TonyB Loc: Cornwall UK

As a newcomer to PSE (11) I am confused at the number of different configurations for Photoshop when saving images. I am quite happy with .JPG, .raf (I use a fuji camera) , Tif and even .Bit, but when saving an edited image I have the choice of .PSD, .PSE, .PDF and .PDP. Please what are the differences and which should I use for whatever I am resaving?

gizzy.whicker Loc: Cumberland Co., Illinois

The image format extensions beginning with "P" are primarily PhotoShop formats of various natures, most of which are intended for opening up later for more editing. If the image you've just edited and are wishing to save won't likely be edited again, simply select the jpeg format that's also offered. Even at that, you can still open, edit and re-save jpeg images several times over without significant loss of sharpness. Gizzy

TonyB Loc: Cornwall UK

Thanks Gizzy, I usually make a copy of the JPGs in Photoshop so that I can open them and fiddle without having to worry about the degradations that has been subject to quite a lot of discussion in UHH. When a PSD is re-opened I can use the 'history' to see what I have done previously to the image. I also save JPG's at the highest level even though it gives larger file sizes.

gizzy.whicker Loc: Cumberland Co., Illinois

Yep, you're right on the money. Sounds like you got it figured out correctly. Having all those options can be confusing at times, but that's okay, the more options the better. Gizzy

TonyB Loc: Cornwall UK

[

Yep, you're right on the money. Sounds like you got it figured out correctly. Having all those options can be confusing at times, but that's okay, the more options the better. Gizzy[/quote]

Having just moved to PSE11 from Serif Photoplus X5, I am quite used to getting confused, but I have managed to find my way around 11 and find its almost as easy as Picassa and a lot more comprehensive. But thats why we are here, to learn :lol:

gizzy.whicker Loc: Cumberland Co., Illinois

This conversation reminds me that I began using photo editing software when Adobe Photo Deluxe first came out... gosh that must have been way back in the last century. I don't remember when that was... perhaps in the early 1990s? When did Adobe first begin offering photo editing software?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I have an OLD set of 3 disks (3 1/2" floppies) with Adobe PhotoDeluxe on them, I just dug them out and the package says Copyright 1987. These came with an old HP PhotoSmart Photo Scanner that I installed in a very old DX25 computer (if any of you remember that antique processor). PhotoDeluxe became, and was replaced by, Photoshop Elements in 2002.

jdventer Loc: Wallingford, CT, USA

PSD is the standard photoshop file format. The other file formats have special uses. When working on a photo save it as a PSD and save a COPY of it to a jpg file for sharing or posting.

-lois- Loc: Oregon

PSD is PhotoShop Document - readable in PhotoShop and probably Elements (don't have it so I don't know about Elements). I am assuming PSE is PhotoShop Elements. PDF is Portable Document File - Adobe's creation. PDP I believe is PrintShop Deluxe. Use PSD while you are working on it. Flatten and save it as a PDF if you want something smaller to mail or if someone wants it but may not have programs that read JPG or the others(but it doesn't get that small!)

TonyB Loc: Cornwall UK

Thank you all for the replies, so in future I will continue to use .PSD and .PDF (if sending ) Also.JPG (but not to keep saving to it) and ignore the others. I tried TIF and BMP but the files were huge. You have set my mind at rest. Its amazing to get answers from Illinois, Montana, Connecticut and Oregon, no wonder its called the World Wide Web.

saichiez Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon

NOPE!!!!

The only way a person who receives a PSD file from you can open it is if they also have Photoshop, Elements or another Adobe editing product on their computer. Without those programs they CANNOT open a PSD file because it it proprietary...(can only be viewed if the parent editing program is installed on the recipient computer)...

PDF on the other hand is a "portable document file" file and can only be read or viewed by an appropriate Adobe reader program or clone. However, since it is a default technical and legal document file format, almost every computer has adobe reader installed.

Relative to the market place as a whole only a small number of computers have one of the Adobe products that can read a PSD image file, or open it for viewing.

The universally accepted image file formats that can be veiwed by the Windows/Internet Explorer Operating System are:
Jpg (jpeg)
Png
Gif
Bmp

Even Tif (tiff) formats (many of them) are all proprietary and can only be viewed in an image editing program that is capable of creating and viewing Tif (tagged information file format). Last time I knew a close accounting, there were close to 100 Tif image edit programs, so one program that will open a Tif it created, it may not open another TIF made in another TIF capable edit program.

Proprietary file formats are a way for software programmers to isolate their products so that no on else can use them. It is borne of ego, arrogance and disrespect for the marketplace. It goes against a consideration for any set of standards or compatibility in the computer software market. Yet even the largest of software publisher produce these non compliant or non compatible practices out of a greedy desire to cause consumers to avoid other products.

If you are sending an image to anyone and do not know what software they have on their computer for editing images, it is best to send one of the four file formats I listed above. PSD is a non uniform, proprietary format of Adobe. It stands for PhotoShop Document. See here:

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fileextensions/f/psd-file.htm

It is not a universally viewable file format.

TonyB Loc: Cornwall UK

saichiez, thanks for the information, I will use PSD when working on my file (using PSE11) and if wishing to send it to another email address will use JPG. I was just a bit confused at seeing all the other options listed when 'saving as'.