Can’t Save Your Files as JPEG or PNG in Photoshop? Try These 5 Fixes
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If you’ve ever struggled to save a file as JPEG or PNG in Photoshop, you’re not alone. It’s frustrating when a simple export becomes a hassle, but the good news is that it’s usually easy to fix.
1Start by Restarting Photoshop and Checking for Updates
Sometimes, a glitch prevents you from saving your Photoshop files as JPEG or PNG. Restarting the app is the easiest way to fix this.
To quit photoshop, go toPhotoshopat the top of your screen, and selectQuit Photoshop. If the app isn’t responding, try force-quitting.
If quitting Photoshop didn’t work, checking for an update might be a better option. The update might have addressed the glitch.
2Reset Your Photoshop Preferences
Your Photoshop preferences might be causing a problem and preventing the image from saving. The easy fix here is to reset your preferences. Adding them again later will be time-consuming, but the effort is worthwhile to get your save settings working as they should.
Follow these steps to reset your Photoshop preferences:
3Change the Image Resolution
Photoshop may struggle to save your files in the desired format if the size is too big. This will likely impact you the most when you work with RAW, PSD, or PNG.
Here’s how to change your image resolution in Photoshop:
If you don’t know where to start, expandFit Toand choose your new size. You should also consider adjusting the pixels per inch; if this number is higher, your file size will be bigger.
verify that your image is still high-quality enough for its intention. For example, you’ll need something bigger if you’re working with prints than you would when sharing your images on social media. I recommend around 70 pixels per inch for most images online. If you’reselling your art online, something closer to 300 pixels per inch is better in most cases.
4Change the Color Mode
Your file’s color mode significantly affects the exported file by including additional information. For example, theMultichannelcolor mode is designed for specialized printing and has more data than a PNG file. This is one ofthe most common Photoshop errors.
Use theRGB Color Modeto be sure that it’s possible to save your files as JPEG/PNG. To do that, navigate toImage > Modeand tickRGB Color. Your changes should take effect immediately.
5Check the Bit Channel
The bit-depth value shows how much data is stored on every color channel, determining the image quality. However, if the value is too high, your image might be too big for Photoshop to save. You should keep your bit-depth to 8-16 Bits/channel. Some JPEG files can support 32-bit color, but using them may lead to file size issues.
Switching between different bit-depth values as you’re working on a design will slightly change your image, so it’s better to choose the right bit-depth value at the start of the project. To adjust this, go back toImage > Modeand select8 Bits/Channelor16 Bits/Channel.
6Try Using Quick Export
While it’s nice to useSave AsorExport Asand make more comprehensive adjustments, you can always useQuick Exportif neither work. You can change your Quick Export settings to save as JPEG or PNG. Here’s how to do that:
After changing your Quick Export settings, go toFileand hover your cursor overExport. Now selectQuick Export as PNG (or JPEG)and export your image.
7Try Saving Via Keyboard Shortcuts
If you could’t use the normal save function, try utilizing keyboard shortcuts instead.
8Save the File as a PSD First
Newer Photoshop versions will not let you save as JPEG or PNG if you haven’t saved as PSD first. This is Photoshop’s way of making sure you’re not losing the editable file in case your computer suddenly shuts down or something else happens.
you may use keyboard shortcuts to save your file as PSD. Follow the same steps in the previous section, but pick PSD instead of JPEG/PNG. Try then re-importing your file and saving it in those formats.
9Save it in Another Format and Convert it
If nothing has worked so far, you can try saving your file in a different format and then converting it to JPEG on your computer. I recommend using TIFF, but these steps also worked for me when I converted a PSD image. The instructions below are for Mac, butyou can add image conversion to Windows 11’s context menu, too.
Here’s what you need to do on a Mac:
Not being able to save your files as JPEG or PNG in Photoshop is incredibly frustrating, but thankfully, you could try several things to fix this issue. Some are more complex, whereas others require just a simple reset. In many instances, your pictures won’t save in these formats when they’re too big; you can fix this problem by reducing your file size.
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Great tips for fixing JPEG/PNG saving issues in Photoshop! Resetting preferences and adjusting color modes are lifesavers. Quick Export is a handy trick too. Thanks for the detailed guide!
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