The Facts
System: PC
Program: Photoshop CS5
Version: 12.0.4
The Situation
I am working with a .tif file (1000 cm x 1000 cm at 72 dpi). I have been copying and pasting images from other .tif files into it in order to see all images at once, so I can then move them around and try to fit certain images together. I have been saving it as a .tif with no compression over the last few days. The file is now 2.61 GB with 119 images.
The Problem
Before going to lunch, I saved it as I always do and left. When I returned, Photoshop told me it could not open because it did not recognize the file type.
My Questions
1. Is there any way to recover my file?
2. It is imperative that the files I am adding to this .tif remain their actual size. That said, what is the best image compression option that I should use?