Losing Information in Photoshop

[Monica23106099kccw]

Since the latest update, each time I go to export my file, I'm told that if I export it as a jpeg, I will lose information. This happens whenever I open the export window. It started to happen after the latest update so I am now in Photoshop v 27.0 and I'm running on Windows 11. 

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

The jpeg specification does not support 16 bit depth, layers of any kind, transparency or alpha channels. If you're starting with a file that has any of these properties, they will have to be stripped out. 

There is also the fact that jpeg is a destructive format, and every resave will degrade the file slightly. This degradation is cumulative and non-reversible.

Now, I can't recall ever seeing that message, but maybe I just clicked "don't show again" as it's a fairly straightforward and obvious message. Or maybe it's new. Either way, there is the possibility that you may overwrite the original if you started with a jpeg, so just something to be aware of if you're not already.

[Conrad_C]

The message is new, but it’s confusing because the wording is vague and doesn’t offer a solution.

It’s trying to warn about when, for example, someone started by opening a JPEG file and then added all kinds of Photoshop features that can’t be preserved when saving as a JPEG file again, like a lot of the things D Fosse mentioned. That part is nothing new. But I think in this release Adobe was trying to explain why Photoshop wants extra steps when saving what was originally a JPEG but now needs to be saved as a Photoshop (PSD), Photoshop Large Document (PSB), or TIFF file to preserve all of the features used.

Since the latest update, each time I go to export my file, I'm told that if I export it as a jpeg, I will lose information. This happens whenever I open the export window.

By @Monica23106099kccw

The word “export” is used there, but are you sure that it happens when you specifically use a command on the File > Export submenu, such as Export As or Save for Web? Because I only notice the alert message when using the File > Save or File > Save As commands, that’s where Adobe wants to warn people away from saving an original as JPEG when it contains non-JPEG features. 

In other words, it shouldn’t warn when truly exporting, it should warn only when using the Save As or Save commands with non-JPEG features.

That also points to one workaround. To avoid the message, use a command on the File > Export submenu because those always create a copy that doesn’t overwrite the original. Or, if you want to preserve Photoshop layers, transparency, Smart Objects, etc., save as PSD, PSB, or TIFF format.

But again, I think their alert message wording is unhelpful and they need to edit it so that people know what to do.