Web Resizing

mattchewone

mattchewone

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Name
Matt
Edit My Images
Yes
What do you guys resize your images to before you upload to the web? At the moment i have been using 800px widest side.

But i seem to bee loosing a reasonable amount of IQ. Any tips or advice?

Matt
 
What method of resize are you using Matt?
 
I go to Image > Image Size

Then i change the pixel Dimensions.

Thank you in advance.
 
Which program though - if it's photoshop or elements you can use the option to 'save for web' and enter the dimentions and compression amount you need. That should give you optimum quality for web pages.

Other than that, you might be loosing something if you are working from a JPG and resizing then saving again. Each time you save you're compressing the data so each time the image will loose a bit of quality.
 
AndyB said:
Which program though - if it's photoshop or elements you can use the option to 'save for web' and enter the dimentions and compression amount you need. That should give you optimum quality for web pages.

Other than that, you might be loosing something if you are working from a JPG and resizing then saving again. Each time you save you're compressing the data so each time the image will loose a bit of quality.
Click to expand...

Oh right i was Exporting from LightRoom as a Jpeg then opening it in CS3 and re-sizing which is probably why i am loosing a fair amount of IQ.

How can i Edit in LR and still re-size in CS3 without loosing as much IQ?
 
Have you thought about using LR as your export tool too! (Unless you're doing further editing)

I find it annoying to convert between .dng/.tiff and .jpeg just to post on the web, so I work on everything full size, as shot, in LR and CS3. All my re-touched images get imported back into LR as full size .tif or .dng.

I then have a series of Export functions within Lightroom for presentation.

E.g.
Export for 8x10print
Export for Flickr (800px widest side, crap quality to reduce grabboids)
Export for Blog (1200px widest side, better quality)

To set up new Exports, just go to:
File>Export (you'll probably need to have an image selected)

A dialogue box opens. Click on the "For Email" preset.

You can now go and modify the settings you want to change. When you're done, press "Add" and add it as a new, renamed, user preset.

As an example, you might use these for a low res web image:
Location/File Naming: Where to put the image on your PC, and what to call it.
File Settings: Make sure it's jpeg, and quality from 50-100. I use 70 and my web images seem alright.
Image Sizing: Stick your image size in here. 640-800 is about right. Reduce the resolution to 72 ppi as monitors can't show anything better.
Add output sharpening if you want. I don't bother for web images.
Save (Add)

Now, you can click on any image (or series of images) in LR, then right click>export, and your preset comes up in the dropdown without you having to open that dialogue again. Lightroom spits out copies of your image to your named folder.

Repeat the process, changing the image size to 1000 for your bigger web pics and save that as "Big Web Export" or somesuch.

I have export settings for web images, book images (no image resizing, convert to jpeg, 300dpi), export to work on in photoshop (puts the images I want to work on in another folder as copies so that I never bugger up original images), export to Photomatix etc...

Many apologies if you know this stuff and are still having problems. I always struggled with the way CS3 resizes images, and the Lightroom export function is so simple, quick, and has some excellent results.

-H
 
Harlequin565 said:
Have you thought about using LR as your export tool too! (Unless you're doing further editing)

- Snip -

-H
Click to expand...

Had to reply and say thanks Harlequin for the tips as I've been using LR2 for a bit and never thought to streamlilne my workflow like this. It's great timing also as I have just come back from Yoesemtie with lots of HDR shots to process in photomatix. I'll be making a new preset for that tonight !!

Thanks again
Oxy
 
mattchewone said:
What do you guys resize your images to before you upload to the web? At the moment i have been using 800px widest side.

But i seem to bee loosing a reasonable amount of IQ. Any tips or advice?

Matt
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean by loss of IQ?

Sharpening is nearly always required after resizing, you may need to do that to improve the result.
 
I usually do this in LR

Import from camera > adjust anything that needs adjusting > Export full size & 400dpi
I then open in CS3 > re-size to 800px longest side > Add a border > add my name to the bottom right > save

It must be as i do not do any sharpening to the image after i have re-sized. What would you recommend i did?

Would it be best to adjust images in LR and export full size in to one folder and web size in to another, then open the web size image in CS3 to add border/name plus sharpen?

Matt
 
I think your latter option is probably best. But it's late. I'm confused, old and tired... ;)

And forgive my stupid question but why would you sharpen after exporting for web? You've already scragged the image by resizing it so small... Or am I missing something?

My workflow would be more likely: import, adjust (including sharpen). Export for web to a "web photos" folder (or even sharpen in the export process - would probably trry both to see what worked better)
Open photoshop, run a batch job to open all the images (which if they've been exported for web should be small and identically sized) add border and sig & save.

Bob is then your auntie's live in lover.

Forgive me once more if I've got the wrong end of the stick.

-H
 
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