- Introduction
- Setting General Preferences
- Modifying File Handling Preferences
- Working with Display & Cursors Preferences
- Controlling Transparency & Gamut Preferences
- Working with Units & Rulers
- Working with Guides, Grids & Slices
- Selecting Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks
- Allocating Memory & Image Cache
- Working with the File Browser
Allocating Memory & Image Cache
The Memory & Image Cache preferences, give you control over how much RAM memory is assigned to Photoshop, and how much memory is allocated to screen draws (Image Cache). Photoshop, being a high-performance application, requires a fairly large amount of RAM memory. Adjusting these options can help increase Photoshop's overall speed performance. Photoshop has many names for RAM memory: History States, Undo, Clipboard, and Cache. When you modify the cache settings, you are increasing or decreasing the amount of RAM Photoshop uses for various tasks. Experimentation is the key here. Try different settings and record Photoshop's performance. By fine-tuning Photoshop's engine, you increase it's overall speed, and you'll get more design miles to the gallon.
Allocate Memory & Image Cache Options
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Click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop (Mac) menu, and then point to Preferences.
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Click Memory & Image Cache.
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Select the Cache Settings options you want to use:
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Cache Levels. Select a number from 1 to 8.
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Style. For a more accurate Histogram, leave this option unchecked.
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Enter the percentage of RAM used in the Maximum Used By Photoshop box.
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Photoshop needs RAM memory to work efficiently (5 times the size of the open document).
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Click OK.
NOTE
See Also
See "Managing System Requirements," on page 3 for information on RAM and other system needs.
NOTE
Setting the Cache Levels
Cache Levels are screen redraws. It's how many versions of the current active document Photoshop saves. When you're working on large documents, Cache Levels helps speed up the redraw function, and makes image manipulation proceed faster. However, they are held primarily in RAM memory, so the more Cache Levels you select, the less RAM memory is available for other Photoshop functions.
NOTE
Important!
Any setting changes made for allocating memory and image caching will take place the next time you start Photoshop. Please see the message at the bottom of the screen.
NOTE
Important!
Never select 100 percent Memory Usage. Selecting 100 percents gives Photoshop your entire available RAM, leaving nothing for the operating system or any other open programs. If you are experiencing more than your usual share of Photoshop crashes, experiment with reducing memory usage.