What's difference between place Linked and Embedded in Photoshop?

Question

I tried both options in Photoshop. Both created their own layers. When double clicked them, both opened the original PDF file in my PDF reader.

So what's the difference between them and is their any specific use of each of them?

Answer 1

They're a measure of how Photoshop handles the object you've placed in the Photoshop file.

Embedding takes the placed content and puts the entirety of it within your working file.

Pros: The content is a persistent part of your working file

Cons:

• It can greatly increase your filesize.

• If the original placed file is changed later, the version you placed will not reflect those changes.

Linking the file takes the placed content and creates a dynamic link from that object to your Photoshop file.

Pros:

• Placed objects won't appreciably affect your filesize.
• Placed objects will live-update to reflect any changes made to them

Cons: If opened from another computer or the location of the original content you placed changes, the link will break and the object will not show up in your Photoshop file until they're relinked.

Both of these options will look the same - but they function differently based on your needs. To think about it metaphorically, embedding physically pastes the content into your file and linking creates a signpost that tells your file to go look in a specified location and to display what's in that location.