Simplify "SAVE AS"

[Photo References]

The latest updates to Photoshop made saving files more complicated. It adds many more clicks. Good design is about simplifying; not complicating.

-Prompt to save to creative cloud by default. (this is not desirable at all, please make this feature optional; not default)

-When saving a PSD to JPG, it now requires an extra step to click 'save as a copy button' before the use can pick JPG format. This is unecessary extra clicks that add friction. Imagine having to do this hundreds of times a day. 

The 'Save as' function used to be perfect with one page and one selection drop down menu. Nice and simple. Now it has added two points of friction for users. The solution is easy, revert to the original version and make cloud options optional and let those who want that do the extra clicks. Photoshop should be designed for professionals and professionals care about speed and efficiency. Our files are also often over a GB and perform fastest when stored on a local drive. Please fix the 'Save as' function.

[Anya Anti]

100% agree.  However to can go back to the legacy "Save As". Go to Preferences - File Handling and choose Enable legacy "Save As". That did the trick for me. That extra step for saving JPGs from PSDs was driving me crazy. Could somebody explain to me the idea behind that decision?

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

This is unecessary extra clicks that add friction. Please fix the 'Save as' function. 

By @Photo References

@Anya Anti wrote: 

Could somebody explain to me the idea behind that decision? 

When Apple made changes to the API and broke the Save As in Photoshop, the developers were left to find a fix that was cross-platform. They fixed this two versions ago in Photoshop 22.4.2

• You can find png, jpg, pdf, etc., in Save a Copy
  or
• You can revert to the previous behavior in Preferences > File Handling > File Saving Options:
  Enable Legacy Save As
  Do not append Copy to filename

You can leave a message for Apple here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html 

~ Jane

[Photo References]

Thank you so much Anya, this was driving me crazy and the solution makes it so much better. Appreciate the info!

[Photo References]

Hi Jane and thank you for taking the time to share your insight. The issue was precisely that the user has to click on 'Save a copy'; that is the extra friction I was referring to.

As for the legacy option, thank you so much for sharing!! This was unbearable and now so much better. Really appreciate you! Thank you!

[jane-e]

You're welcome, @Photo References  🙂

Jane

[D Fosse]

I doubt that's going to happen. A bit of historical context:

Prior to Photoshop CS5 in 2010, you couldn't save to jpeg at all, if the file didn't already conform to the jpeg file format specification. You had to flatten the file to remove all layers and transparency, convert to 8 bit, and delete any alpha channels. Then, and only then, was it possible to save the file as jpeg.

In 2010, to a fair bit of fanfare, a "hack" was introduced in Photoshop CS5. You could now save directly to jpeg, all those operations would be performed automatically, and you would get a jpeg copy directly from Save As. This was all new, never seen in any other software before or since. It was a big selling point at the time.

Then Apple changed the rules (as they frequently do). The hack wouldn't work anymore, MacOS didn't allow it.

So they came up with Save A Copy. Later, they were able to find workarounds that allowed a "legacy save" that behaved in roughly the same way, but with a real risk of unintentional overwiting of data. That's why it's not the default.

That's the irony: they introduced direct save to jpeg to make users happy, and then it came back to bite them and I bet they regret it now. If they hadn't done that in CS5, it would have been business as usual the whole time and nobody would have complained.

If you think "the competition" can save to jpeg from 16 bit layered files, think again. Affinity can't do it. You have to launch a separate and slow Export process.

I agree that Adobe made one huge mistake in all this. They tried to sell Save A Copy as a "feature". That didn't go down well. They should have called it what it was, a rescue operation.

[janetm62681729]

hi-i'm sorry not sure what is going on i didn't upgrade Anything recently.. and two days ago I wake up to this probem! i edit photos all day --how could they possibly take awy jpg format?? i really don't care about the reasons why. PS has gotten so glitchy it is junk. switches from baseline to progressive.  switches my other settings out of nowhere. take away shake reduction and now this? i checked the preferenece mentioned (thank you) jpg format is there but i STILL HAVE to through MANY extra steps for EACH IMAGE!! it does not HOLD the jpg and then when i save i have close out and not save each original.. CAN SOMEONE AT ADOBE FIGURE THIS OUT. this program is useless at this point.  am on mac 12. 5.1  PS 23.2.2 (reverted back for shake reduction) editing RAW canon and Nikon files.

[jane-e]

@janetm62681729 wrote:

"how could they possibly take awy jpg format"

They didn't, Janet.

Please read these short thread to find out how Adobe responded to a change made by Apple to macOS and what you can do now. This was fixed a year ago in 22.4.2.

Jane

[janetm62681729]

it isn't fixed. i just upgraded and the same thing happens.  can you simplify for me please.  on a deadine and adobe just gave wrong info. here are my file handling pref. and here is what happens when i save.... i have to choose jpg every time and then separate step close the image.  thanks

[jane-e]

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@janetm62681729 wrote:

i have to choose jpg every time and then separate step close the image. 

The reason you have to choose jpeg everytime might be because you have chosen to save to the Cloud. In Preferences > File Handling > Default File Location, try changing the location to your computer instead of the Cloud and see if that makes a difference.

Jane

[djmattyz]

amen to that, it is driving me bananas!

and it forgets the directory too, if you hit save as copy, so you have to look for it again...sigh

[D Fosse]

If you look four posts up, you'll find the full and complete explanation and background for all this. Why it happened, how it worked before and how it works now and why. Everything you need to know.

[djmattyz]

thanks,  i see that

im just adding my 2 cent on why its a pain to work with the way it currently is set up...

save (for PSD) and export (for jpg, PNG etc)  would make sense to me.

when i go to save, i always forget that JPG isnt available in that menu, so i search for the destination folder then realise i have to click 'save a copy',  and then it loses the directory and i have to search again... I just find it very distracting.

[jane-e]

@djmattyz 

You can complain to Apple — they were the ones who changed their API and forced Adobe to come up with a viable solution.

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

What do you have in Preferences > File Handling > File Saving Options? Have you checked the box for "Enable Legacy Save As" as in the screenshot a few posts up?

~ Jane

[djmattyz]

im using a windows PC, im not sure how apple is involved in this.

iv switched back to legacy saving. thankyou for that

[jane-e]

---

@djmattyz wrote:

im using a windows PC, im not sure how apple is involved in this.

iv switched back to legacy saving. thankyou for that

---

You're welcome, djmattyz.

Apple caused this issue and Adobe made the fix on both systems in the interest of platform parity. This was back in 22.4.2, but some folks are just now discovering the issue.

Jane

Forum volunteer

[janetm62681729]

apple is not the one i am paying. but regarless you didn't read any of the other posts.   the legacy checkbox didn't work at but we did solve it. somehow pref were on 16 bit. not 8. so simple!

[williamd62414328]

I thing the best way I found is to click on save as then rename the photo and type the .JPG dont pick jpg from list a littel box pops up and hit return again close it and saved

[geoff bowers]

I agree  Please restore to the previous menu.

Geoff Bowers