Ah, Save as. It's a command as old as time itself, and it should be pretty obvious what it does. But Adobe's latest Photoshop update seems to have turned the simple saving process into a minefield of confusion – and users aren't happy about it.
As of this month's 22.4 update for Photoshop on macOS, the Save As command is no longer able to save in non-layered formats such as JPEG and PNG. To do that, you'll now have to select a different option, Save a Copy. (If you're new to Photoshop, check out the best Creative Cloud deals).
In the feature summary (opens in new tab) for the release, Adobe explains that “Save a Copy automatically creates a copy of your work and allows you to export and share in your desired file format like JPEG, EPS, and so on, without overwriting the original file and protecting your data in the process.”
Describing the rationale behind the change to PetaPixel (opens in new tab), Adobe explained that its hand was actually forced by Apple: “The new Save a Copy option in the File dropdown menu of Photoshop addresses a change in macOS 10.15.x and later, which eliminated the ability to manipulate aspects of the Save As dialog.”
But even if Adobe didn't have a choice in the matter, it seems Photoshop users aren't happy about the development:
Why do Photoshop have to change things that have been that way for decades? It takes me years to relearn them.First it was the way things scale, and now I have to hit alt apple S instead of shift apple S to 'Save a Copy'. It'll be 2024 by the time I've got used to thisMay 18, 2021
Whyyyyy Photoshop, every time I go to export I click 'Save as' due to habit. You have conditioned me, why must we change to 'Save as copy' :( @PhotoshopMay 19, 2021
When you update your Photoshop and they remove the save as JPEG option for layered PSD files!! WTF 🤯#photoshopfail #photoshop pic.twitter.com/zkW3YEa89WMay 19, 2021
It's hard not to feel a little sorry for Adobe here – the company has responded to several of the complaining tweets explaining that it was Apple's removal of the API that forced it to implement the change. But hey, an extra click is an extra click – and time is money for creatives.
Still, we reckon it won't be long until most users get used to having to select Save a copy when they're after a JPEG. And besides, as these weird Photoshop habits show, not every designer uses the software as efficiently as possible as it is.
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