Image save error

If you are trying to modify Bitmap, you may encounter the following GDI error which is very generic and does not provide any details. As the exception does not provide more details, it is very frustrating to figure out the root cause.

Bitmap.Save(): A generic error occurred in GDI+

2 Reasons Why This Generic GDI Error Occurred

GDI+ throws an error when it cannot save file. Following are 2 reasons why this error occurs.

• When you are initializing a Bitmap object from an image stored on hard disk, it creates a lock on the underlying image file. Due to the lock when you try to save and overwrite your modified bitmap, it throws this error.
• When you are saving a file, make sure the user has Write permission on the folder. This is important when you are getting this error on the Website because Website runs under restricted permissions.

There are three ways to fix this issue.

• Instead of overwriting the file, save a new file with a different name than the original file
• Only when the Bitmap object is disposed, the underlying lock on the file is removed. Once the lock is removed, you may overwrite the file. If you must overwrite the existing file, create a separate bitmap object from existing bitmap object. Now dispose the old bitmap object which will release the lock on the image file. Go ahead and make the needed changes in new bitmap object and save the new bitmap object with original image file name.
• Make sure the folder in which you are trying to save file is writable. In Web Application, the application pool or account which runs the Website must have write access to to the folder in order to save the file. For example if you are running Website under “DefaultAppPool”, you must give “IIS AppPoolDefaultAppPool” user “write” access to the folder.

Sample Code That Causes Error

Dim oBitmap As Bitmap
oBitmap = New Bitmap("c:\example.jpg")
Dim oGraphic As Graphics
oGraphic = Graphics.FromImage(oBitmap)
Dim oBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.Black)
Dim ofont As New Font("Arial", 8 )
oGraphic.DrawString("Some text to write", ofont, oBrush, 10, 10)
oBitmap.Save("c:\example.jpg",ImageFormat.Jpeg)
oBitmap.Dispose()
oGraphic.Dispose()

As shown in the above example, I am reading the bitmap, modifying it and overwriting it on the same file. As the process creates a lock on the underlying image, it will throw an exception.

Sample Code With Fix

Dim oBitmap As Bitmap
oBitmap = New Bitmap("c:\example.jpg")
Dim oGraphic As Graphics
' Here create a new bitmap object of the same height and width of the image.
Dim bmpNew As Bitmap = New Bitmap(oBitmap.Width, oBitmap.Height)
oGraphic = Graphics.FromImage(bmpNew)
oGraphic.DrawImage(oBitmap, New Rectangle(0, 0, _
bmpNew.Width, bmpNew.Height), 0, 0, oBitmap.Width, _
oBitmap.Height, GraphicsUnit.Pixel)
' Release the lock on the image file. Of course,
' image from the image file is existing in Graphics object
oBitmap.Dispose()
oBitmap = bmpNew
 
Dim oBrush As New SolidBrush(Color.Black)
Dim ofont As New Font("Arial", 8 )
oGraphic.DrawString("Some text to write", ofont, oBrush, 10, 10)
oGraphic.Dispose()
ofont.Dispose()
oBrush.Dispose()
oBitmap.Save("c:\example.jpg", ImageFormat.Jpeg)
oBitmap.Dispose()

As shown in the above example, as soon as I create bitmap from an image, I am disposing the original bitmap. It releases the lock on the file. Hence I am able to overwrite the same file with updated bitmap.

Save for Web in Photoshop means that your images will be optimized for web use. That’s why a lot of web designers, graphic designers who create designs for the web use this command in Photoshop to better display their work. 

When you select Save for Web, you can export your images in a few different formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files. 

Before finding out what goes wrong, make sure you’ve got the steps right. Let’s quickly go through the steps of how to use Save for Web in Photoshop. 

Note: the screenshots are taken from Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 Mac version. Windows or other versions can look different. 

Step 1: Go to the top menu File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). 

This window will pop up. I know it can look a bit complicated, but actually, there are only a few things you need to do. 

Step 2: Choose a format that you want to save, and other settings will adjust accordingly. For example, I chose JPEG. 

You’ll see that above the image window, there are the options 2-Up and 4-Up. Click on either one, it will show you the quality comparison of the image. 

You can adjust the image quality and compare the results. See the image quality, speed, and size at the bottom of the images. 

Step 3 (Optional): Change the image size. It’ll show how much percentage is the new size compared to the original one.

Step 4: If you’re happy with the look, click Save. Name the image and choose where you want it to locate and click Save. 

5 Quick Ways to Fix Save for Web Error in Photoshop

If you’ve used the same steps and still ran into trouble, check out some common solutions below.  

1. Restart Photoshop

The typical solution is restarting your Photoshop. Save your image in a .psd format before you restart in case you lose your original file. 

2. Change image/canvas size

Check if your image is larger than the canvas, try to set the image and canvas the same size from the top menu Image > Image Size.

3. Reset Photoshop Preferences

Go to the top menu and select Photoshop > Preferences > General. Click the Reset Preferences On Quit button. 

4. Software/System Update

Check if your Photoshop version, and if it’s out of date, go to the Creative Cloud app and update to the latest version. 

5. Save as JPEG

Actually, in the newer versions of Photoshop, when you save an image as a JPEG, it can be used for the web. If you want to make the size smaller, you can change the size from the top menu Image > Image Size.

Trying the solutions above should get your Save for Web error fixed. If you have other solutions, feel free to share 😉