The answer to this question is yes, converting a layer to a Smart Object in Adobe Photoshop substantially increases the file size for whatever it is you’re working on. A lot goes into making something non-destructive and you certainly pay for it with disk space. So, just how much larger does a file become once it’s converted into a Smart Object file? Let’s take a look.
According to my calculations in my post about Smart Objects and file size in Photoshop, a RAW file that’s around 30 MB can easily grow to 275 MB, simply by converting a photo layer into a Smart Object and then saving that file out as a TIFF. It’s pretty much the same if you save it as a PSD, so I won’t focus on those two different file types here. The point is, a file can grow by more than a factor of nine by making this one change. That’s quite substantial and it’s my opinion that editors should keep this in mind when working with Photoshop. Disk space can certainly get used up quickly if you’re an avid user.
What’s your experience with this topic been? Do you use Smart Objects in Photoshop or do you go about things the old way? Please let me know down below. Thanks!
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