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Inspiring
September 25, 2017
解決済み

How do you reduce the size of a photo while keeping all the layers?

  • September 25, 2017
  • 返信数 5.
  • 2001 ビュー

Photoshop 2015, PC, Windows 10.  I am creating a montage 16"x20", to be printed.  It has many layers which I want to keep as layers and the size is now 2GB, which is unworkable.  How can I keep the layers while reducing the size?  File>Export is grayed out.  ALSO: how small can each layer/photo be and still show up after it's printed?

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解決に役立った回答 MichelBParis

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Emah+Duck  wrote

Photoshop 2015, PC, Windows 10.  I am creating a montage 16"x20", to be printed.  It has many layers which I want to keep as layers and the size is now 2GB, which is unworkable.  How can I keep the layers while reducing the size?  File>Export is grayed out.  ALSO: how small can each layer/photo be and still show up after it's printed?

What's different in Elements?

Since you are working with layers, that means you are already in 8-bits mode (Elements does not support 16-bits for layers).

- First, let's start with the final output. 16" x 20" means that you'll look at the poster from a distance, and 200 ppi is more than enough for fine details (3200 x 4000 pixels). And you don't resize the canvas, you resize the whole image (menu Image >> Resize >> Image size.)

- Your project seems to include more than a hundred layers, which take a lot of space, especially if the source of those portraits is made from full size photos. If you want to keep all layers (for moving, rotating or slightly resizing) you absolutely must simplify those 'smart layers' (you highlight them in the layers palette, right click and choose simplify). The change in kilobytes size is dramatic! You can select (highlight) many layers and simplify in a single click.

- For text layers, it's about the same: simplify if you have many text layers unless you want the ability to still edit the text.

- Another suggestion on the previous answers is still valid: use the tiff format with a compression option.

- Avoid textured or grainy backgrounds...

Tell us if your project becomes manageable

返信数 5

MichelBParis
MichelBParis解決!
Legend
September 25, 2017

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Emah+Duck  wrote

Photoshop 2015, PC, Windows 10.  I am creating a montage 16"x20", to be printed.  It has many layers which I want to keep as layers and the size is now 2GB, which is unworkable.  How can I keep the layers while reducing the size?  File>Export is grayed out.  ALSO: how small can each layer/photo be and still show up after it's printed?

What's different in Elements?

Since you are working with layers, that means you are already in 8-bits mode (Elements does not support 16-bits for layers).

- First, let's start with the final output. 16" x 20" means that you'll look at the poster from a distance, and 200 ppi is more than enough for fine details (3200 x 4000 pixels). And you don't resize the canvas, you resize the whole image (menu Image >> Resize >> Image size.)

- Your project seems to include more than a hundred layers, which take a lot of space, especially if the source of those portraits is made from full size photos. If you want to keep all layers (for moving, rotating or slightly resizing) you absolutely must simplify those 'smart layers' (you highlight them in the layers palette, right click and choose simplify). The change in kilobytes size is dramatic! You can select (highlight) many layers and simplify in a single click.

- For text layers, it's about the same: simplify if you have many text layers unless you want the ability to still edit the text.

- Another suggestion on the previous answers is still valid: use the tiff format with a compression option.

- Avoid textured or grainy backgrounds...

Tell us if your project becomes manageable

Emah Duck作成者
Inspiring
September 25, 2017

Wow!  I have just caught on that by accidentally posting my question in the wrong forum, I was getting answers that I could not understand!  Things are beginning to make sense!  Dave, thank you so much for figuring that out!  Michael, I will get back to you as soon as I am able to try out your suggestions!

Derek Cross
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2017

Presumably you selected the resolution (for the size quoted) to be 300PPI, you could come down to 250PPI if that helps: 5000 x 4000px.

Emah Duck作成者
Inspiring
September 25, 2017

Do you agree that if I do this it will not change the size of the print?

D Fosse
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2017

16" x 20" doesn't mean anything in itself. Photoshop works with pixels only. You can set print size arbitrarily without altering the file content.

Open "Image Size" and tell us how many pixels width and height. That will indicate whether the file is unnecessarily big for any given output.

Emah Duck作成者
Inspiring
September 25, 2017

Thank you, everyone, for responding so quickly!  Pixel size is 6,000 x 4,800. 

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2017

Does the image contain Smart Objects?

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2017
the size is now 2GB, which is unworkable.

tif and psb can be more than 2 GB.

How can I keep the layers while reducing the size?

Remove unnecessary content, for example hidden layers, off-canvas elements, alpha channels, …

Also try tif with appropriate compression settings. 

ALSO: how small can each layer/photo be and still show up after it's printed?

What does this mean?

Maybe you should provide more detail, screenshots, …

Emah Duck作成者
Inspiring
September 25, 2017

I don't think I have any hidden layers or smart objects.  I don't know what alpha channels and off-canvas elements are.    It looks like some of the photos will be 1/2 inch wide and some might be 2 inches, and I was wondering how low the resolution can go without losing quality.  Here's a screenshot:

War Unicorn
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 25, 2017

How can you tell that I am using smart objects?  I have been adding text (names) to the photos and then flattening the image before adding them.  I may have missed flattening some of them.

I have "saved for the web" in an attempt to reduce the file size of the photos that I'm adding, but when I slide them into the montage, Photoshop converts them to jpgs and increases the file size **sigh**.


https://forums.adobe.com/people/Emah+Duck  wrote

How can you tell that I am using smart objects?  I have been adding text (names) to the photos and then flattening the image before adding them.  I may have missed flattening some of them.

I have "saved for the web" in an attempt to reduce the file size of the photos that I'm adding, but when I slide them into the montage, Photoshop converts them to jpgs and increases the file size **sigh**.

Photoshop doesn't keep the image in question imported as an actual JPEG in the document itself. Photoshop does its conversion magic based upon document settings. (e.g., 16-bit color, 200 DPI.) The only point it becomes an actual JPEG is when you export the whole document at the end when you're done.

Not sure why 8-bit is not available for you under Mode. Something could be wrong, either with preferences or Photoshop itself. One of the things to try is to disable any 3rd-party plugins (if you have any).

16 GB of memory is pretty good; the more, the merrier. Windows itself likes to have about 4 GB comfortably. Make sure anything non-essential isn't running other than Photoshop.

Are you using the CC Desktop App? It's the central hub for any updates and versions to apps like Photoshop:

Download Creative Cloud desktop app