The primary difference between the formats becomes clear when we look at the limiting properties of the files they support: the
PSD format can only be used to save files smaller than
2GB, whereas documents of up to around
4 billion GB can be saved with the
PSB extension.
The PSD Format: Main Features and When it Should be Used :
By default, Photoshop will choose to save your files as
PSDs. So, what is this format? Well, documents saved with this file type are completely editable. Photoshop preserves the integrity of your file, meaning that layers, colours, smart objects, and effects stay unaltered. In other words, the next time you open the
PSD file, it will look exactly the same as when you closed it.
Most Photoshop users save their work as a
PSD file whilst they are still working on it. This is a great way to save your progress without committing to exporting your design as a finalised, flattened image (such as a
JPEG).
In terms of when you should use this file format, you will probably find yourself saving files as
PSDs a lot more often than you will be saving documents as
PSBs. Since most files are small enough to be saved as a PSD, this is the most sensible option to choose if your document fits within the size constraints.
PSD is a commonly used file format, so documents saved with this format can be opened by lots of other programs, making them versatile and letting you employ a seamless multi-program workflow.
| Maximum File Size |
Maximum Dimensions |
Are PSDs Supported by Other Programs? |
| 2 GB |
30,000 X 30,0000 pixels |
PSDs are not only supported by Photoshop but are also supported by other programs. Due to the file type’s popularity, PSDs may be opened in other programs such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. |
The PSB Format: Main Features and When it Should be Used :
Unlike the
PSD format,
PSB is not selected by default as the format with which Photoshop saves your files. Standing for ‘
Photoshop Big’,
PSB is used as the format for larger Photoshop documents.
It is just like the
PSD file type in that it preserves the layers, colours and other original properties of your Photoshop document. The only difference is that it can support larger documents.
The file size limit for the
PSD format is 2GB. Above this, you could choose to save your files as TIFFs, but this only supports files of up to 4GB in size. Beyond this limit,
PSB is the only format you can use that offers the same features as regular Photoshop documents. You can save files of up to an impressive
4.2 billion gigabytes as PSBs! For a full comparison of
TIFFs and
PSBs, feel free to check out our article on the topic.
| Maximum File Size |
Maximum Dimensions |
Are PSBs Supported by Other Programs? |
| 4.2 billion GB |
300,000 x 300,000 pixels |
You can open PSBs in some other programs, but it can be tricky to do so since the files are often too big to be handled efficiently by external applications. They also cannot be opened in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign (to do this, you would have to convert the file into a different format) |
