for the various save operations?

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