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I have a problem! Error "file must be saved as a copy with this selection"!

New Here ,
Jul 03, 2018 Jul 03, 2018

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I have a problem! Error "file must be saved as a copy with this selection"! Photoshop cc

Screen Shot 2018-07-03 at 12.37.33 AM.png

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Adobe
Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2018 Jul 03, 2018

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This is not an error, it's normal behaviour when saving a PSD file as a JPG, PNG or GIF

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Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2018 Jul 03, 2018

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It's a warning, not an error. You are trying to save a layered file as jpeg. Because the jpeg protocol does not support layers, that would destroy the layers ('flatten' the file). For that reason Adobe protects you against mistakes by making this saved file a copy, and keeping the layered original in memory so you can save that too.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

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Explorer ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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I shoot in RAW, make a few simple edits, like exposure, shadows, saturation, and then want to "save as" a jpeg.  It used to remember that I wanted to save as a jpeg, and the .jpeg extension would already be there.  Now it defaults to .psd, requiring me to click the drop-down menu and select .jpeg, getting that same warning sign about saving as a copy.  It has created more work.  Nothing on the photo needs to be flattened - the edits I make for the jpeg are permanent. 

It should be fixed, because it has made my workflow slower.  This is what Photoshop does - they make some things better and more efficient, and then make other things more time-consuming to use.  

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Explorer ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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I figured it out I think.  It does this when you are in 16-bit mode.  I opened a RAW file, went to top left...  Photoshop / Preferences / Camera Raw / Workflow, and then changed to "Depth: 8 bits / channel."  Good enough quality and now I don't have to keep selecting jpeg through menus everytime I save a file.

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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It's not that Photoshop "does this" when in 16 bit mode. It's that the jpeg file format specification does not support 16 bit color depth. It also does not support layers of any kind, transparency or alpha channels.

 

Few people seem to be aware of what an extremely limited file format jpeg is, and so we get these misunderstandings. Almost anything you can do to an image in Photoshop will put it outside the jpeg specification.

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Explorer ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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Then wouldn't it make sense to be more specific with the warning message? "jpeg file format specification does not support 16 bit color depth," it should say.

 

As to a jpeg being an extremely limited file format, maybe so in certain senses, but I'm not gonna send PSD's or RAW files to my clients.  They want jpegs, or PNGs.  In my use of jpegs they are pretty darn useful for most everything I do.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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Jpeg is very useful - but the usefulness comes at a very steep price.

 

The jpeg compression algorithm is extremely effective and can shrink a file down to 2-5% (!) of native size. That's the main reason the format has survived, despite the very obvious drawbacks: the compression is destructive, non-reversible and cumulative - every time you resave a jpeg it degrades a little. And it doesn't support, well, anything, really.

 

Don't get me wrong, I use jpeg myself for sending out. But never for master/archive files. Those are PSD or TIFF.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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Pinging @cory.Shubert for the suggestion of a more descriptive error message.

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Explorer ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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Thank you.  

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Community Expert ,
Feb 13, 2023 Feb 13, 2023

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In that case I would suggest a more generic "the file has properties not supported in the target file format". Otherwise you'd need a lot of very specific messages for a lot of specific scenarios, for every file format except PSD/PSB and TIFF.

 

That message would point to the root cause.

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New Here ,
Jul 03, 2018 Jul 03, 2018

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If so, then the image quality is worse! What to do? Why was not it before?

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Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2018 Jul 03, 2018

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if you want to save without merging the layers,  save it as a TIF,  it won't force you to save as a copy that way

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New Here ,
Oct 30, 2018 Oct 30, 2018

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I had the same problem when working with scanned negs, I think because it sets the embedded colour profile automatically (and you can charge it or select anything else) you need to merge the layers with your background and then it will save as a JPEG. Make sure you save the PS file before you do this in case you want to go back and edit the image again. Took me a while to figure out, I tried to go ahead with the error once and PS got stuck saving on 0% and wouldn't let me close anything. Hope this helps

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New Here ,
Dec 19, 2018 Dec 19, 2018

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What if i want to save in PNG without background? Is it possible?

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New Here ,
Jul 14, 2020 Jul 14, 2020

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me too, this problem make a very stupid way for working on updating files.
I think some people answe this dun get your point,

Before, if I finish a PSD and save as a JPG, ofcouse it will save as a copy because I will keep the PSD file, but the problem is, when u save a PSD for ex. abc.psd to abc.jpg once, if you make a little change then save it again, your CANNOT replace it, EVEN you click overwrite, it say "must save a copy" so even you type abc.jpg and it ask u once you say yes overwrite it, the outcome will be abc_copy.jpg...

this very affect designer or doing html which need to update and change alot, since i need to rename it manual everytime...

If anybody can let me know how to disable would be very helpful

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Enthusiast ,
Aug 21, 2020 Aug 21, 2020

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I had a file I was looking into today, trying to save it as a PNG, and my workflow was flattening the file as I needed a white background and then saving out. Problem is, not even through scripting was I able to remove this final save as dialog. Known issues for JPGs not being flat, 8bit, having paths, alpha channels or hidden layers. PNGs are pretty much the same, aside from having the added requirement of being RGB. You could flatten and save in the same location through actions, but save as actions often include the path, and would have to be the same, or rerecorded every time. Can you use Export As instead since it's been created to make web graphics easier?

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New Here ,
May 02, 2021 May 02, 2021

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Adobe, please address this issue. It's not a "feature". It's a bug.

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