Lightroom Classic: Support cataloging PSB files (files larger than 2 GB PSDs and 4 GB TIFFs)

I've got a large number of photographers and retouchers using my PSB Quick Look plugin who regularly create PSBs with 15 layers or more (the recommended method of doing non-destructive editing with Photoshop). They start with high-resolution images and all those layers cause them to exceed the 2 GB PSD limit and the 4 GB TIFF limit:

50 megapixels * 6 bytes/pixel * 15 layers = 4.5 GB

I'd still love Adobe to implement this. It is LONG OVERDUE. Any compositing with more than a handful of layers with 30-50MP shots will hit the 2GB limit for PSD very quickly.

It is a shame Adobe won't explain why this problem hasn't addressed.

There is a work-around, however.  You can create a linked one-layer Smart Object file, save it as a TIFF and import the TIFF into Lightroom.  Sean Bagwell has a good video on it on Youtube: A BETTER Way to Save HUGE Image Files in Lightroom

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Please add PSB Large Document Format Support in Lightroom.

Higher resolution cameras are becoming more common. I layer my photographs from medium format cameras, resulting in files 4-17G. Lightroom's lack of support for large document format files means that I have to create complicated workarounds. Adding the ability to catalog the files would make my life much easier.

Thanks!

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled LR Classic Can't Read .psb Files??.

Trying to add my composites and paintings to Lightroom Classic (latest version), but it won't read .psb files. Is this correct? Adobe can't read it's own files still, or am I missing something here (wouldn't be the first time)?

For those looking for a workaround, Sean Bagshaw has posted an update on his approach using Smart Objects.  This version uses a linked smart object -- a more effiicient approach. 

Here it is: A BETTER Way to Save HUGE Image Files in Lightroom, by Sean Bagwell

nice, Adobe finally listened to their Lightroom users:
with today's Lightroom Classic release 9.2 PSB files are supported!
(and it really works (just tried it))

Thank you, thank you , thank you ! :-)
Dave

Well the size limit is still there... not usefull for me at all.

I would be already happy, it Lightroom Classic did show up PSB files. If you must save a PSD files as PSB file because it's > 2 GB, this will yet never again show up in Lightroom Classic, even not after synchronising folder. And that's kinda ridiculous...

This  is definitely a step in the right direction, but I see some problems. Primarily, files must be saved with "Maximize Compatibility" checked. I guess this creates a layer that LR can read and use as the thumbnail and as something to edit in the Develop module. HOWEVER, this adds quite a bit to the file size. I the case of my 100MP captures, it's 2GB per file. I currently have around 200 psb files. In order to use this feature, I have to add about 400G to my storage capacity. Not a huge amount, but significant. Worse, I have to go back and resave every file with max comp. I'd much prefer if there was a way to read existing files - wihout being able to develop them

Thank you, Adobe!  This is THE feature I needed most in LR... the ability to catalog all of my images.  I was losing faith, but you came thru.  Thanks a million! - Jim

Well, it would be great if I actually COULD catalogue all images, sadly the size restrictions are still there... :(

This is not enough... try harder Adobe and give us NO restrictions. This is not professional !

Thank you! Took a while, but hey as we say "Ende Gut alles Gut".

As for the 65'000 pixel limit I think this really only affects a very small hand full of people. This converts to 5.5 meters (18 feet) @300 dpi. Modern fine art printers can upscale images up to 4 times which would convert this to be 22 meters (72 feet). So technically you could work on a 22 x 22 meter image (printed) in Photoshop and Lightroom now. Besides that there's no printer that can print this in one go, that's plenty considering the viewing distance rule onto this print in real world conditions.

Off course there might be people that are, rightfully, exceeding this limitation in their work. But hey, that's why we're all called creatives.