Photoshop CS6 - files compatible with all CS versions?

Question

I create designs with Photoshop CS6. Oftentimes they include clipping masks, layers, groups ... . Will my client be able to modify the design with every CS version? Are my designs (made with CS6) 100% compatible with very old CS versions, too?  Or should he/she own a newer version of Photoshop CS?
Thank you much!

Answer 1

Yes, you have to worry about compatibility. Groups within groups within groups have changed considerably over the years. Before CS3, you could even only have one group level at the root level of the document, no nested groups. That has been expanded ever since. Likewise, per-group masks, clipping paths and layer styles have only been introduced in CS5/ CS6. There's a couple of other things as well like CS6 having changed the order of certain layer styles, but you get the idea. I'm sure if you read some articles or the online help's "What's New" sections for each version, you wil lget the full picture. As long as you avoid these specialty cases and keep your document simple and save it with teh "Maximize Compatibility" option, most files should open in one way or another even in older versions, but there's simply no way to guarantee that each and every bit will be fully editable otehr than in the same version it was originally created.
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