Photoshop Elements > Saving Files >

With a Mac Computer

Grand_Canyon.jpg

Two Defaults

When you save a file for the first time, two defaults are encountered.

Default #1 - Save As

Photoshop Elements will open the Save As window, not the Save window.

Default #2 - Photoshop File Format

Your edited file will be saved, by default, using the Photoshop file format.

The extension for this format is .psd.

The Photoshop file format (.psd) has three advantages and one disadvantage.

Advantage #1

When a photograph is saved as a PSD file, there is no loss of quality no matter how many times the file is edited and saved.

In contrast, every time you edit and save a JPEG file, some of the image detail thrown away.

The quality of the JPEG photograph degrades each time you edit and save it.

The JPEG file format is called a lossy format because image detail is lost due to compression.

Advantage #2

The layers are preserved when a file is saved using the PSD file format.

You can go back, at anytime, to make changes to the layers.

Advantage #3

The layers act like notes.

Let's say you move a face from one photograph to another in January.

It'll be handy in July to refer back to the old PSD file.

Photoshop files have one disadvantage.

Disadvantage

Photoshop files are large.

However, memory is inexpensive.

If your hard drive is filling up, use an external hard drive.

Save as a Photoshop File

Let's say you edited Grand_Canyon.jpg.

1) Go to File > Save, or press Cmd + s.

2) Check the Format box to make sure Photoshop (.psd) is selected.

If it isn't selected, change the format to Photoshop (.psd).

3) Click OK.

You'll now have two files located where you store your photographs.

Original File	Grand_Canyon.jpg
Edited File: PSD	Grand_Canyon.psd

Save as a JPEG

If you're going to print the photograph, or send it in an e-mail, you'll need to save the file as a JPEG.

Do the following.

1) Go to File > Save As, or press Shift + Cmd + s.

The Save As window will open.

2) Locate the Format box and change the file format from Photoshop to JPEG.

3) Don't save the edited version of Grand_Canyon.jpg over the original file.

Append -edited to the file name.

By changing the file name, your original file will be preserved.

4) Click OK.

5) A JPEG Options window will open, prompting you to select a quality level from 1 through 12.

Use 12 to preserve as much image information as possible.

6) Click OK.

You'll now have three files located where you store your photographs.

Original File	Grand_Canyon.jpg
Edited File: PSD	Grand_Canyon.psd
Edited File: JPEG	Grand_Canyon-edited.jpg

Reopen Grand_Canyon.psd if you need to edit it again.

Open Grand_Canyon-edited.jpg if you need to print the photograph, or send it in an e-mail.

You may encounter the TIFF file format.

TIFF File Format

The TIFF file format is used by some photographers for printing.

As described above, all JPEG files are compressed.

During the compression, image detail is discarded.

In contrast, the TIFF file format has two modes, uncompressed and compressed.

There is no loss of information when using either the uncompressed or compressed TIFF modes.

When using the TIFF compression mode, the TIFF algorithm looks for patterns, such as the repeated pixels of a white wall.

The white-wall pixels are deleted when the file is saved, compressing the file.

However, the deleted pixels are recreated by the TIFF algorithm when the file is reopened.