You can preserve high-quality images in Photoshop for various purposes, whether it’s showcasing your art on social media or preparing your content for print. This straightforward guide will teach you how to save your photos in Photoshop while ensuring minimal compression.
Which Formats Should I Use to Save High-Quality Images in Photoshop?
To save the best-quality images in Photoshop, select file formats that minimize compression. Unfortunately, not all formats are equal in this regard. For example, JPEGs compress easily, though they offer easier web transfer.
JPEG 2000 and PNG are two files worth considering for high-quality images in Photoshop. They take up more storage but offer better quality with less pixelation. If you’re interested in a deeper dive into PNG files, we have a full guide on their uses.
For print media, such as magazines or books, TIFF format is recommended.
Start by Saving Your Images as a PSD File in Lightroom
If you use both Lightroom and Photoshop, save your images as PSD files before transferring them to Photoshop. This approach provides greater flexibility during editing, allowing for higher-quality results.
Follow these steps to save your photos in PSD format before moving to Photoshop:
- Navigate to File > Export in the top toolbar.
- Scroll to File Settings and expand the Image Format toolbar. Select PSD.
- Return to the top of the window. Under Export Location, choose the desired folder by selecting Choose. It’s helpful to have one folder for Photoshop edits and another for finalized versions if using both Lightroom and Photoshop.
- Once the file location is chosen, click Export.
How to Save High-Quality Images in the Photoshop Desktop App
After editing, saving high-quality images in Photoshop is straightforward. Follow these steps to save as JPEG 2000 or PNG in the desktop app:
- Click File at the top of the screen and select Save As.
- In the subsequent window, expand the dropdown menu next to Format.
- Choose either JPEG 2000 or PNG, depending on your needs. Scroll down with the arrow if necessary.
- After naming your file in Save As at the top, click Save.
How to Save High-Quality Images in Photoshop for the Web
For saving high-quality images using Photoshop for the Web, open Google Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. The process differs slightly from the desktop app, and saving to either Creative Cloud or your device is possible. Note that JPEG 2000 isn’t an option online, but PNG is available.
To save your picture to Creative Cloud:
- Click the three-dots icon in the top left of the app.
- Select Save as from the dropdown menu.
- Enter a file name and click Save.
Once saved to Creative Cloud, you can use the Photoshop desktop app to save as JPEG 2000 or PNG using the previous instructions.
To save directly to a hard-drive as PNG:
- Select Download.
- Expand Where and choose the desired file location.
- Go to Format and select PNG.
- Click Save when ready.
Explore how Creative Cloud works if you’re interested in learning more about the platform.
Careful file saving preserves image quality. Why settle for a JPEG when there’s more to choose from?
When saving high-quality images in Photoshop, consider the platforms you’ll use. For example, JPEG 2000 is ideal for social media uploads from your smartphone, while PNG is better for client projects. Additionally, keep in mind the different file size limits across platforms.