I’m trying to re-save a large batch of PSD files (including all subfolders) to force Photoshop to embed the “Maximize Compatibility” composite. In older versions of Photoshop, Image Processor allowed saving directly back to the original file location without creating any subfolders. In the current version, Image Processor always creates new subfolders (JPEG, PSD, TIFF) in every directory, even if I only select “Save as PSD” and uncheck everything else. There’s no option anymore to overwrite the existing PSD files on the same path. What I need is simple: process all PSD files recursively,re-save them as PSD,overwrite the originals,without generating new subfolders in every directory. Right now Image Processor seems to make this impossible.Batch + Actions still works, but Image Processor used to support this workflow too. So my question is: Is this just me missing a hidden setting, or did Adobe actually remove the ability to save to the original location without creating subfolders? If that option is gone, is there any official workaround besides using Batch + a custom Action or writing JSX scripts? Thanks!

.random..

Inspiring

Question

Image Processor no longer overwrites original files?

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
November 29, 2025
3 replies
1920 views

I’m trying to re-save a large batch of PSD files (including all subfolders) to force Photoshop to embed the “Maximize Compatibility” composite. In older versions of Photoshop, Image Processor allowed saving directly back to the original file location without creating any subfolders.

In the current version, Image Processor always creates new subfolders (JPEG, PSD, TIFF) in every directory, even if I only select “Save as PSD” and uncheck everything else. There’s no option anymore to overwrite the existing PSD files on the same path.

What I need is simple:

process all PSD files recursively,
re-save them as PSD,
overwrite the originals,
without generating new subfolders in every directory.

Right now Image Processor seems to make this impossible.

Batch + Actions still works, but Image Processor used to support this workflow too.

So my question is: Is this just me missing a hidden setting, or did Adobe actually remove the ability to save to the original location without creating subfolders?

If that option is gone, is there any official workaround besides using Batch + a custom Action or writing JSX scripts?

Thanks!

macOS

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

You can save without creating sub-folders by using the "select folder" option with "keep folder structure" and selecting the parent/root top-level directory, however, originals will not be overwritten, a "_1" suffix will be added. The script would require modification to work differently.

.random..Author

Inspiring

Thanks, I’m aware of that workaround – the problem is, as you said, that it creates duplicate files with a _1 suffix.

In our case we need to re-save millions of existing PSDs in place with max compatibility, without breaking the folder structure or doing any manual merging afterwards.

I’ve ended up using a custom script that opens each file and saves it back over itself, which works great – I just find it strange that this isn’t possible directly in Image Processor anymore, given that it used to be trivial.

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

Thanks, I’m aware of that workaround – the problem is, as you said, that it creates duplicate files with a _1 suffix.

The Image Processor version that ships with Photoshop 2026 is "1.2.0.3", it would surprise me if Adobe has made any changes to this script in years.

So perhaps it never did overwrite?

As I previously mentioned, the code would need to be edited to do so, such as removing the following highlighted entry (untested):

Code_4Nb97kZ7wx.png

A

aditya_6641

First off, you're not going crazy, I just tested this myself in the latest Photoshop, and you're absolutely right. The "save in same location" behavior you remember from older versions is indeed gone. The Image Processor now forces you to choose a destination folder and will always create those subfolders (JPEG, PSD, TIFF), even if you only have one format selected

Stephen Marsh

Community Expert

I'll look into this... The opposite requirement was needed in this topic:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/batch-remove-maximize-compatibility-from-psd-folders/m-p/15481712

.random..Author

Inspiring

I finally solved the issue by having GPT generate a script that simply goes through the entire top-level folder (including all subfolders), opens every PSD, and performs a Save As to the same location. That forces Photoshop to rebuild the composite layer. It works — but honestly, the fact that this is necessary is mind-blowing.

We have millions of files in thousands of folders in our company archive, and every now and then a PSD ends up saved without Maximize Compatibility enabled.

Result? Lightroom refuses to import it.
Seriously? Lightroom cannot handle a PSD — an Adobe-native format — just because it’s missing a composite preview? That was jaw-dropping.

Fine, I thought I’d batch-fix it via Bridge.
Except Bridge’s Image Processor can’t resave PSDs.

Alright then, Photoshop Image Processor… because that one does have a “Maximize PSD Compatibility” checkbox. Except it forces everything into newly generated subfolders named “PSD” and gives you no way to overwrite files in their original structure.

So what exactly is the expected workflow here?
Am I supposed to open folder after folder manually, drag files back into place, and overwrite them manually with a file manager?

It’s absurd. Adobe products try to do a million things simultaneously and somehow fail at the most basic pipeline needs. No wonder people are moving away from Adobe — the ecosystem feels increasingly disconnected from real production workflows.

D Fosse

Community Expert

Thanks, I get the technical background — OS-level security, the need for an actual change before Save can fire, all that.

But even with that in mind, I’d still expect Lightroom to do something more sensible in this situation.

Ideally LR should have some way to fix these files before import — either through a small built-in module or an external pre-import hook that checks PSDs and adds the missing composite when needed. Because when you’re importing hundreds of files and one or two happen to be saved without Maximize Compatibility, the whole batch just breaks.

Or Bridge — a tool explicitly meant for bulk operations — could actually process PSD files and offer a real Save As with Maximize Compatibility.

Or at the very least, the Image Processor inside Photoshop could still include an option to re-save files in place, the way it used to, without forcing users into the whole “export into a new folder and manually merge everything back” workflow.

Right now it’s basically useless for production. The file exists, Photoshop can open it, Maximize Compatibility is enabled globally… and yet none of the Adobe tools around it can simply re-save it to make it usable for Lightroom.

So the burden lands on the user: writing custom scripts just to compensate for something the Adobe pipeline should reasonably handle on its own.

Right now it’s basically useless for production.

By @.random..

Well, to be fair, I've used Photoshop professionally for almost 20 years, 8 hours a day, and I've still never needed to batch overwrite originals. In fact, I go to great lengths to prevent that from happening.

But yes, having a small Lightroom prep of layered files before importing isn't unreasonable, considering how essential it is. It would have to be optional, maybe a LrC preference setting. I wouldn't object to that.

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