What Format & Level Of Compression Do You Use When Saving Your Images?

68lbs

68lbs

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April 2008
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Am interested in what/how people save their images...

I use the 'Save As' command in PS CS3 and save as a jpeg with quality set at the maximum. This retains all exif, and ensure I don't have any compression artifacts. However, at 800px longest edge, my file size is probably around 350Kb - 550Kb.

Am wondering if this is a little OTT? Too slow to load for most people?
 
Depends if you're talking for web or print. I export jpg at 1800px on the longest side full quality for web; for print, I export in tif.

550kb is nothing- I wouldn't worry about it. :)
 
68lbs said:
Sorry, meant web. Whether it be for posting on Flickr, your own website, or here.
Click to expand...

Well, sounds like you're doing the right thing.

As I posted, I save my images at 1800px longest side for flickr; if I remember right I save the height of all my photos at 450px for my website.
 
I believe I am correct in saying a JPG, even at max is still compressed so you would only want to save in that format for putting on web pages or preview albums. The main image you should store as RAW & TIFF to keep them complete.
 
68lbs said:
Am interested in what/how people save their images...

I use the 'Save As' command in PS CS3 and save as a jpeg with quality set at the maximum. This retains all exif, and ensure I don't have any compression artifacts. However, at 800px longest edge, my file size is probably around 350Kb - 550Kb.

Am wondering if this is a little OTT? Too slow to load for most people?
Click to expand...

Lee - I save mine to 200KB which is what I thought was the fileszie limit on here. You do lose stacks of detail sometimes. On PS7 there is a little quality slider which I use to keep mine under 200KB. (800 along the longest side)
I ONLY display my shots anywhere on the web at this size.
 
for flickr 1024 and maximum jpg quality, loading times doesnt really matter these days this broadband
 
68lbs said:
... I use the 'Save As' command in PS CS3 and save as a jpeg with quality set at the maximum.
Click to expand...
Work from highest resolution and, in PS CS3, choose "Save for Web & Devices".

This allows you to preview filesize vs image quality. You can preview & compare 2 or 4 versions at once, and you can resize within this mode. I find this allows you to save very efficient JPEGs, although I'm not sure if they retain the EXIF or if the removal of EXIF is optional.

If it complains about the filesize when you choose "Save for Web & Devices" then I probably wouldn't worry about it - it's still fast enough here using 8mp images & a 4 year old Mac.

Stroller.
 
I just leave mine as RAW or TIFF and then save to whatever size I need whenever I need a jpg.
 
For posting in forums and the like I resize to 800 or less and drop the dpi to 35 then save as jpeg.
 
Originals get saved as whatever they are. (I shoot in JPEG, Large and minimum compression)

Files that have been edited get saved as highest quality JPEG at original resolution.

Files that have been printed either get ignored (I still have the original and the edited full res file) or saved at highest quality JPEG if I may want more prints at that size.

For web use, I resize to 600 px along the longest side then save at whatever level JPEG gives me the file size I want (usually 100k or smaller).

For other uses (digital frames etc), I'll resize to whatever the native resolution of the frame (or whatever device) is at a JPEG level that doesn't show any degradation.
 
whiteflyer said:
...and drop the dpi to 35 then save as jpeg.
Click to expand...

Erm... if an image is 800px it doesn't matter whether the resolution (as set in Photoshop etc) is 35ppi, 72ppi, or 300ppi. The image will still be 800px long and the same file size.

My original post seems to have got a little clouded... I was really just wondering whether an 800px jpeg at minimum compression (ie: upto 550Kb file size) was a bit big. And if it was, what level of compression others use.
 
And what most people seem to aggree on is that ANY compression is a bad thing if it is for archiving your pictures. Even a JPG of 550Kb has been compressed.

So that being the case, how much compression you apply to a JPG will depend where you are going to stick it - web page, email etc.

If you are storing pictures for future use don't do it as a JPG, do it as RAW or TIF which are much bigger files but retain all the image information.
 
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