save as .pdf gone?

[2bluesgal]

I have the latest version of Photoshop (22.4.1), desktop, Windows 10. The option to save a file as a .pdf appears to be gone. I cannot find it in the file>save as>format menu, nor is it in the export menu. Am I missing something here, or is it that Photoshop no longer will save as a .pdf?  Thank you.

[Derek Cross · Accepted solution]

There has been a change in the latest edition of Photoshop due to an Apple change. The Windows version has been changed too to keep to keep them both consistent. When you save a layered PSD file to a single layered format like JPG and Photoshop PDF you have to use Save a Copy. 

This excellent YouTube video clearly explains about using, and the difference between: Save, Save As, Save a Copy and Export As: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5CS_oieQL7c&t=205s

[2bluesgal]

Thank you!

[Ackbach]

I am running Photoshop 25.4.0 on a 2023 Apple MacBook Pro with the M3 chip. This answer does not solve the problem for me: I appear to be able to start to save a PDF only from an Artboard (File -> Export -> Artboards to PDF), but this was erroring out because it couldn't find the temp file. I restarted Photoshop and finally got this to work, but it's really hacky.

No Export, no Save As..., no Save As Copy... menu selection has a PDF option in the File Format dropdown. My file size is 1.14GB, so it's well under any 2GB limit. I feel that Adobe, the maker of both Photoshop and the PDF file format, ought to make it EASY to save to PDF from inside Photoshop.

The Print option in Adobe Photoshop is even grayed out so that I can't try using the OS's print-to-file capability!

This is a paid version of Adobe Photoshop! I even tried gradually reducing the resolution from 600DPI down to 300, to 200, and the file size got down to about 100MB, and still none of the PDF options show up.

To sum up: I was able to save as PDF only through the Artboard mechanism after flattening the image, which to me is pretty unintuitive. 

I strongly recommend Adobe reconsider these GUI elements, and make it trivially easy to convert to PDF. 

[Derek Cross]

How much RAM and spare hard disk capacity do you have to process your 1.14GB file?

[Ackbach]

Total RAM is 18GB, Memory Used is 15GB with the file open (but I don't trust that number on a Mac in the least), spare hard disk is 333GB. 

Just found out that the Photoshop PDF option (and a bunch of others) re-appears in Save a Copy... when I:
1. Convert Image -> Mode from 32 Bits/Channel down to 8 Bits/Channel, THEN

2. Convert Image -> Mode from RGB Color to CMYK Color.

These are, again, fairly esoteric processes, and I feel that Adobe should just allow Save a Copy ... with PDF options present even without these options set.

[JJMack]

As of Photoshop 22.4 saveAs PDF can be used in Photoshop Scripting.   Adobe Change Photoshop's User interface,  added a new file menu item "Save a Copy" interface.  You can "Save a Copy"  of the current document as a Photoshop PDF file.  Photoshop's file menu item "Save As" interface can no longer save a PDF file its operation has been changes. 

[Ackbach]

If Photoshop PDF doesn't show up in the file format dropdown box these steps might help:

1. Convert Image -> Mode from 32 Bits/Channel down to 8 Bits/Channel, THEN

2. Convert Image -> Mode from RGB Color to CMYK Color.

[JJMack · Accepted solution]

Its back in 22.4.2 legacy "Save As" file handling Preference.

[2bluesgal]

WhooHoo! Thank you

[GaryAltoonian]

Hi JJ:

Thanks for posting this.

I did check the enable Save As and am still not able to access saving a PSB file as a PDF.

Running a Windows 10 system with the latest updates.  Also, I shut Photoshop down and restarted several times and am still unable to access a Save As PDF in any of the saving options - Save a Copy, Save as or Export.

The flattened PSB file size is 20 MB.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Gary

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, why is it a PSB, what are the specificities of the image? The PDF format might have a limit that the PSB does not?

If it is a regular size, copy all the layers, paste in a new document, and see if the PDF format is available.

[Zac2204170691rx]

Same! PSB because it's a very large graphic (for a bus) and when I got to Save As it only has PSB and TIFF available. Checked the Legacy Save As option and restarted the program, PDF still does not appear. 

[Uyên28149022i7nk]

hi i have the same problem, i already "enable Save as". Did you save PDF sucessfully? 

[Stephen Marsh]

@Zac2204170691rx 

@Uyên28149022i7nk 

PSB format exists to contain larger pixel dimensions and file sizes than is possible in other formats.

What are the pixel width and height dimensions of your PSB?

You will need to duplicate the PSB and proportionally resample the width or height to 30,000px or lower on the longest side (or crop the canvas to 30,000px such as creating multiple smaller "tiles" of the PSB file).

-------- From the Help Docs --------

To preserve all Photoshop features (layers, effects, masks, and so on), save a copy of your image in Photoshop format (PSD).

Like most file formats, PSD supports files up to 2 GB in size. For files larger than 2 GB, save in Large Document Format (PSB), Photoshop Raw (flattened image only), TIFF (up to 4 GB), or DICOM format.

Large Document Format (PSB)

The Large Document Format (PSB) supports documents up to 300,000 pixels in any dimension. All Photoshop features, such as layers, effects, and filters, are supported. (With documents larger than 30,000 pixels in width or height, some plug-in filters are unavailable.) You can save HDR, 32-bits-per-channel images as PSB files.

Note: Most other applications and older versions of Photoshop cannot support documents with file sizes larger than 2 GB.

[Ackbach]

This might help:

1. Convert Image -> Mode from 32 Bits/Channel down to 8 Bits/Channel, THEN

2. Convert Image -> Mode from RGB Color to CMYK Color.

[Miles5E2E]

No idea why this would even be removed in the first place, extremely frustrating for a user.

[PECourtejoie]

Hi, Miles, as explained earlier, it is a change that has been mandated by an operating system maker. 

Photoshop, as an application, has to follow the "rules" set up by the operating system.