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bartonlew
bartonlew
Legend
July 25, 2019
Answered

PS crashing because of file size?

  • July 25, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 3692 views

PS is crashing at a particular point in the workflow for a very large file I am working on.  It is a composite panorama.  At 51493 px W x 12652 px H I have no problem with it.  Then I add another layer which extends its width to 71066 px.  Still okay at that point.  But then when I try to create a layer mask on a portion of the new layer PS crashes.  Is it because of the file size?  I ask because this has never happened to me before and this is the largest file I have ever created in PS.  Thanks.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer c.pfaffenbichler

What have you done about Photoshop-Performance and trouble-shooting so far?

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/optimize-photoshop-cc-performance.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-trouble-shooting-steps.html

What is the file format?

When you create a duplicate of the image with only that one Layer and add the Layer Mask does it also crash?

2 replies

Derek Cross
Community Expert
Derek CrossCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 25, 2019

As a matter of interest, why are you creating such a large document – what is its final destination(s)?

Were such a document to be printed the size could be in the region of 17 foot wide at 250PPI (51000px divided by 250). Of course, if you wanted to produce  a poster at that width, the resolution could be much lower, perhaps 50PPI or less as it would be viewed from a distance.

Make sure you're not making too much work for yourself (and your computer!).

bartonlew
bartonlewAuthor
Legend
July 25, 2019

Thanks for your feedback.  The file is an image of an architectural feature and is mean to be printed.  The actual feature is something like 50ft. wide and my final image will be roughly half that at 300 dpi.  The feature has lots of fine detail.  I don't know the display conditions yet but I would like for the image to be printed at a high resolution in the event that viewing can be up close, as well as at a distance. 

bartonlew
bartonlewAuthor
Legend
July 26, 2019

bartonlew  wrote

But what if in addition to standing back 20-40 ft. and viewing the entire work, you wanted to walk up to it and look at some of the detail a foot away or closer.

OK. That's a valid case. But there's still little practical need for anything higher than, say, 100 ppi. There's nothing wrong with making a file as big as possible, of course. I do that too. But no file ever needed to be over 70 000 pixels across.

Do an experiment. Take a standard monitor, like a 24 inch unit at 1920 x 1200. These monitors have a native resolution of around 90-ish ppi. You normally don't see the individual pixels in such a monitor unless you use a magnifying glass. Put up a portion of your work at 100%, and see how close you can comfortably go. Make a note of how close you want to go before it feels awkward.

The fact is that 300 ppi for books is a theoretical upper limit, beyond which it is not possible to discern individual pixels. They will be completely masked by the halftone screen at 150 lines per inch. There's no way anything will change beyond 300 ppi. But it's not a sharpness requirement! The real resolution in this case is 150, not 300. That's the sharpness limit. Simplistically speaking.


Thanks.  This is a subject that I know way too little about - I wish I could take a course somewhere to learn more, but for now I'll add your comments to the file I have of online posts dealing with file size, screen resolution etc. in the hope it will all come together someday, or at least start to add up.

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 25, 2019

What have you done about Photoshop-Performance and trouble-shooting so far?

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/optimize-photoshop-cc-performance.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-trouble-shooting-steps.html

What is the file format?

When you create a duplicate of the image with only that one Layer and add the Layer Mask does it also crash?

    bartonlew
    bartonlewAuthor
    Legend
    July 25, 2019

    Thank you for these helpful links. It's a lot of information to digest but doubtless worth it if you want PS to work optimally for you.  I will begin implementing the suggested modifications.

    The file format is PSB.  it is presently around 4.5 GB.  I saw in the specifications for file size that the max PS can handle is 300,000 px x 300,000 px.  Max file size for a PSB file is 4 exabytes which is a unit I have never heard of, but I appear to be well within that range.

    So ... I opened my file and it is 3 layers (before bringing in the newest layer).  I merged those and brought in my new layer, began making the mask modifications I referred to previously and PS is not crashing.  So I assume that file size in combination with layer #s (even though there weren't that many) was causing the crash.  Regardless, I'll start making those optimizations in the link you sent.

    Many thanks,

    Barton

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