File Formats and Workflow

You will want to select file formats and establish how you want to use them based on your image editing, handling, and output requirements. Here are some file format workflow suggestions:
◆ Set up your Photoshop file handling preferences (Application/Edit ➢Preferences ➢File Handling) to always save images with three-character, lowercase extensions. Why not have Photoshop handle this tedious chore and provide cross-platform compatibility to boot? Plus, it can help prevent some typing mistakes. While you are there, also select the Always menu choice for the Maximize PSD and PSB File Compatibility option, to provide all your Photoshop images with maximum forward compatibility with future versions.
◆ If your system has extra drive space, make duplicate copies of all your original images. If you like, you can assign a custom keyboard shortcut to Image ➢Duplicate.
◆ Resave all JPEG images as either TIFFs or PSD files prior to editing them in Photoshop.
◆ Save all your working files as PSD images.
◆ Create simplified final print images (TIFFs whenever possible) with all layers flattened and alpha channels removed. You can flatten visible layers and remove invisible layers and alpha channels by deselecting the Layers and Alpha Channels check boxes in the Save As dialog box.
◆ Place PSD files containing layers and alpha channels in InDesign or QuarkXPress documents only when it is necessary to maintain editability. Create and place simplified, flattened TIFF versions of these images prior to going to press whenever possible.
◆ When working with RAW images, save them as TIFFs to ensure that you always have access to the original RAW data.