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mondoblondo123
Inspiring
January 23, 2024
Question

Long delay for "save as" PNG

  • January 23, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 1069 views

I have had this problem for years and continue to have it, regardless of the computer I'm on or the system parameters. Going from 16GB to 32GB of RAM improved performance all over but did not affect the very slow speed saving the PNG in Photoshop. Same thing, I can export from Illustrator in seconds. I pull it into Photoshop to reduce the size and it takes 15 minutes to save a smaller file. I do graphics for buildings 10 10% scale and must have the size and resolution such that the graphics and text can be clearly seen in proofs, but don't want to send files that are 100GB. PNG is the best option for this, but Photoshop makes it the most annoying option. Years - not program version, computer type or setup, or OS version related but still years of dealing with this. It would be nice if the "smallest file size" did not mean "the longest wait time in history." Just my take!

    1 reply

    Sameer K
    Community Manager
    Sameer KCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    February 9, 2024

    Hey, @mondoblondo123. I've moved your comment to a separate post. I'll need more specific info about this. Please share the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy & paste into a text document > upload & attach here. Is your PSD document relatively large or composed of several layers? 

     

    Try using Quick Export as PNG or Export As workflow instead of Save as or Save a copy & test if that helps.

     

    Thanks!

    Sameer K

    M
    mondoblondo123Author
    Inspiring
    February 9, 2024

    Sameer,

    Thank you for the suggestions, I will try those and see if they help. I don't use PSDs, I usually use either files that I've exported from Illustrator as a PNG or something someone has sent me. Sometimes I'll save as a PNG after removing a background and saving the transparency. I don't have anything specific at the moment as I use several PNGs on a daily basis. The next time it happens, I will share the informaiton.  And as I said, it doesn't matter what system, which version of windows, how much RAM (my work computer has 32GB), etc. Saving a file with any girth does the same thing. 

    I will share when it happens again.

    Thank you!

    M
    mondoblondo123Author
    Inspiring
    February 12, 2024

    Sameer,

     

    I created a graphic for submission with a sign permit application in Illustrator. I exported it using the artboard size. It is 50" x 54" @ 100 dpi, and the JPG is 13 MB. It is necessarily large because it has to be clear when viewed. I opened it in Photoshop, changed it to RGB so I could save as a PNG, and did a Save As with the smallest file size, specifically to test the save as PNG functionality. I used a stopwatch to time it at 8 minutes and 50 seconds. The PNG comes in at 19.3 MB. It completely bogged down my system, using 74.8% of my CPU to max it out at 100% with little else running.

     

    Before I did this, I restarted my computer and had only my font manager and Photoshop open to begin with. I did open my Task Manager so I could monitor the amount of memory the program was consuming, and then my snipping tool to do some screenshots. I exported the same graphic from Illustrator and the PNG was 13.2 MB. I mention all of this because there are times that I have a large artboard I need to export and then will open it in Photoshop to reduce the size of both the artboard and resolution. It retains more clarity that way. 

     

    The third thing I did was a quick export as a PNG from Photoshop. It took only maybe 15 seconds to finish and there was no real notable difference in the appearance. I then unlocked the background, erased some lines in the graphic, and did another quick export as PNG. It saved quickly, but I could not open that one again in Photoshop. It shows up in my files and I can open it with Photos, but not with Photoshop. Because I often save transparent PNGs, if that is a repeat issue, the quick export would not work as I often have to edit the images again. I would have to save as a PNG, and wait another several minutes for it to save.

     

    I'm including the system information and some files, including the PNGs and screenshots. The GPU is compatible and says I need to update the driver. Intel has a new driver for the GPU but recommends using the one Dell published since it is a Dell computer.

     

    I'd love your feedback on this. It would be nice to have consistency between saving as, exporting, and quick exporting, especially with the transparencies, and I'm not sure I understand why there is such a drastic difference in the time it takes.

     

    Thank you,

     

    Darla

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