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Saving, Exporting and Submitting

Save the layered PSD, export a print PDF and JPG/PNG copies at good quality, and organise a clear submission folder.

1. Save the Layered PSD

File \to Save As, choose **Photoshop (*.PSD) and make sure Layers is ticked. Save early and often (Ctrl + S). This is your master file** — every layer, mask, adjustment, type layer and effect stays editable.

2. A Print-Ready PDF

For a print shop: File \to Save a Copy (or Save As) \to Photoshop PDF . In the PDF options choose a preset the printer asks for (often High Quality Print or PDF/X-1a) and keep the document at full size with bleed . Tell the printer the trim size (A3, 297 \times 420 mm) and that the file has 3 mm bleed.

3. JPG and PNG Copies

File \to Export \to Export As\dots 1 Format: JPG for a photo-heavy preview or social media; PNG for sharp text and graphics (larger file). 2 Quality (JPG): about 80-90% . 3 Image size: for social media, set the width to 1080 px; for a full-quality preview, keep 100%. 4 Color space: tick Convert to sRGB so colours look right on screens. 5 Click Export and name the file. File \to Export \to Quick Export as PNG/JPG uses your saved settings in one click. Photopea: File \to Export as \to PNG / JPG / PDF / PSD, and File \to Save as PSD .

4. Organise the Submission

A clear, well-named folderText

1StudentID_Name_PosterDesign/2├── 01-working-file/3│   └── science-fair-poster.psd4├── 02-print/5│   └── science-fair-poster-A3-print.pdf6├── 03-screen/7│   ├── science-fair-poster-web.jpg8│   └── science-fair-poster-preview.png9├── 04-assets/10│   ├── hcyss-logo.svg11│   ├── students-robot.jpg12│   └── image-credits.txt13└── report.docx

Use clear, lower-case names with hyphens — no "final-final-2". Keep original assets and a credits file listing where every image came from and its licence. Check file sizes: a layered A3 PSD can be several hundred MB. If an upload limit applies, ask whether a compressed ZIP or a smaller PSD is acceptable — never submit only a JPG if the PSD is required.

Save As vs Export As

$File \to Save As (PSD)$	$File \to Export \to Export As$
$Keeps layers — the editable master$	$Makes a flattened copy for sharing$
$Large file$	$Smaller file$
$For you (and the marker) to edit and inspect$	$For screens, email, social media$

Practice

Which command makes a flattened JPG copy without changing the PSD?

More lessons in Adobe Photoshop · Next: Using Images Legally · Previous: Building the Poster Step by Step

3. JPG and PNG Copies

File \to Export \to Export As\dots 1 Format: JPG for a photo-heavy preview or social media; PNG for sharp text and graphics (larger file). 2 Quality (JPG): about 80-90% . 3 Image size: for social media, set the width to 1080 px; for a full-quality preview, keep 100%. 4 Color space: tick Convert to sRGB so colours look right on screens. 5 Click Export and name the file. File \to Export \to Quick Export as PNG/JPG uses your saved settings in one click. Photopea: File \to Export as \to PNG / JPG / PDF / PSD, and File \to Save as PSD .

4. Organise the Submission

A clear, well-named folderText

1StudentID_Name_PosterDesign/2├── 01-working-file/3│   └── science-fair-poster.psd4├── 02-print/5│   └── science-fair-poster-A3-print.pdf6├── 03-screen/7│   ├── science-fair-poster-web.jpg8│   └── science-fair-poster-preview.png9├── 04-assets/10│   ├── hcyss-logo.svg11│   ├── students-robot.jpg12│   └── image-credits.txt13└── report.docx

Use clear, lower-case names with hyphens — no "final-final-2". Keep original assets and a credits file listing where every image came from and its licence. Check file sizes: a layered A3 PSD can be several hundred MB. If an upload limit applies, ask whether a compressed ZIP or a smaller PSD is acceptable — never submit only a JPG if the PSD is required.

Save As vs Export As

$File \to Save As (PSD)$	$File \to Export \to Export As$
$Keeps layers — the editable master$	$Makes a flattened copy for sharing$
$Large file$	$Smaller file$
$For you (and the marker) to edit and inspect$	$For screens, email, social media$

Practice

Which command makes a flattened JPG copy without changing the PSD?