Mac OS · macOS
Fix Photoshop 'Scratch Disks Are Full' on Mac
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Free space on the selected scratch disk, clear Photoshop temporary data, choose another fast disk, and reduce document or history demands without deleting unknown files.
Prepare the correct account, device, project, or session
Save Photoshop work, confirm the selected scratch disk, genuinely free storage, document size, history demand, and reliable backup before removing files or changing disks. Use only known personal temporary exports or backed-up data for cleanup. Do not delete unknown macOS files, application support folders, or the only project copy to silence a scratch-disk warning.
Check the selected disk
Open Photoshop Scratch Disks preferences and confirm which volume is used and how much genuinely free space it has.
Free safe storage
Empty known Trash and temporary exports, remove unneeded local files after backup, and restart Photoshop; do not delete unknown system files.
Choose another scratch disk
Select a fast, reliable local volume with substantial free space and restart Photoshop to apply it.
Reduce working demand
Lower excessive history states, close large documents, crop accidental oversized canvases, and keep enough headroom for peak editing operations.
Verify the result
Reopen the document and perform a representative edit while monitoring free scratch space, then save and reopen the new file.
Escalate without deleting working files
If Photoshop still reports a full scratch disk after verified free space, restart it while holding Command and Option to choose a different scratch disk when Adobe documents that path. Preserve the PSD, exact error, Photoshop version, scratch-disk selection, and free-space reading for Adobe Support.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the warning returns, preserve the document and identify abnormal canvas, history, or temp growth. Do not delete unknown system or Adobe support files.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: macOS.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.