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Photosrex
Participant
December 12, 2022
Answered

Update suggestions scratch disks

  • December 12, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 2267 views

Lets cut to the chase Photoshop seems to depend on scratch disks in order to be of use, The file that houses these temporary files shouldn't be so hard to find in fact it should automatically be clearing itself after the user gives photo shop permission to do. I am posting here because this should be an update that is on the books no time should be wasted for something photo shop should be doing automatically. 

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Correct answer jane-e
@Photosrex wrote:

Lets cut to the chase Photoshop seems to depend on scratch disks in order to be of use,

 

It's not clear that you understand scratch disks. It's free space on your computer that Photoshop needs while you are working on a file. How much free space do you have on the drive you have allocated for scratch space/disk? How big are the files you are working on?

 

Here are two help files from Adobe that explain:

 

 

 

Jane

 

3 replies

Abambo
Community Expert
AbamboCommunity Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2022

Great that it does that. so what is your problem?

ABAMBO | Hard- and Software Engineer | Photographer
    TheDigitalDog
    TheDigitalDog
    Inspiring
    December 12, 2022

    No, Photoshop needs no scratch disk IF (big if) you have enough memory to store 3-5X the file size in actual RAM. If that isn't the case, then it uses empty disk space as if it were RAM (much slower but still doable). 

    Once you are done with that image or open images, that space becomes empty. And there are several ways to see if, indeed, PS needs a scratch disk, such as this area of the open document window called Efficiency; falls below 100%, PS needs scratch disk. There is nothing to find on a scratch disk! 

     

    Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
    davescm
    Community Expert
    davescmCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 12, 2022

    'No, Photoshop needs no scratch disk IF (big if) you have enough memory to store 3-5X the file size in actual RAM'

     

    Photoshop will use scratch disk regardless of RAM size. I have 256GB RAM here (the PC was built for 3D physics simulations)  and scratch disk is used even with no files open or very small files. I have no issue with that - just clarifying for anyone who thinks loading up with RAM will alleviate the need for scratch disk space, it won't.

     

    Dave

      davescm
      Community Expert
      davescmCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      December 12, 2022
      quote

      'No, Photoshop needs no scratch disk IF (big if) you have enough memory to store 3-5X the file size in actual RAM'

       

      Photoshop will use scratch disk regardless of RAM size. I have 256GB RAM here (the PC was built for 3D physics simulations)  and scratch disk is used even with no files open or very small files. I have no issue with that - just clarifying for anyone who thinks loading up with RAM will alleviate the need for scratch disk space, it won't.

       

      Dave


      By @davescm

       

      My language wasn't well-written or clear.

      Indeed, PS 'needs' a scratch disk configured always. 

      On this end (Mac), I've set up a 256 GIG empty SSD and assigned as the Scratch Disk in preferences. Indeed, something needs to be selected. 

      I open Photoshop, go into Activity Monitor and, select the disk, then filter the processes under Photoshop. Very little, if anything, happens in terms of activity. 44 MB of data written. 

      I open a 168MB layered TIFF, which is pretty much the same, although I see at least five items reported. 

      Close that document, no change. 

      On this Mac, 64 GIGs of RAM. Almost 40 GIGs free. 

      What I think may still be the case today (indeed it was in the past) was the need for the scratch disk to take over for the real RAM in cases where the document or documents were such they exceeded that real RAM: gauged at 3x5X all open documents. 


      Hi

      Photoshop here will use both RAM and scratch disk space together and does not wait until RAM is used up.

      If I start, similar to your example, with Photoshop open I have 2GB RAM and 3GB Temp scratch file.

      Opening a 178MB PSD, I see RAM use increase to 2.8GB with scratch increasing to 3.6B.

      Closing has no effect - neither RAM nor scratch are reduced, that is in keeping with expectations.

      Re-opening the same file increases RAM use to 3.0GB and scratch to 3.7GB.

       

      So lets give Photoshop something to do. I applied filter Iris Blur to the open document.

      RAM use went up to 4GB and scratch up to 5.9GB

       

      At no point, according to Resource Monitor, did my total system RAM use (Photoshop, and all other use) exceed 13GB out of my total 256GB. So I see scratch used in parallel to system RAM even where the system RAM is nowhere near used.

       

      I agree that scratch use will be very heavy if RAM is in short supply, but a fast disk will be used for some processes even where RAM is available.

       

      Dave

       

       

      jane-e
      Community Expert
      jane-eCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      December 12, 2022
      @Photosrex wrote:

      Lets cut to the chase Photoshop seems to depend on scratch disks in order to be of use,

       

      It's not clear that you understand scratch disks. It's free space on your computer that Photoshop needs while you are working on a file. How much free space do you have on the drive you have allocated for scratch space/disk? How big are the files you are working on?

       

      Here are two help files from Adobe that explain:

       

       

       

      Jane

       

        P
        PhotosrexAuthor
        Participant
        December 12, 2022

        Hi there,

         

        Thank you for responding I ended up fixing my issue. I appreciate the support you provided I am going to delete the comment so it doesn't clog up the internet. Have a great day 🙂

        jane-e
        Community Expert
        jane-eCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        December 12, 2022

        You're welcome, @Photosrex, and I'm happy that it's working for you now!🙂

         

        Jane

         

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