Photoshop CC on Retina - problem?

[dazzer21-2]

I've just spent a very frustrating couple of hours trying to get to the bottom of a problem. I've managed to sort it in an around about way, but I want to know a) what the cause is and b) how to stop it.


I had to put together a couple of animated GIF files. Using Photoshop 2015.1.2 on a 27" iMac 5K running at 2560x1440 res, I created to file to the exact size required (in this case 978px x 89px). The frames were created in the usual way, saved as an optimised Animated GIF file at the desired resolution. Cmd-i in the finder confirmed that the resolution was correct. Upon forwarding the file to the client (during this episode as tests, I had sent zipped, unzipped, direct emails and file transfers), I was told that the file was coming up small (640px x 59px). That's approx 65% size in pro. Also on my desk I have a 24" imac, running Photoshop CS5 at 1920x1200 res. I copied the GIF file across to that machine, re-saved it and then sent that to the client. It was received at the other end at the correct size.


When I'm using Photoshop on the Retina screen, images show at far smaller than they do on my other Mac, but then I'd expect that due to the nature of the screen. However, when comparing the 2 machines as I use them both side by side on a daily basis, I can't really be sure that having the Retina screen is actually positively adding to the productivity process. Nothing appears to be WYSIWYG and if I'm having to ramp down the res to see it, then I can't see the point of having a Retina screen at all. But that's another issue...


So - why would one version of Photoshop generate an end result so different from the other?

 

[roki1958]

I've just spent a very frustrating couple of hours trying to get to the bottom of a problem. I've managed to sort it in an around about way, but I want to know a) what the cause is and b) how to stop it.


I had to put together a couple of animated GIF files. Using Photoshop 2015.1.2 on a 27" iMac 5K running at 2560x1440 res, I created to file to the exact size required (in this case 978px x 89px). The frames were created in the usual way, saved as an optimised Animated GIF file at the desired resolution. Cmd-i in the finder confirmed that the resolution was correct. Upon forwarding the file to the client (during this episode as tests, I had sent zipped, unzipped, direct emails and file transfers), I was told that the file was coming up small (640px x 59px). That's approx 65% size in pro. Also on my desk I have a 24" imac, running Photoshop CS5 at 1920x1200 res. I copied the GIF file across to that machine, re-saved it and then sent that to the client. It was received at the other end at the correct size.


When I'm using Photoshop on the Retina screen, images show at far smaller than they do on my other Mac, but then I'd expect that due to the nature of the screen. However, when comparing the 2 machines as I use them both side by side on a daily basis, I can't really be sure that having the Retina screen is actually positively adding to the productivity process. Nothing appears to be WYSIWYG and if I'm having to ramp down the res to see it, then I can't see the point of having a Retina screen at all. But that's another issue...


So - why would one version of Photoshop generate an end result so different from the other?

[doublepost=1464452830][/doublepost]I believe this is a photoshop specific problem. When I got my 5k iMac a year ago I noticed that everything in Photoshop looked tiny. I had to display everything at 200% if I wanted to see what I was working on.

However, every other program I use looks fine. This includes other Adobe programs like Dreamweaver, Bridge or Acrobat. I'm amazed that over 1 year later Adobe still has not addressed this issue. But they still get my $50 monthly subscription.

 

[dazzer21-2]

[doublepost=1464452830][/doublepost]I believe this is a photoshop specific problem. When I got my 5k iMac a year ago I noticed that everything in Photoshop looked tiny. I had to display everything at 200% if I wanted to see what I was working on.

However, every other program I use looks fine. This includes other Adobe programs like Dreamweaver, Bridge or Acrobat. I'm amazed that over 1 year later Adobe still has not addressed this issue. But they still get my $50 monthly subscription.

In terms of the display issue, this is easily fixed which I was informed about in another group. Select the photoshop application icon in the finder, get info (Cmd-I) and select "open in low resolution" and that defaults to a setting closer to what you'd expect on a standard screen.

 

[redheeler]

I believe this is a photoshop specific problem. When I got my 5k iMac a year ago I noticed that everything in Photoshop looked tiny. I had to display everything at 200% if I wanted to see what I was working on.

However, every other program I use looks fine. This includes other Adobe programs like Dreamweaver, Bridge or Acrobat. I'm amazed that over 1 year later Adobe still has not addressed this issue. But they still get my $50 monthly subscription.

It looks half the size, but it is being displayed at true 100% or 1:1 on a Retina display. It's understandable that you might have to zoom in because it looks tiny, but I consider this to be normal behavior.

 

[MacGizmo]

If the GIF file in question is displaying as completely different DIMENSIONS than what you built it at, then there is a serious problem with Photoshop, or you're doing something very wrong when saving the file.

But what I suspect what is happening is that the GIF is being placed in the email with a set width and scaling to fit. Tell them to download the GIF file from the email and open it in a graphics editor and THEN tell you what size it is. Viewing a JPG, PNG or GIF in an email client software or web browser is bound to introduce anomalies.

As far as the retina resolution issue goes; you're not experiencing a bug or a problem with Photoshop. Everything is working exactly as it should. Viewing something at 100% in Photoshop is viewing it at 100% on THAT PARTICULAR SCREEN. In your case, it's a Retina screen, so their are lots of smaller pixels instead of fewer larger ones.

 

[dazzer21-2]

If the GIF file in question is displaying as completely different DIMENSIONS than what you built it at, then there is a serious problem with Photoshop, or you're doing something very wrong when saving the file.

But what I suspect what is happening is that the GIF is being placed in the email with a set width and scaling to fit. Tell them to download the GIF file from the email and open it in a graphics editor and THEN tell you what size it is. Viewing a JPG, PNG or GIF in an email client software or web browser is bound to introduce anomalies.

As far as the retina resolution issue goes; you're not experiencing a bug or a problem with Photoshop. Everything is working exactly as it should. Viewing something at 100% in Photoshop is viewing it at 100% on THAT PARTICULAR SCREEN. In your case, it's a Retina screen, so their are lots of smaller pixels instead of fewer larger ones.

The viewing size issue on the Retina screen has been sorted out by checking the 'open in low resolution' option. Comparing it side by side with my non-Retina iMac, the images show on screen at effectively the same size.

With regards to the physical resizing issue of the image changing from one machine to the other, unless the problem is actually to do with the copy of Photoshop on the Retina Mac, there is no logic to it. The only possible reason this has happened that I can think of, is by way of something happening to file, corruption or otherwise, after I sent it to the client, ie that in someway the transfer from myself to the client has affected the file (although this is 99% unlikely). However, the bottom line is:

- saving the file from Photoshop CC and sending it causes a size change at the other end - smaller in terms of physical pixel dimension (from approx 900px to 600px wide when viewed in a browser - resized to fit the web template, the quality degrades significantly);
- saving THE SAME FILE from Photoshop CS5 and sending it causes no issues at all - the dimensions are the what they should be;
- the above two scenarios are consistent as to whether the file is emailed directly or sent via FTP, both as either a standalone file or zipped first.

 

[wilsonlaidlaw]

I get a similar issue with sending screen grabs of my retina screen to other apps or other people. They can come out huge, which the same issue but in reverse.

 

[bent christian]

I get a similar issue with sending screen grabs of my retina screen to other apps or other people. They can come out huge, which the same issue but in reverse.

This is what you should expect to happen. Screen prints will always be the same dimension as the screen. These prints are meant to be an exact reproduction, pixel for pixel.