- Introduction
- Optimizing Photoshop
- Setting General Preferences
- Modifying File Handling Preferences
- Working with Interface Preferences
- Working with Cursors Preferences
- Controlling Transparency & Gamut Preferences
- Working with Units & Rulers
- Working with Guides, Grid, Slices & Count
- Selecting Plug-Ins
- Selecting Scratch Disks
- Allocating Memory & Image Cache
- Working with Type
- Managing Libraries with the Preset Manager
- Customizing the Workspace
- Defining Shortcut Keys
- Creating a Customized User Interface
- Using Drawing Tablets
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 uses many things that effect 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
- Click the Edit (Win) or Photoshop (Mac) menu, and then point to Preferences.
- Click Performance.
- Select the History & Cache options you want to use:
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Cache Levels. Select a number from 1 to 8.
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History States. Enter the amount of History States steps you want to keep as undos; you can enter up to 1,000.
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- Enter the percentage of RAM used in the Let Photoshop Use box.
Photoshop needs RAM memory to work efficiently (5 times the size of the open document).
- To override software rendering of 3D layers, select Enable 3D Acceleration check box (Extended) (New!).
- Click OK.