Page 69 - CC2018_PS_Look_Inside

Stage 4 Saving Files for Multiple Media

Many Photoshop projects require saving the completed file in more than one format. Many artists
prefer to leave all files in the native PSD format since there is only one file to track. Others prefer
to send only flattened TIFF files of their artwork because the individual elements can’t be changed.
Ultimately, the formats you use will depend on where and how the file is being placed.
Many Photoshop projects are pieces of a larger composition; the overall project defines the format
you need. The ad you just created, for example, will be placed in magazine layouts, which will be
built in a page-layout application such as Adobe InDesign. Although the current versions of industry-
standard page-layout applications can support native layered PSD files, older versions can’t import
those native files. As the Photoshop artist, you have to save your work in a format that is compatible
with the process being used by the magazine designer.
As you know, the artwork you created will be used in a variety of ways. You need to save three
different versions of the artwork to meet those requirements.
Photoshop can save files in a number of common formats, including:
• Photoshop, with the extension PSD, is the native format.

• JPEG is a lossy compressed file format that does not support transparency.
• Photoshop PDF can contain all required font and image information in a single file, which
can be compressed to reduce file size.
• PNG is a raster-based format that supports both continuous-tone color and transparency. It
is more commonly used in digital publishing (specifically, web design), and does not support
CMYK color required for commercial printing.

• TIFF is a raster-based image format that supports layers, alpha channels, and file compression.

savE a flattEnEd tIff fIlE

The TIFF format is commonly used for print applications. Although the format can
include layers, many designers prefer to send flattened files for output to avoid any
potential problems that might be caused by older output devices (which is still an
issue, since many service providers do not update very expensive output equipment
until it becomes absolutely necessary).
In this exercise you will save the finished artwork as a flattened TIFF file that can
be used for the album cover sleeve, as well as for most print advertising requirements.

1. With cd-artwork.psd open, choose File>Save As.
The CD artwork is complete in the native Photoshop file. In the next few exercises
you are going to make changes that you don’t want to become a permanent part of
the file. Saving it now, if you haven’t already, means the finished artwork file won’t be
compromised in the following exercises.

2. If necessary, navigate to your WIP>Music folder as the target location.
The Save As dialog box defaults to the last-used location. If you continued the entire way
through this project without stopping, you won’t have to navigate.

3. In the Save As/File Name field, type -album at the end of the current file
name (before the .psd extension).

4. Click the Format/Save As Type menu and choose TIFF.

Project 1: Music CD Artwork 79