New photo formats and PS on a Windows computer
 

I'm still using an older version of Photoshop, CS6. For the first time I've had someone send me files in the newer format, HEIC. I know I can convert them to jpg, but there's nothing I can install to make PS open them without conversion, right? (This may be what finally pushes me to upgrade to CC, but I don't have time to deal with the learning curve until I finish the memory book for my daughter's class that I'm on a tight deadline for.)

If you use a converter, any recommendation? I want to do it locally, not upload photos to a website. I had to uninstall the first one I tried (Heic to Jpg). You know how you usually see pixel and MB info when you hover over a photo? This converter replaced that with a message telling me to convert using the app. No, thanks!

Rachel, I’m of no help whatsoever... but just had to chime in and say how much I love your siggie!!

Thank you! I love everything I've made with Kristin's Enchanted Forest kit!

HEIC is Apple's "new" file extension. Apple users can edit that feature in their phone so that they aren't saving with that file extension. However anything before using that file extension needs to be converted because it's only an apple extension (Apple doesn't play fair)

With that said, you said PC so I'm assuming you have access to the microsoft store to pick up this converter
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/he...ot:overviewtab

At the time when I encountered this new extension Microsoft hadn't had a program to convert for us. This is what I use and absolutely love!
https://www.fonepaw.com/heic-converter/

Don't stress about upgrading to CC...it has nothing to do with Apple. Save yourself some money until you have time to learn an updated program and have the funds to do so.

Here are some articles about HEIC:
https://www.cnet.com/news/tools-brid...d-jpeg-photos/

https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/19/1...e-image-format

As well as what Apple has to say about HEIC
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207022

Lastly, to whoever gave you the HEIC photo, you can pass this along to them so that they can, moving forward, keep the jpg extension:
https://www.imore.com/how-take-jpeg-...1-instead-heif

I've had issues w/ that format even with CC, I use an iphone and the only time I've really have that format even pop up is if I need to redown load it from like Amazon Prime photo or something because I misplaced a file.

I just googled a converter and I've had no issues.

Thanks for all the info, Wendy! I'm still hanging on to my iPhone 5 because of this file. Apple irks me sometimes.

After working with Apple for the short time that I lasted with the company, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I already wasn't 100% team Apple before working with them, but after working there, I can honestly say my impression of them dropped significantly!!

Moving forward, with the little respect that remained, I felt this way all last year knowing my phone was on the fritz and I had encountered all of our photos being turned HEIC. My iphone 8 (I think), the touchscreen was going, hardly ever registering my fingers. I looked at upgrading or getting a new Apple phone, thinking I was "stuck" with this brand because I've invested so much money in to it. I had sticker shock with our phone carrier the price they wanted for a new phone that I held off as long as I could because we simply couldn't afford a new phone, especially when my daughter's phone started going as well. We knew it was just a matter of time before the other two phones that we got at the same time started going and we couldn't fathom spending thousands of dollars to pay off new phones to fix our phones!

In came a very good friend of mine, is part of Best Buy's Geek Squad. I was complaining about the cost and needing to upgrade my phone when he recommended me to look in to a Google Pixel 4a phone. I fought the thought at first. But then my phone wouldn't even turn on because it wouldn't register my finger. I went days without a phone when I finally went to our local Best Buy. I was there for about an hour, playing with the two Pixel phones as well as on the phone with my friend asking him a ton of questions. In the end, I fell in love with the more affordable ANDROID phone that I bought it right then and there! Before I even got out to the car, my friend told me how to swap SIM Cards and I had a beautiful new phone at a fraction of the cost of a new Apple phone!
https://store.google.com/us/product/pixel_4a?hl=en-US

The best part with my Pixel phone is the photos are AMAZING! Even my children are like "Mama, take a photo with YOUR phone because the quality is a thousand times better" and they aren't kidding!! I actually use my phone's camera WAY more than I ever did my apple products!! Like seriously, who needs a DSLR with this camera??? I think the last time I used my DSLR was for Christmas and that was before I had my new phone! I don't even know if the batteries are charged! :blink:

Another great feature (with the Pixel 4 and I believe 5) is you get free unlimited photo storage for your photos. I have my phone syncing with my Google account and every night it backs up my photos to my Google Drive and I never have to pay for storage (on photos taken by the phone's camera). With Apple, you only had the space on your phone up to so much space on the Cloud. If you exceeded that amount you had to pay monthly for extra Cloud storage.

I never thought I'd say this....my good friend laughs every time I comment about my phone, but I absolutely LOVE my Google Pixel phone and wish someone had told me about this product/brand YEARS ago!! You aren't "stuck" with Apple just because you've had their phone for years....there is a way out! :D

This is probably huge and if it is, I'll upload it to my FB and use that size because I know it'll reduce the size vs copying from my Google Photos. But look at this photo that I just "snapped" of my daughter's birthday. I wanted to see how well the photo took with my phone and I was shocked at the photo. I've been taking photos like this for years on my DSLR but this year...just my phone.
https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...ce&oe=60B6A87E

Just because I can as it's easy to access my photos from my phone ON MY COMPUTER, here are a few other photos
https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...d5&oe=60B886AF

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...e3&oe=60B81735

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...d9&oe=60B97A60

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...08&oe=60B9CC7C

NONE of my Apple products would ever take such clear, crisp photos, especially in low-light settings. My Pixel phone has a nightmode which is AMAZING.

Okay, enough trying to convince you to switch especially knowing that irked feeling Apple leaves with their updates and subtle, but annoying changes. I'm just thankful to finally be FREE from Apple and with a brand that I love! I didn't think that was possible. Moving forward, the only Apple product I would consider buying/upgrading is an iPad/Pencil for my daughter, but only because she draws everything on her ipad and I think that's where Apple has the better market. But who knows maybe in a year or two when she needs a new one, there will be a non-Apple tablet that is just as good, if not better! :wub:

None of your photos are showing up for me. Seems they are linking to a very, very, very, very, very long url at googleusercontent.

Is that better? It's been awhile since I linked something and apparently I am/was doing it wrong! :unsure:

Yep, they show up now.

Nice photos.

Wow, those are amazing! I've always been an Android user, but I've never had a Pixel. If I'd seen those before I upgraded (in March), I would have looked into it! Androids do seem to have much better deals, don't they? The boys and I are all Android users, and we get great deals when we upgrade, like buy 1 get 1 free. DH is an iPhone person (who doesn't use any Apple specific features and could easily switch but doesn't want to), and their upgrade deals are so much harder to qualify for. When we switched carriers (also in March) I tried to convince him to upgrade his phone while he met the conditions, but he wouldn't. He's going to have such sticker shock when his finally quits on him and he sees how much more his phone will be compared to ours.

Heic isn't actually an Apple thing, they were just the first to switch to it as a default so we all blamed them, LOL. The file that I was sent prompted me to do some searching, and HEIC is basically the new jpg. In a few years everything may be HEIC. It compresses to a smaller file size than jpg with less loss. I ended up switching my phone (Samsung Galaxy S21+) to HEIC mode. I had to take some photos and use them in MS Word for a work thing today, and HEIC worked just fine with my laptop, Dropbox, and Word. It's only CS6 that can't use them.

For now I'm operating on the plan that I can always convert my HEIC files to jpg if it turns out that heic isn't widely adopted over the next few years, but it the standard does switch then heic may be more forward compatible in 10 or 20 years.

These are amazing photos!

I wish I had seen this thread a few weeks ago! I've had issues with CC and this file format as well. I changed my settings to no longer take photos in that format but I still have to convert a lot that are sent to me by others.