History States

A reader made a comment about a recent post, asking a question about the amount of History States shown in the graphic. Specifically, she wanted to know if there was a "sweet spot" for History States. Why 55? Can I have 100?

It's really a matter of preference, since you can have up to 1000 History States. Just remember, more states = more memory required by Photoshop.

Take a look at your workflow. Count the number of layers in the final versions of your images. How many steps did it take for you to get there? How much RAM can your system hold? How big are the files that you work with? Take all of this info and do the math. If you only work with small files from CCTV systems, then 100 states should be supported with 1GB of total RAM. If you work with images from a multi-megapixel still camera, then those 100 states would slow your 1GB system down. If you find that your system is getting bogged down, Purge the cache when you start working on a new image.

Enjoy.