Photoshop File Types -

Photoshop file types are not interchangeable; each serves a distinct role in the digital imaging pipeline. The PSD/PSB family remains the gold standard for active editing due to its robust layer support. For distribution, a trade-off must be made between lossless fidelity (TIFF, PNG) and efficient delivery (JPEG). Professionals must resist the temptation to work in JPEG or to distribute PSDs to clients, as both practices lead to inefficiency or misinterpretation. Mastery of Photoshop’s file formats is therefore a prerequisite for competent digital asset management.

| File Type | Raster/Vector | Compression | Transparency | Layers | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | PSD | Raster | Lossless | Yes | Yes | | JPEG | Raster | Lossy | No | No | | PNG | Raster | Lossless | Yes | No | | TIFF | Raster | Lossless | Yes | Yes | | AI | Vector | Lossless | Yes | Yes | | EPS | Vector | Lossless | Yes | No | | SVG | Vector | Lossless | Yes | No | photoshop file types

| Feature | PSD | PSB | TIFF | JPEG | PNG | RAW | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Yes | Yes | Yes* | No | No | No | | Max Bit Depth | 32-bit | 32-bit | 32-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit | 12-16-bit | | Compression | Lossless RLE | Lossless RLE | Lossless/Lossy | Lossy | Lossless | Varies | | Transparency | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | | Color Spaces | All (RGB,CMYK,Lab) | All | All | RGB only | RGB only | Sensor native | | Web Delivery | No | No | Rare | Yes | Yes | No | | Print Ready | No (use TIFF) | No | Yes | No (artifacts) | No (RGB only) | No | Photoshop file types are not interchangeable; each serves

Raster file types are made up of pixels and are suitable for photographic images. The most common raster file types supported by Photoshop are: Professionals must resist the temptation to work in