The "save as copy" user interface is still highly frustrating. The community voiced problems with this user interface when it was introduced and though there was minor improvement initially, it remains hard to use.-All available file types should be available under to users under "Save as." From a user standpoint, having less options is less advantageous. There doesn't seem to be a reason for having both a "Save as" and a "Save as copy" that forces "copy" to be added to the file name. -Please give users the OPTION to auto-add "copy" to the file name, or not. Please stop adding "copy" to the end of file names just because it is being saved as a different format. Having to remove "copy" takes extra time. This may not seem like a big deal but when you save as many iterations as many professionals do, it adds considerable time and effort.Here's what would be the best user interface:"Save" saves the current psd file."Save As" allows you to save your current file in ANY supported format. Doing this keeps the same file name with no changes except the .filetype at the end"Save As Copy" allows you to save as any supported file type, but auto-adds "copy" to the filename.To futher improve this, allow users to customize the auto-added verbage. For instance, I like to indicate versions with a "V" - V1, V2, V3... This is a short way to differentiate so your file names don't get too long.Enable auto-adding a number after the customized verbage based on what filenames already exist. If "Filename copy1.jpg" exists, this feature when enabled by the user would auto-save the next as "Filename copy2.jpg" without the user having to manually change the filename.Add the feature that users can then choose whether this customized verbage is added to the end or the beginning of a filename.

Inspiring

Answered

Please fix the "save as copy" user interface.

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
December 11, 2023
9 replies
1138 views

The "save as copy" user interface is still highly frustrating. The community voiced problems with this user interface when it was introduced and though there was minor improvement initially, it remains hard to use.

-All available file types should be available under to users under "Save as."

From a user standpoint, having less options is less advantageous. There doesn't seem to be a reason for having both a "Save as" and a "Save as copy" that forces "copy" to be added to the file name.

-Please give users the OPTION to auto-add "copy" to the file name, or not.

Please stop adding "copy" to the end of file names just because it is being saved as a different format. Having to remove "copy" takes extra time. This may not seem like a big deal but when you save as many iterations as many professionals do, it adds considerable time and effort.

Here's what would be the best user interface:

"Save" saves the current psd file.
"Save As" allows you to save your current file in ANY supported format. Doing this keeps the same file name with no changes except the .filetype at the end
"Save As Copy" allows you to save as any supported file type, but auto-adds "copy" to the filename.
- To futher improve this, allow users to customize the auto-added verbage. For instance, I like to indicate versions with a "V" - V1, V2, V3... This is a short way to differentiate so your file names don't get too long.
- Enable auto-adding a number after the customized verbage based on what filenames already exist. If "Filename copy1.jpg" exists, this feature when enabled by the user would auto-save the next as "Filename copy2.jpg" without the user having to manually change the filename.
- Add the feature that users can then choose whether this customized verbage is added to the end or the beginning of a filename.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer jane-e

@JeremyAndrewDavis wrote
"So apparently Adobe DOES have the ability to have this feature without adding 'copy' to the filename, but chooses not to."

Do you have "Do not append 'copy' to filename when saving a copy" is enabled?

This is a screenshot. See the help file here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/saving-images.html

Shortly after Apple changed their API, Adobe solved this issue in 22.4.2. Why are you just now seeing it?

Jane

L

Lumigraphics

Legend

I personally think that Adobe has done their best on this and further changes would be a terrible idea. You misunderstand what "Save As" does and is used for and your idea would lead to data loss. It's a no for me, dawg.

jane-e

Community Expert

@jane-e wrote:

Auto-adding versions has been discussed quite often in these forums and is best addressed in a new thread.

@JeremyAndrewDavis wrote:

The remainder of my posts also makes recommendations on features that would improve user interface for everyone beyond removing the annoying "copy" issue.

See the post from staff on how to submit ideas in this link, and put the other ideas into separate posts. They will be lost in this thread.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/how-do-i-write-a-feature-request/idi-p/12384447

"If an Idea thread has multiple requests in it, you may be asked by a moderator to split the multiple requests up into multiple threads so others can vote."

Jane

jane-e

Correct answer

Community Expert

@JeremyAndrewDavis wrote
"So apparently Adobe DOES have the ability to have this feature without adding 'copy' to the filename, but chooses not to."

Do you have "Do not append 'copy' to filename when saving a copy" is enabled?

This is a screenshot. See the help file here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/saving-images.html

Shortly after Apple changed their API, Adobe solved this issue in 22.4.2. Why are you just now seeing it?

Jane

JeremyAndrewDavisAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks for providing the answer. I could have done without the condescending and invalidating "Why are you just now seeing it?" I've seen many people post the same question and get the incorrect, unhelpful answers that I saw above. This is the first time I've seen the correct answer. Maybe I'm just now seeing it because I missed it... or maybe Adobe could do better with its communication... or any number of different things.

Please try to be patient with people. Adobe has a LOT of issues that people have complained about for years and never addressed. It is hard to keep up.

jane-e

Community Expert

Thanks for providing the answer. I could have done without the condescending and invalidating "Why are you just now seeing it?"
By @JeremyAndrewDavis

I'm so sorry that it came across as condescending, JeremyAndrewDavis, as it was not my intention. When Apple first broke it and before Adobe came up with the fix in Preferences, we had a Primary thread with 817 replies from angry users that we tried to assist (once threads were merged). I expected you to say you had just updated.

Yes, Adobe could have communicated this one better, and we have told them so.

Apologies again. This brought up painful memories of when it first happened, but that has nothing to do with you and your situation, so I should have left that question off.

Jane

JeremyAndrewDavisAuthor

Inspiring

Yes I have. That is a workaround. Adobe also has a habit of removing 'legacy' features down the road so I'm adding my voice to the many people who are calling out the bad user interface and tyring to get Adobe to actually fix it.

The remainder of my posts also makes recommendations on features that would improve user interface for everyone beyond removing the annoying "copy" issue.

JeremyAndrewDavisAuthor

Inspiring

"Adobe had no choice but to come up with a new plan." Except that you can still use the legacy 'save as.' So apparently Adobe DOES have the ability to have this feature without adding 'copy' to the filename, but chooses not to.

D Fosse

Community Expert

That's right @jane-e . In all the years up to 2012, if you wanted to save a jpeg, you had to first flatten, convert to 8 bits, and remove any alpha channels

If you didn't do that, there was no way in h that you could save a jpeg. None, zero. And the funny thing - everybody was OK with that. We all understood what jpeg supported and what not.

And then CS5 came with this hack that allowed directly saving out a jpeg copy. The irony is that they did it to make people happy. And see where it got them when Apple suddenly decided to change all the rules, as they like to do....now it's impossible to get the toothpaste back in the tube.

No other application on the planet has ever been able to save directly to jpeg from a complex file. None. It was a special service with Photoshop, until Apple pulled the plug.

Kevin Stohlmeyer

Community Expert

@JeremyAndrewDavis have you gone into Photoshop Preferences/File Handling and checked "Enable Legacy Save As"? All of this is addressed by activating that one option.

jane-e

Community Expert

All available file types should be available under to users under "Save as."

From a user standpoint, having less options is less advantageous. There doesn't seem to be a reason for having both a "Save as" and a "Save as copy" that forces "copy" to be added to the file name.
By @JeremyAndrewDavis

There may not seem to be a reason, but there is one.

When Apple changed their API and broke what Adobe was doing with their Save as, Adobe had no choice but to come up with a new plan.

The story is here:

https://petapixel.com/2021/05/18/photoshops-save-as-function-has-changed-on-mac-heres-why/

You can send complaints to Apple here, as Adobe cannot return to the old way after Apple has changed the API.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

The wording on "what Adobe was doing with their Save As" was intentional. I think it was CS5 that they came up with a way to put all the formats in one command. @D Fosse has the full story on that.

Auto-adding versions has been discussed quite often in these forums and is best addressed in a new thread.

~Jane

L

Lumigraphics

Legend

Save As will save the current file to a new name. Edits will NOT be saved to the previous file that you had open. Save A Copy will save to a new file but keep the existing file open with edits, unsaved.

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