File Management/Different Image Sizes

[rlualhati]

Hello All,

I was wondering how everyone else handles file management and different image crops/sizes.

Do you have a separate files for each crop/size?

I currently have one file for 5x7 and 8x10 crops....but now I need to go to 11x14 and beyond. I worked with just one Photoshop file with the largest document dimensions. I would crop in Photoshop to 5x7 and throw up guides to "save" the size. Then I do a Reveal All and start over using an 8x10 size.

However, I need to upsample to 11x14 using Stair Interpolation -- which kinda throws out my previous methodology since I can't easily bring it file back to the original document dimensions after I save and close or something.

So is the next option to save a copy of the .psd file? Does that get cumbersome to have multiple files to manage? Especially with future edits and disk space?

Just wondering....

Thanks!

[Chain]

Keep the original PSD the way you have it now. Personally I would save a flattened copy for each crop. Save it as LZW-compressed TIFF, or JPEG at max. quality. The files are then all ready to be printed etc. (remember to embed the colour profile).

LZW-compressed TIFF will roughly cut size to 50%.
JPEG at max quality will roughly cut size to 10%.
The choice depends on the number of images/available disk space...

Note: JPEG will incur a (not noticeable) quality loss at maximum quality. Do not do any more edits to the file after it is converted to JPEG (the loss will increase). The advantage is that you will save a lot of disk space.

[rlualhati]

Hi Chain.

Thanks for the quick response!

Sorry...I forgot to mention that, yes, I save the individual crops to separate .jpg files. I was wondering about if people have separate .psd files for each size.

[Chain]

I don't see a purpose to having a large PSD for each crop.

[rlualhati]

I think the biggest flaw in my workflow is when the sharpening is applied.

I know the general rule of thumb is that sharpening is the LAST action you do. I kinda broke that rule when I basically toggled back and forth from 5x7 and 8x10 crops. But I should be ok because I do not re-sample when I crop. So it really shouldn't matter....

But when I upsample to 11x14 and larger, I'll need to output sharpen to clean up. That's when I think it starts to get messy.

Overall thoughts?

[andrewrodney]

Originally Posted by rlualhati

I know the general rule of thumb is that sharpening is the LAST action you do.

Nope. Check your other thread about sharpening.