Type Tool Display in Photoshop CS

JT
Posted By
Jim_Treganza
Jan 19, 2004
Views
255
Replies
7
Status
Closed
I am running Windows 2000 SP 3 in a 933 mHz 512 RAM computer with an nVidia 32 MEG display card. I am having a terrible time with the display when I use the type tool in PHOTOSHOP CS. It is way behind my keyboarding, which is, believe me, anything but fast, and leaves out the last letter I have typed when I stop. It also leaves artifacts when I backspace to erase or move a word, and does all sorts or other strange things. I hate it. I have no problems whatsoever in Photoshop 6. I am presently having to do most of my work in 6 because I am finding CS slow generally in addition to the major problems with the type tool. Right now I am feeling like I have wasted my money with the upgrade. Does anybody have a solution for me? Thanks.

Jim in Northern CA
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TD
Thee_DarkOverLord
Jan 19, 2004
What size is your yext? what size is the page you are working in and whats the res?
SB
Scott_Byer
Jan 19, 2004
For the general slowness, check your Photoshop memory usage percentage. On a 512MB machine, you will probably need to lower it to 40% or less. Best thing to do is watch you system while running Photoshop (does Win2k’s Task Manager have a Performance tab? If so, use that. otherwise you’ll have to set up Performance Monitor to watch Free Memory). Available Physical RAM shouldn’t fall below 15MB. If it does, you’ll need to back off on Photoshop’s memory percentage and restart Photoshop when you get a chance. 15MB is about the minimum free RAM Win2k/XP will allow before they start to page out application memory, including Photoshop’s. When they page out Photoshop’s memory, things get real slow real quick.

As for the type display issues, these are most likely related to that. In addition, what size image are you working with? And at what zoom level are you at when this occurs?

Phooshop renders the type completely in the background to keep up with your typing, and getting into the double swapping situation (what we call it when free RAM gets below 15MB) will definitely make that seem much worse.

-Scott
JT
Jim_Treganza
Jan 20, 2004
I am working on a 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch x 300 dpi image, and my display problem happens at "full screen" magnification and above. I am trying your suggestions, Scott. What I can’t figure is why I am having these problems in Photoshop CS and didn’t have them in 6.0. Thanks for the help.

Jim
JB
John_Blaustein
Jan 20, 2004
Scott,

What % memory usage setting would you suggest for CS on a PIII/1Ghz, 1GB RAM, Matrox G450 w/two monitors, XP Home?

Thanks!

John
JT
Jim_Treganza
Jan 20, 2004
Scott, I tried the settings you recommended, and still having the same problems. Any other ideas – anybody? Thanks.

Jim
SB
Scott_Byer
Jan 21, 2004
There is a known display issue when typing into the image at 50% zoom or less and the Info palette is shown. Hiding the Info palette (F8) is the workaround.

You may try even a lower memory percentage. Best thing to do is use Performance Monitor to watch what’s actually happening on the machine, especially free memory.

-Scott
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 22, 2004
bump

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