Question

How to create a Photoshop PSD file with RLE compression?

Asked by: chcw

According to Photoshop PSD file specification, the image data can be compressed with RLE compression. However, when using Photoshop to create image files, these files are always non-RLE compressed.

Could anyone tell us how to create a PSD file with RLE compression?

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Asked On
2009-11-01 at 19:57:58ID24862713
Topics

Adobe Photoshop

,

Photos & Graphics Software

,

Graphics

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: avgavgPosted on 2009-11-01 at 20:16:44ID: 25717037

Save the PSD file in TIFF format to use RLE (Run Length Encoding) compression.

You can preserve all the PSD layers and select compression/quality options to reduce file size.

Good Luck!

 

by: avgavgPosted on 2009-11-01 at 20:29:08ID: 25717064

To add to my previous post, you can also save the PSD file as a Photoshop PDF using the 'File > Save As' to use RLE compression and retain layers.

Both TIFF and Photoshop PDF formats use RLE compression. RLE is a simple algorithm so your file size will be much bigger that your PSD file if you use the default 'Save As' settings for TIFF and only marginally smaller for Photoshop PDF with default 'Save As' settings.

To get the smallest file whithout reduction in quality, try saving as Photoshop PDF with default 'Save As' settings and then zipping the file using Winzip.

Good Luck!

 

by: chcwPosted on 2009-11-02 at 05:50:55ID: 25719211

But can it be a PSD file with RLE compression, not TIFF file or PDF file.

 

by: avgavgPosted on 2009-11-02 at 06:40:22ID: 25719694

Actually Photoshop PSD files themselves are encoded (compressed) using RLE - which is why the file sizes are very big - but you cannot control the amount of compression (and retain the layers) unless you save the files as TIFF or Photoshop PDF.

Good Luck!

 

by: chcwPosted on 2009-11-02 at 08:25:49ID: 25720789

But it seems that when I save a PSD file, it is not using RLE compression at all, not to say to control the amount of compression.

 

by: statler01Posted on 2009-11-02 at 21:55:18ID: 25726353

There is no way to control the amount of compression with RLE. It is a lossless format that looks for similar strings of data and replaces them with a couple of bits of data. It either finds similar strings or it doesn't...

To enable RLE with your PSD files, don't save them as backwards compatible. Go to edit-->preferences-->file handling and look at the dropdown for "maximize PSD and PSB file compatibility". Set it to either Never or Ask.

 

by: chcwPosted on 2009-11-06 at 11:01:09ID: 31648686

Thank you

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