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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files Apps
After wrestling with Photoshop Crashes with large (1 GB+) files, I finally gave up and called Adobe. This problem frequently occurred when saving these large files.

Adobe pointed out a preference that I had not taken note of previously. One of the pull-downs under Preferences is Memory & Image Cache. The Memory setting determines what percentage of available RAM Photoshop 7 can use when running in OS X. The default setting is 50%. Adobe says that moving this setting to 75% solves the problem 100% of the time. They warned never to go above 75% or system instability can result.

I made the change and the artist has been working on a file that typically choked it up in a matter of minutes and it looks good so far.
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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files | 15 comments | Create New Account
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Umm, didn't we leave this behind with OS9?
Authored by: themostbob on Aug 28, '03 11:36:18AM

WTF? "System Instability"?!?!? Why the hell should any instability be the result? Disk thrashing, sure. That I understand, but crashing? Why would this be excusable?



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instability
Authored by: hayne on Aug 28, '03 01:18:08PM

"instability" does not equate to "crashing"
I think Adobe merely means that it would be a bad idea - would result in excessive disk activity due to swapping etc.



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Umm, didn't we leave this behind with OS9?
Authored by: Greenfruit on Aug 28, '03 02:36:24PM

..and why give the option of 75%+ if it causes problems?!?! just stop at 75% and call it 100% or Lots or something

---
http://www.greenfruit.net/ - mysite | http://www.somefoolwitha.com/ - blog
"Coming up, I'll tell you exactly what to think." Chris Morris, Brass Eye
-iBook/G4



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Umm, didn't we leave this behind with OS9?
Authored by: Mark Secker on Aug 28, '03 09:29:03PM

Unix manages memory and process priority better than classic but still allows users & programs to overide default allocation (indead one of my first open systems classes they showed us how to use these to kill unix stone dead)
Anyways....
Actually I run Photoshop at 80% with no problem, ever (touch wood) - that said my PB has 1GB RAM and my work desktop has almost 2GB RAM so 20% left for system is still a truck load of memory in anyones book.



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: alvaromuir on Aug 28, '03 01:08:39PM

Ok. what in the world are you are u doing that creates 1GB + photshop files.
I hope not printing them.



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: erikzred on Aug 28, '03 01:24:34PM

What is he doing? Probably editing files for his web site... hehe



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: spiff on Aug 28, '03 01:26:04PM

1 Gb photoshop images? That's not that difficult to do. All you need is a large image (say ~300 Mb) which is easy enough to do with present-day scanners, and then start fiddling with them. PS needs room to create before and after states, etc. Think the old comment was that you need ~3x the am't of memory in PS as you do for the largest file you'd be editing.

PS is a monster. Can bring any machine that I've used to its knees, regardless of processor power.



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: The Dude on Aug 28, '03 05:33:10PM

This was my hint, my login didn't work right so it went in as anonymous. I am network administrator for an ad agency that does everything from coupons to large format graphics. Large format (everything from posters to billboards) files get very, very large.



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: JohnnyMnemonic on Aug 28, '03 11:25:46PM

I just had a user that complaining that her new MDD G4 with 2G of RAM was slow.

Turns out, she wanted 10'x8' posters at 150dpi, with 28 layers. Photoshop's memory usage was ~9G.

I told her to stop :).

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Layers?
Authored by: SeanAhern on Sep 01, '03 12:00:32AM

How about using hundreds of layers on a very large image? That would eat up the space pretty darn quickly.

---
-Sean



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Don't go above 80%
Authored by: Welles Goodrich on Aug 28, '03 01:56:52PM

It has been well, if anecdotally, documented that setting the maximum amount of RAM setting above 80% can easily starve the system and cause instability. If you try to do so, only have the Finder and PS launched. Shut everything else down for the duration of the Photoshop session. Frankly, you shouldn't need above the 75% figure.



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: miriedel on Aug 29, '03 12:58:09AM

hmmm have always set my memory usages to 100% and never had any problems. Have 1.25 GB ram, and use a raid for scratch. But even before the raid or on the boxes I use at work that have only 512 MB I haven't seen problems.

Michael Riedel
R I E D E L Photography
e: riedelphoto@centurytel.net
w: http://homepage.mac.com/miriedel



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: Dave Dietrick on Aug 29, '03 12:18:46PM

On a (dual Boot) 1.25 G4 I've got 2 gigs memory. I wanted Max RAM because of Photoshop's needs and had also read that that OS X was RAM hungry. When I first booted it I was shocked to learn that OS 10.2.6 (perhaps earlier versions as well) co-opts all installed memory above 1.5 gigs on top of what it uses for itself. (569mb in my case).

When I discovered Photoshop 7 Preferencs allowed me some control in memory assignment, I reasoned the OS already had plenty and set it for 100% and haven't had any problems yet. (I also learned that system 9.2.2 limits applications to 999mb and that is what I have assigned to Photoshop 6 which I either boot up or access through "Classic".)



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Adjust Photoshop 7 memory usage for large files
Authored by: Yaso on Aug 29, '03 11:06:05AM

I have monitor PSD 7 on OS X in our 12 G4 studio for quite a while now.

I have discovered that OS X, Mail.app, iTunes, Safari (or IE), Print Center and Suitcase are using about 300MB of RAM. I we use them extensively, I hits 500 MB max.

So I always reserve 300 MB to "basic" system app and then do a little math -->

300MB x 100 / Total physical RAM = % use by system "basic" app.

So if it equal to 30% I give 70% to PSD without slowing down my G4 and swap files like crazy.

- On a 2GB RAM G4 I can give 85% to PSD
- On a 1GB RAM G4 I can give 70% to PSD

Yaso



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If they would have decent memory management...
Authored by: deleted_user18 on Aug 29, '03 01:01:47PM

...there won't be any need for this...



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