Help! I'm having serious issues!

For some reason the "place" command in Photoshop isn't working the way it should. Usually when designing an album, I "place" the image I want into the new document via File>Place. Then, once it's placed, I click on the smart object, PS opens the original image, I save the file, close it, and my smart object updates.

Here's the problem...Photoshop, for some reason, is putting my "placed" file in my Temp. folder in Windows! It won't save over the original file! I want my edits to be saved over the original file so that I don't have to do the work again later! Did I do something to screw up the "paths" in Photoshop? Has anyone run into this problem before?

I'm desperate for help!

Thank you so much in advance!

I hope someone can answer your question (Kevin Swan?), but in my experience that's exactly the way the place command works, it does not ever reference back to the original file once placed and never overwrites it either.

What you may want to do is consider using InDesign - it does just what you're trying to do - only much faster since it doesn't copy the files at all, it only references them and updates you make to the files automatically update in the indesign layout. You also get to see the whole layout all at once in one place, much easier in my opinion (and I designed a lot of albums in PS before switching to InD).

Sorry I'm not more help with your 'place' question, I've never seen it do what you say it used to...

~Bill

I use the place command a ton in Photoshop and have never ran into that problem.

Whenever I open a smart object from photoshop, it always replaces the original file. I use Mac and its possible it is different on a PC, but I don't think so. I wish I had more of an answer- just wanted to confirm that what your seeing seems uncommon.

Josh

Weird, it must be a setting. I have NEVER had a smart object edit replace the original file.

I just double checked, created two new files, placed one into the other, double clicked on the smart object to open it and made some changes - the changes only appear in the placed image, not the original file. It saves it in a temp folder and gives a warning not to save it anywhere else or the master image won't be updated correctly. See attached screen shot.

I use Mac and CS3. I just looked and I can't find the setting. Anyone else know?

I just did the same thing you did and got the same result with the original being unaltered- weird- swear it worked for me like edit original in InDesign on past projects- oh well- interesting-

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one that's confused!! I think I figured out what my issue was. I don't think that Photoshop ever did replace the original file...I thought it did. But, I know now that I was getting confused between another album software that I used to use and Photoshop. It has been a while since I've designed an album. I used to use LabPrints to create my albums and that program DID save over the original file. I was under the impression that PS did the same thing...I was wrong! I guess if I want to save my edited files from using the "place" feature, I need to burn those files from the Temp folder onto CD huh?

What would be nice is if it would give us the option about whether to make a "copy" and put it in the Temp folder or whether to save over the original file. I wanna make a suggestion to adobe!!

Lol! Thank you so much, Joshua and Bill, for your help. I appreciate that you struggled as I did!