Can my file (image) names be too long?

Question

When outputting images from Photoshop that are over 31 characters I get a compatibility message? Is there a downside to making image names (or any filenames) too long?

I want to make sure my web app displays my images correctly in all major browsers, including mobile, and that my image names get picked up by Google for indexing.

For example, if I have a Ford Thunderbird that I am selling, ideally I'd like my image name to be nice and descriptive for both usability and rankings, ie ford_thunderbird_sports_car_large.jpg .. the large would be the file size, vs thumbnails...

however that's a longer filename that may cause some browsers to not see it..

anyone have ideas? what are best practices for 2009?

Answer 1

I think the best place to store those descriptive data would be the image's metadata (this should be possible to edit in Photoshop), that would be a way of making the filename shorter and still keeping the descriptions (you can still use some flags or abbreviations in the filename, though).

EDIT: Here's a workaround for Photoshop to not give a warning. It seems that this is some Mac-specific thing.

Answer 2

I'm pretty sure the maximum file length in any modern OS is at least 255 characters. Here's a wikipedia link: Comparison of file systems

As for the web, I doubt you'll hit these limits. You should be fine.