How do I work with large documents in photoshop? Help please!

[greyskill]

Hello,

I am working on some banner rolls for a client.
The dimensions of the banner are roughly 6ft by 2 1/2 ft at 300dpi.

I have never worked on something of this size, and I really didn't know how different it would be.
Even though I have a fairly good computer, 8gb of ram, a quad core processor, a good graphics card, and 64 bit photoshop, I am having a lot of trouble working with the document.

Is there anything I can do to help, or do I just be patient and do my best with what I have?

Thank you very much for any advice or tips you can give me on this. It is very much appreciated.

[Star Eater]

I saw a discussion like this come up not too long ago. I never do banners or signage...
But, as I remember it you have to look at the physical size of the document itself in the
context of where it is going to be viewed. The banner will by physically large and won't be
scrutinized close up like say a piece of artwork in a book.

I think it would be safe to really lower the resolution in this case.

[Elwell]

Large format work like this is almost never done at high resolution, because it's meant to be seen from a distance. Contact the printer and see what their specs are.
Also, what sort of imagery? If it's mostly text and/or graphic illustration, a vector program like Illustrator is a better bet.

[greyskill]

Thank you very much for your replies and advice, both of you!!

They are illustrations with text and graphics like logos over them.
I would use Illustrator, but I have no experience using it, so I would be lost.

I will contact my client and see if the 300dpi resolution is required.
I am using 300dpi currently because that is what the master copy he sent me was set to.

Thanks again!