CS3 won’t open .psd saved in CS4

DA
Posted By
Deborah_Alspaugh
Mar 1, 2009
Views
452
Replies
7
Status
Closed
I am taking a graphic image class that uses Photoshop and Illustrator. I am using CS4 Extended (64 bit, I assume, since I’m running XP 64-bit).

When I save a .psd document in CS4 and send it to my teacher, who is using CS3, she can’t open it. She gets the error message "This layered photoshop file was not saved with a composite image."

Fortunately my teacher is cool and has been letting me submit my images in other formats, even though the layers can’t be seen.

Is this an issue of compatibility between CS3 and CS4, or 64-bit and 32-bit?

Thanks,
Debbie
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PZ
Ping Zheng
Mar 2, 2009
Did you turn off your File Compatibility or uncheck the Maximize compatibility when save PSD file?
DA
Deborah_Alspaugh
Mar 2, 2009
I looked at the setting, and the Maximize Compatibility setting was unchecked. I checked it and then saved preferences. Then I opened up an old .psd document and saved it again. Hopefully that will work.

Thank you
CC
Chris_Cox
Mar 2, 2009
Even if saved without maximum compatibility (aka without a flattened version of the preview), older versions of Photoshop should be able to open the file and see the layers. The exception would be old versions that don’t support 16 or 32 bit layers (assuming you had a 16 or 32 bit document).

If your teacher tried to open the file in another application that can’t read the layers — then she would only see the "you didn’t save a composite" warning.
B
Buko
Mar 2, 2009
I have no problem opening CS4 files in CS3 even without max compatibility. I very rarely save without max compatibility.
MK
Motoko_Kanzaki
Mar 11, 2009
I’m curious to know what ended up working for people. I have the same problem as Debbie and the max compatibility option set as true or false does not change the situation.

Help? I cannot find any solid solution or reason for the issue.
CC
Chris_Cox
Mar 11, 2009
Yes, it does. That message only appears if you have maximize compatibility turned OFF when you save the document.

What I don’t understand is how you saw that, since Photoshop will open newer PSD files and preserve the layers. The only way I can think of is if they opened it in another application, or held down control-alt when opening the file (to force it to open the composite only).
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Mar 15, 2009
If you have a file that was saved without the compatibility option, you need to do more than just turn compatibility on and then resave. You need to Save As — and you can use the same filename — for the compatibility option to be incorporated.

That being said, it shouldn’t matter between CS4 and CS3 unless you are doing some fairly advanced Smart Objects things where the two are different, and even there I think you would get the equivalent in CS3.

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