My tif files are saving HUGE. Help!

[SweetChar]

Hi ladies.
Yesterday I was saving a layout as a tif file. It gave me a warning that it was over 2GB. Why???
I always (usually) reduce my layers as much as possible since I assume the more layers there are, the bigger the file's size. I pull out any papers and anything else I didn't use. I delete layers from templates such as the template flowers, element placements, etc. Often times, I even merge a paper down to the shape that it's masked to. So, why the all-of-a-sudden huge file size? When I look at previous layouts, they range from upper 100MBs to lots of 400s - 600s.

Any ideas? Do you know if file size directly correlates to number of layers? Or how "dark" the layout is? Or how much "empty-ish" area there is? I just noticed a recent layout was at 1.26GB but one saved after that was 437MB.

Or do y'all have huge file sizes, too?
Thanks for any input.

[Tree City]

Check the metadata. That could be part of the issue. One other space hog can be items "off" the edge of your canvas. Do you have a bunch of elements along edges of your canvas, with parts "off" the canvas? That can also create problems. But even then...that's a huge file size! I'm curious how many layers it is? (I'm also curious how big that TIFF will be when you save as a 12x12 300dpi jpg?) My biggest file, which has a LOT of layers and a bit of that "layers off the edge of the canvas" problem is 271MB.

[AmieN1]

I'm not sure on the "why" but I have noticed in the latest versions of CC that my file sizes are a bit larger- although I never save any layered files, just my flattened completed versions. One thing I do know is that if the background is busy (woodgrain, type, plaid, etc) that bumps up size significantly! I tend to use the cntrl + Shift + Alt+ S for the save for web & then can save for the right gallery sized- a lot more lately.

[cinderella]

Do you use these setting when saving?

(image from internet)

You could also turn off the visibility of the layers (click on the eyeball in the layers palette), and add a while layer on top of everything.

I've noticed that the file size is increased by the use of many 12x12 papers (ie. clipped on shapes of a page template).

[SweetChar]

Originally Posted by Tree City

Check the metadata. That could be part of the issue. One other space hog can be items "off" the edge of your canvas. Do you have a bunch of elements along edges of your canvas, with parts "off" the canvas? That can also create problems. But even then...that's a huge file size! I'm curious how many layers it is? (I'm also curious how big that TIFF will be when you save as a 12x12 300dpi jpg?) My biggest file, which has a LOT of layers and a bit of that "layers off the edge of the canvas" problem is 271MB.

Check the metadata? I'll have to investigate what it is and where to check it. lol
The layout last night does have things hanging off.
I counted 93 layers.
The flattened 12x12 300dpi is 10.7MB.

I don't know how to do multiple quotes/replies, so I'll have to reply to the other comments separately.

[SeattleSheri]

Are these files that started with templates? If so, that could also be the culprit if there is metadata stored in the file to start with. There are lots of things that influence file size. Whether you use smart objects, the number of layers, styles (for example, if you use styles that have several components, but some of them are inactive), text, the amount of the canvas that's used, the diversity of colors on your canvas (for example, papers with tight patterns). I've noticed some designers will save there templates with a white layer on top (it cuts down the file size by 10MB).

Sara, I didn't know that off-edged influenced file size, thanks for the tip!

[SweetChar]

Originally Posted by AmieN1

I'm not sure on the "why" but I have noticed in the latest versions of CC that my file sizes are a bit larger- although I never save any layered files, just my flattened completed versions. One thing I do know is that if the background is busy (woodgrain, type, plaid, etc) that bumps up size significantly! I tend to use the cntrl + Shift + Alt+ S for the save for web & then can save for the right gallery sized- a lot more lately.

I save the layered file then after a few months or so I delete them. I also save several different sizes of the flattened version. And...I've got an old version of Photoshop. CS5. Laptop is super old too. lol Sigh.

[SweetChar]

Originally Posted by cinderella

Do you use these setting when saving?

(image from internet)

You could also turn off the visibility of the layers (click on the eyeball in the layers palette), and add a while layer on top of everything.

I've noticed that the file size is increased by the use of many 12x12 papers (ie. clipped on shapes of a page template).

I figured the 12x12 papers affected things, so I merge them down to the layer they're clipped to.

My settings are:

That's what I've used "forever."

One of the reasons that I switched to using tif files is because I want to see the image! lol I might compare the file sizes by saving it both ways (with and without a white layer) to see if that is worth it to me.

[SweetChar]

Originally Posted by SeattleSheri

Are these files that started with templates? If so, that could also be the culprit if there is metadata stored in the file to start with. There are lots of things that influence file size. Whether you use smart objects, the number of layers, styles (for example, if you use styles that have several components, but some of them are inactive), text, the amount of the canvas that's used, the diversity of colors on your canvas (for example, papers with tight patterns). I've noticed some designers will save there templates with a white layer on top (it cuts down the file size by 10MB).

Sara, I didn't know that off-edged influenced file size, thanks for the tip!

Hmmm...you've got me thinking. My routine is to open up a blank 12x12 page. Then I open up (in a separate PS tab) the template. Then I drag all the template layers over to my blank canvas and close out the template tab. Then make my layout and save it with whatever name I'm giving it. But...one of the recent layouts I started building straight on the template before I realized it and then drug everything over. Might have been last night's. Seems like the end result wouldn't really be different than my usual way, though.

I did have some style layers turned off but not deleted. And that's not normal for me. Text, too, huh? Yep, had that.

Y'all have given me things to look into.

[SweetChar]

Originally Posted by Tree City

Check the metadata. That could be part of the issue.

Do I check that while it's open in PS? Or check the saved file in my folders? What am I looking for, though?

[SweetChar]

I deleted the style layers that weren't active and "applied" a few of the layer masks. That brought the file size from 2.29 to 1.69. Better! But still big. lol I'll go "cut off" things that overhanging and see what happens.

Edit: Well, looks like I don't know how to trim off overhanging parts while keeping the layers.

[SeattleSheri]

Hopefully it's just an anomaly with a few pages. Have you noticed a trend with specific designers? It might have to do with the file sizes of the elements.

I just looked at several kits I have and there is a wide variety of size of each element. Some are significantly bigger and I can't always tell why.

Definitely change your settings to LZW for image compression and ZIP for layer compression! I just saved a file with your settings and it was 244MB and with my settings, the same file was only 114MB!

[keepscrappin]

Originally Posted by SweetChar

I deleted the style layers that weren't active and "applied" a few of the layer masks. That brought the file size from 2.29 to 1.69. Better! But still big. lol I'll go "cut off" things that overhanging and see what happens.

Edit: Well, looks like I don't know how to trim off overhanging parts while keeping the layers.

In PSE you do control A to select all the layers (that puts marching ants around entire document) and then click image > crop to cut off things that extend beyond the visibile canvas. I think the steps are similar in PSCC and CS5. Then you control D to deselect and then you can save your layout.

Like the others said you definitely want to check LZW and zip. That will reduce your file size and still let you see your file preview in windows.

[Tree City]

Originally Posted by SweetChar

Do I check that while it's open in PS? Or check the saved file in my folders? What am I looking for, though?

There are a few different ways to check, so let's do what works in PSCC.

Go to FILE>FILE INFO. If there's a lot of info there, then the metadata could be part of the problem.

But IMHO, it seems like a few things are going on here. Hopefully whatever is happening gets solved!

[keepscrappin]

Another thing I do is simplify or rasterize any layers that are smart objects, some template designers leave the template pieces as smart objects and that makes the files bigger. I also delete all hidden layers.

In PSE you can quickly delete hidden layers by clicking on the down arrow/ 4 stacked lines on the right of the layers panel and select delete hidden layers. I think it's the same in PSCC but don't know about CS5.

[SweetChar]

Sheri & Cindy, I did save it with the different settings you mentioned and it went from 1.65GB to 522MB. WAY better.

Kayla, I'm in the middle of trying the image>crop. Then I'll save, once again, to see what the file size is. But...this method "scares" me in that if I did want to go back into my layout and fix or rearrange something, there'd be "parts" of things missing if they were at the edge (previously overhanging) the canvas. I'll have to give this some thought. Of course, I don't think that I have ever gone back and rearranged anything once I was "done." lol

[SweetChar]

Sara, I always put the title of my layout, my name, and the kits/templates names in the File Info. I checked, and that's all that's there for this one.
Changing the settings when I save it seems to have made a big difference.

[SweetChar]

Thanks, ladies!

I'm shutting PS down for now and calling it all a success. lol
Either I did something wrong or I've found that it only does the crop for items that aren't smart objects. Maybe? I don't feel like rastarizing them (or whatever it's called to try the crop again) right now. Gotta go see about supper. lol

I appreciate it.

[Tree City]

Originally Posted by SweetChar

Sara, I always put the title of my layout, my name, and the kits/templates names in the File Info. I checked, and that's all that's there for this one.
Changing the settings when I save it seems to have made a big difference.

Glad you figured it out! (And glad you know about Metadata. I love adding some info to my metadata, but everybody is different. And in all honesty, my metadata additions have never made my file size that huge LOL. )