Run Photoshop FAST with 1000+ Layers! Easy Trick
video description
Date: 2022-07-19
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 20
jjaylad
Hi Unmesh, I've been trying this and it is very confusing. The smart object behaves as you say, and the file and the group, converted to a smart object both display the smaller size. I'm on a laptop running Windows 10 Home, with 12g of ram and Windows and Photoshop Classic CC 2019 and LR Classic CC 2019 are right up to date to this moment, as are my drivers.
My system bogs down in minutes using LR and PS and it gets worse with each Adobe update. I just had a phone session with a 'tech' at Adobe Tech Support. He took over my laptop and tried a bunch of things including registry edits telling PS I have more ram than I actually have, but nothing he did resolved anything. Both PS and LR are getting slower each time I use them.
I told him about this space saving trick and showed him a file that is:
646 MB on disk as shown in Windows Explorer
137. 3M/132. 7M showing as the size when opened in PS
142. 9M/703. 0M showing as the size on the smart object when it is opened
and asked him to explain why none of the Adobe displayed sizes are consistent with what Windows shows and why the file didn't save smaller as they do for you. The person at Adobe told me it isn't possible to shrink the size like that. Admittedly, he didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed and he was not able to resolve any of the horrific memory drain problems I am experiencing with both Lightroom and Photoshop.
So, for me it looks like I may have saved a few MB but nothing like what you are showing. I was using the technique for over 500 product files which are each in that 650 MB size range with layers. even after consolidating the layers to a group and converting that group to a smart object as you showed.
What the heck am I doing wrong?
reply
Hi Unmesh, I've been trying this and it is very confusing. The smart object behaves as you say, and the file and the group, converted to a smart object both display the smaller size. I'm on a laptop running Windows 10 Home, with 12g of ram and Windows and Photoshop Classic CC 2019 and LR Classic CC 2019 are right up to date to this moment, as are my drivers.
My system bogs down in minutes using LR and PS and it gets worse with each Adobe update. I just had a phone session with a 'tech' at Adobe Tech Support. He took over my laptop and tried a bunch of things including registry edits telling PS I have more ram than I actually have, but nothing he did resolved anything. Both PS and LR are getting slower each time I use them.
I told him about this space saving trick and showed him a file that is:
646 MB on disk as shown in Windows Explorer
137. 3M/132. 7M showing as the size when opened in PS
142. 9M/703. 0M showing as the size on the smart object when it is opened
and asked him to explain why none of the Adobe displayed sizes are consistent with what Windows shows and why the file didn't save smaller as they do for you. The person at Adobe told me it isn't possible to shrink the size like that. Admittedly, he didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed and he was not able to resolve any of the horrific memory drain problems I am experiencing with both Lightroom and Photoshop.
So, for me it looks like I may have saved a few MB but nothing like what you are showing. I was using the technique for over 500 product files which are each in that 650 MB size range with layers. even after consolidating the layers to a group and converting that group to a smart object as you showed.
What the heck am I doing wrong?
reply
John
Neat trick, but this only works because all layers are either identical or quite similar. You see, a smart object stores the differences between layers as metadata in compressed binary format, which is even more compact than metadata in plain text. If most of the layers were radically different, say, different photos, then this wouldn't work too well, since the metadata would be massive - a few bits for each pixel, which would add up to almost as much data as each layer would contain individually. This works fine for single photos or simple composites, though, since all the changes and adjustment layers are stored in the metadata, and are applied on-the-fly to each layer as it is opened for viewing. Each layer is rendered by applying the recorded changes and adjustment as that particular layer is viewed. Until the layer is viewed, only the thumbnail and metadata are stored (in memory. If all the layers are identical copies, then the metadata overhead is practically nil; this is why the smart object is so small. When you go to save the file, they layers must all be rendered first. There is not yet a file format available to store smart objects efficiently, unfortunately. Adobe ought to come up with one. Actually, they did - psb format - but it isn't very efficient, either.
reply
Neat trick, but this only works because all layers are either identical or quite similar. You see, a smart object stores the differences between layers as metadata in compressed binary format, which is even more compact than metadata in plain text. If most of the layers were radically different, say, different photos, then this wouldn't work too well, since the metadata would be massive - a few bits for each pixel, which would add up to almost as much data as each layer would contain individually. This works fine for single photos or simple composites, though, since all the changes and adjustment layers are stored in the metadata, and are applied on-the-fly to each layer as it is opened for viewing. Each layer is rendered by applying the recorded changes and adjustment as that particular layer is viewed. Until the layer is viewed, only the thumbnail and metadata are stored (in memory. If all the layers are identical copies, then the metadata overhead is practically nil; this is why the smart object is so small. When you go to save the file, they layers must all be rendered first. There is not yet a file format available to store smart objects efficiently, unfortunately. Adobe ought to come up with one. Actually, they did - psb format - but it isn't very efficient, either.
reply
George
Just started playing around with photoshop a little while ago, on a more serious level that is, been watching your videos along with others and wanted to thanks first of all.
I'm hoping to repay some of the advice I've taken from you by sharing something I don't see talked about but came up with the idea while watching this video.
I have an older computer not as powerful so when working on large images and using the magic wand things grind, I've emptied the cache and everything else so I'm pretty sure it's hardware and performance limitations.
To get around this, I make a stamp visible layer, convert to a smart object, enter the smart object and reduce resolution, then make my selection, invert delete everything else and save, when I go back to the original tab all I have to do is ctrl-click the smart object to transfer the selection.
I can't repay the amount of advice I've taken from you but hopefully this one is a new one for you; )
reply
Just started playing around with photoshop a little while ago, on a more serious level that is, been watching your videos along with others and wanted to thanks first of all.
I'm hoping to repay some of the advice I've taken from you by sharing something I don't see talked about but came up with the idea while watching this video.
I have an older computer not as powerful so when working on large images and using the magic wand things grind, I've emptied the cache and everything else so I'm pretty sure it's hardware and performance limitations.
To get around this, I make a stamp visible layer, convert to a smart object, enter the smart object and reduce resolution, then make my selection, invert delete everything else and save, when I go back to the original tab all I have to do is ctrl-click the smart object to transfer the selection.
I can't repay the amount of advice I've taken from you but hopefully this one is a new one for you; )
reply
Rony
great content its amazed hi myself Rony an 3D CG & VFX student from kolkata India i have a question do you please make a Photoshop timeline & video animation or i can say Motion but i prob still around here and that's is can be seeing frame number sequence in photoshop too like premiere pro & after effects? thoe i know PS its not an video edit pro but. i only knows that nothing make impossible in your master class tricky situation. hi please please replay bro its a humble request i'm also in a problem for these issues! Hi myself Rony an VFX & CG 3D STUDENT FROM INDIA
reply
great content its amazed hi myself Rony an 3D CG & VFX student from kolkata India i have a question do you please make a Photoshop timeline & video animation or i can say Motion but i prob still around here and that's is can be seeing frame number sequence in photoshop too like premiere pro & after effects? thoe i know PS its not an video edit pro but. i only knows that nothing make impossible in your master class tricky situation. hi please please replay bro its a humble request i'm also in a problem for these issues! Hi myself Rony an VFX & CG 3D STUDENT FROM INDIA
reply
SEspider
Photoshop is weird.
I try to make a 2 frame GIF at 150x50 px and it lagged like crazy. And I hadn't even added a 2nd layer yet!
While I waited, something came up. And so, with that file still open, I opened a 20+ layer file and it ran smooth as butter.
But if I moved back over to the other, MUCH SMALLER, file, it lagged once again. I couldn't even move a simple text layer around.
reply
Photoshop is weird.
I try to make a 2 frame GIF at 150x50 px and it lagged like crazy. And I hadn't even added a 2nd layer yet!
While I waited, something came up. And so, with that file still open, I opened a 20+ layer file and it ran smooth as butter.
But if I moved back over to the other, MUCH SMALLER, file, it lagged once again. I couldn't even move a simple text layer around.
reply
arek
I saw correct? This document has size 600x1200px? And all of layers are flat with same photo? Of course that will be working! It's small resolution and all layers doesn't need be processing in background like layer styles, effects and adjustments. Pease do the same trick with adjustment layers, effects etc. :-)
reply
I saw correct? This document has size 600x1200px? And all of layers are flat with same photo? Of course that will be working! It's small resolution and all layers doesn't need be processing in background like layer styles, effects and adjustments. Pease do the same trick with adjustment layers, effects etc. :-)
reply
Marco
Piximperfect, i went from windows 7 to win10 1903 and now i'm having a really laggy Typetool. i dont know what to do i already tried things like altering my gpu-ram usage, disable the font-preview, running a font-test (they all passed) i dont know what to do: -( plz plz help: -(
reply
Piximperfect, i went from windows 7 to win10 1903 and now i'm having a really laggy Typetool. i dont know what to do i already tried things like altering my gpu-ram usage, disable the font-preview, running a font-test (they all passed) i dont know what to do: -( plz plz help: -(
reply
CEO
Umesh. I did a editing contains approximately 300+ layers and saved it as tiff. Now I couldn't open it. Ps says that 'There was a problem reading the layer data. read the composite data instead'. Please help me. It ruined all my efforts
reply
Umesh. I did a editing contains approximately 300+ layers and saved it as tiff. Now I couldn't open it. Ps says that 'There was a problem reading the layer data. read the composite data instead'. Please help me. It ruined all my efforts
reply
Emil
Hi Unmesh! Thanks for all your wonderful tutorials! Is there a tutorial where you can show us how to get Windows to show a thumbnail when saving a. PSD-file instead of the generic blue PSD-logo?
reply
Hi Unmesh! Thanks for all your wonderful tutorials! Is there a tutorial where you can show us how to get Windows to show a thumbnail when saving a. PSD-file instead of the generic blue PSD-logo?
reply
Tony
This technique is useful for those who are using lower than i3 processor. Im using smart objects to preserve the quality of an image but I never thought it is also used to avoid lag in ps.
reply
This technique is useful for those who are using lower than i3 processor. Im using smart objects to preserve the quality of an image but I never thought it is also used to avoid lag in ps.
reply
Christopher
Great video but I have a question. Can one actually save the smart object file if they choose to update it? Also, is there a downside to psb files? Why not always save as a psb?
reply
Great video but I have a question. Can one actually save the smart object file if they choose to update it? Also, is there a downside to psb files? Why not always save as a psb?
reply
Byron
Thank you Kinda! I like the quality and background of your videos. I've a monster set up of my desktop pc with Windows 10. please you can do a video for show the set up for photoshop.
reply
Thank you Kinda! I like the quality and background of your videos. I've a monster set up of my desktop pc with Windows 10. please you can do a video for show the set up for photoshop.
reply
mhaddy
Ow. But when you close it & open it again, some time (ctrl+s) don't save. It save as a new. And i won't edit my project then. Is there i mass up. I will be helpful, if you discribe.
reply
Ow. But when you close it & open it again, some time (ctrl+s) don't save. It save as a new. And i won't edit my project then. Is there i mass up. I will be helpful, if you discribe.
reply
DeadHead
All we need now is getting Premiere pro to not be a choppy playback mess for 4k/60 hevc files without a threadripper or i9 cpu. Other editing software is smooth why not PP.
reply
All we need now is getting Premiere pro to not be a choppy playback mess for 4k/60 hevc files without a threadripper or i9 cpu. Other editing software is smooth why not PP.
reply
Mahmoud
The only downside is that it mess up all the layer blending properties and set it back to normal, which is a huge change if your work depend on layer blending modes.
reply
The only downside is that it mess up all the layer blending properties and set it back to normal, which is a huge change if your work depend on layer blending modes.
reply
Bonnyscotland
I figured 16gb of ram would see me right with photoshop but wow it runs slow with a few layers open. Thanks so much for this tip! Saved me pulling my hair out
reply
I figured 16gb of ram would see me right with photoshop but wow it runs slow with a few layers open. Thanks so much for this tip! Saved me pulling my hair out
reply
Leonardo
Oh man Oh God, oh man oh God oh man oh God ohman oh God ohman ohGod ohmanoh God ohmanohGod!
Thanks you so man, can't express how much you helped me!
reply
Oh man Oh God, oh man oh God oh man oh God ohman oh God ohman ohGod ohmanoh God ohmanohGod!
Thanks you so man, can't express how much you helped me!
reply
sameer
How can we recover our tiff file. if it get corrupted, like all layers becomes black. if possible, then pls make a video of this. Thanks.
reply
How can we recover our tiff file. if it get corrupted, like all layers becomes black. if possible, then pls make a video of this. Thanks.
reply
Jatin
U r great. I dnt use photoshop daily. Also not commercially. So i dnt want to spend money. Pls suggest the way to have Cc18
reply
U r great. I dnt use photoshop daily. Also not commercially. So i dnt want to spend money. Pls suggest the way to have Cc18
reply
Curpas
And after converting all layers to smart object, how do you undo the action? Because I see I cannot separate them back.
reply
And after converting all layers to smart object, how do you undo the action? Because I see I cannot separate them back.
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
