HELP! Photoshop 7 JPG problems

[kirk]

I recently started having problems with jpg files.

Here are the details:

I upload my D60 pictures from the flash card to my hard drive and mark them read-only. I review the pictures in Photoshop and make adjustments as necessary, then save them to a temporary directory for burning to CD. I can then take the CD to a local photo lab (sometimes Wal-Mart). This has always worked until about two weeks ago. All of a sudden no lab can print the jpg's. I have also discovered that Image Preview can not read the modified files. Several other applications are having problems.

After MUCH research, I have discovered that the problem is with the recent Photoshop upgrade from 5.5 to 7.0.

An untouched JPG gives no problems, but when loaded into Photoshop 7 and immediately re-saved, the file is instantly corrupted!

Things I have tried:

Photoshop patch 7.0.1.
Ignore EXIF color space utilities (Adobe download).
Installed Photoshop onto another computer.

I'm still unable to save any file in a JPG format without corruption.

HELP! I like the new features in 7, but this bug may force me to drop back to 5.5.

Anyone else having this problem?

[Longwatcher]

I don't have Photoshop 7.0 yet, but read something recently that may (or may not) help.

There is a new standard for jpeg coming out soon and Adobe may have adopted it. If this is the case then everyone will catch up eventually. There are at least three versions of the jpeg format that I am aware of and I have at least one old program that does not read the newer jpeg files (post 1998). I was under the impression that the newest standard had not been approved yet (seem to remember scheduled for Spring 2003), but have been out of the loop for over a year. It is also possible that some form of encoding is taking place. It could also be some other software changed the way your photoshop writes the jpeg's. Lastly you may have some kind of setting wrong, but I presume you've tried various combinations already.

Just some thoughts that may help

[henkbos]

Kirk,

I'm working in PS7 and do not have this problem. Might it be that you were working on files FIRST opened and edited in PS5.5 and LATER in PS7? I only worked with 6 and 7 and have no problem.

[kirk]

These files are directly out of the camera. They work great until I save them in PS7 as jpgs..

Here is something interesting I found out. If I use "save for web" instead of "save as", the jpg's are OK...

What is the difference in "save as" and selecting JPG vs. "save for web"?

Also, I have tried this on a friends computer with his PS7. He was disappointed to find out that his had a problem also!!

OK, so the workaround is to use "save for web". That's a much slower process than "save as", but will have to do for now.

TIFF files are unaffected. I can open jpg's and save them in tiff without problem.

Is no one else having this problem??

[Dans_D60]

Pretty weird! I use Photoshop 7 with the same workflow that you described. Read-only – modify in PS 7 – save as JPG in different folder. I have done thousands of images with no problems. I assume this is a PC? I also assume you are saving JPG in RGB mode? I do know some low-cost application programs and even some low-level image printers accept RGB only. Although CMYK is the preferred print algorithm, some applications will only work on RGB images. I think save-for-the-web forces RGB. May be worth checking out.
Dan
http://www.dpcg.com/photo

[emayd]

May be this related with possibility to save a metadata in jpgs.

[Prevost]

That's what it is--metadata---and this has been happening for a while. I assume it is a Frontier that they are using and the update to handle this has been out for some time. Better tell them to investigate.

Ray

[kirk]

I think I may have found the problem. At least it fixes my Image Preview problem.

Somehow, when choosing "save as", the "progressive" checkbox under "Format Options " was selected. When I select "Baseline (Standard)", Image preview works correctly. I won't know if this fixes the photo lab problem yet, but will keep this topic posted as to the results.

Funny, I don't remember changing this. Maybe it is the new default in PS7. ? Anyone have any suggestions as to why this would cause a problem (if it turns out to be the problem)?

[Prevost]

Not sure why it causes a problem, but I do know that Millers lab requires the jpeg to be Baseline.

Ray

[henkbos]

There are various websites that discuss the problems with progressive JPEG. Do a search and you will find the sites. Why don't you use RAW? Is considered to be better, since it's the 'purest' format of the pic, the negative.

[kirk]

It appears that the "progressive" jpg is the problem. After switching to "baseline" my problems have disappeard.

I understand (and agree) that RAW is the best format to work in. The reason I don't is because there is no native support in Windows XP/2000 (file browser, thumbnail viewer, etc) or Photoshop. Seems like someone would create an ad-on program that would allow the windows explorer to show thumbnail views and filmstrips of RAW files and the Windows Image and Fax viewer to preview these also. Maybe this is possible, but not obvious?

The other problem is that photo labs can not work with RAW images, which requires additional workflow before burning to a CD for printing. True, I usually "tweak" my photos in Photoshop before burning to CD, but RAW would require many more steps (and multiple open programs) to complete the same task. If Photoshop had support for RAW files, then I would be more inclined to shoot RAW.

I issue a challenge to software programmers: Develop the above support for XP/2000 and Photoshop. I think it would be a "hot seller". I would be your first customer.