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Do I need to maximize Photoshop compatibility settings in preferences ?
Every time I save a Photoshop file I get a warning asking me if I want to maximize my compatibility. Is this something I need to do? Can I turn this warning off, or should I leave
it on?
The Maximize compatibility option is actually a preference setting, and yes, you can turn it on or off via the Preferences dialog box.
To access the preference, choose Photoshop > Preferences > File Handling (Edit > Preferences > File Handling in Windows) and check out the File Compatibility section of the dialog box, where you’ll find a pop-up menu for Maximize PSD File Compatibility. Your options are Always, Never, and Ask.
Note: In previous versions this warning was still there, it was just called something different. It ranged from version to version but one example was “Maximize Backwards Compatibility in Photoshop Format.”
What does the Maximize Compatibility Settings do ?
In a nutshell, it saves a composite (flattened) version of your layered file, along with the layered file when you save the document. In doing so, you wind up with a larger file size. As we mentioned before, there are three options to choose from in the pop-up menu.
• Always. When you select this option, you won’t get a prompt— Photoshop will always save a composite copy of your image with the layered file.
• Never. When you select this option, you won’t get prompted—Photoshop simply doesn’t save a composite copy with your layered file.
• Ask. When you select this option, you’ll receive a prompt each time you access the Save As dialog box. You can turn Maximize compatibility on or off in this dialog box, so you can choose on a per image basis. It also indicates in the dialog box how to turn it off via Preferences, in case you forget
.
Should you maximize compatibility ?
Since the only real downfall to enabling this option is it results in larger file sizes, it’s a good idea to keep it on. The primary reason is simply that the feature is intended to make your current files as compatible as possible with other versions of Photoshop, as well as other applications that accept PSD files. Not knowing what the future for Photoshop will be, saving your files with Maximize Compatibility turned on may be the difference between you being able to open your current files in a newer version
Application: Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2
Operating Systems: Macintosh, Microsoft Windows
If you intend to dump a PSD file into InDesign, you don’t need it on, since InDesign can read the layered version. However, it’s still a good idea to keep it on, to minimize conflicts with any other applications you need to integrate the file with.
IMPORTANT : You should convert your images to 8-bit before you import them into InDesign. However, if you’re importing a 16-bit image into InDesign, you’ll definitely need to maximize compatibility for that file. Since InDesign can’t utilize a 16-bit layered file, it will need to access the composite, and you’ll lose any transparency in your file.
If you’re importing your Photoshop file into an application, such as Macromedia Freehand, which supports native Photoshop files but only utilizes them in their flattened form, you’ll need to maximize compatibility for this. If your workflow doesn’t lend itself to these situations, then it might be safe to turn it off, or at least, set your preference to Ask so you’ll be prompted with the Save As dialog box.
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