Compressing files for web

[waynesworld]

I'm running out of room at my ISP's personal web space. I was told that files such as jpg and gif images can be compressed with Photoshop and/or ImageReady. If so, how is this done?

waynesworld

 

[viol8ion]

With either images, open them up in PS, then click on save for web.

For GIFs, reduce the # colors, example if you have 256, cut to 128, then to 64 then to 32 continuing until the image degrades too much... the use the next up. This will reduce the size significantly, quite often.

With JPGs, saves as lower quality, such as 4 or 5 for web.. that usually does not result in greatly diminished quality.

Also, never use the browser to size the image, make sure that uyou size the image in PS to the size that you want. For JPGs, use 72 DPI, that gives adequate quality and takes less space than same size image at 96DPI or more....

hope this helps. When in doubt, deny all terms and defnitions.

http://www.wuli.com

 

[funkymonk]

How have you done it up to now?

Do you have Photoshop?

With Photoshop and ImageReady there is a 'save for web' command (file/save for web) that alows you to have full control over the image you are saving for the web. You can even state the size you want and get Photoshop to chose which is the best format for your image and optimise it to that size.

Put a link to your site and I'll have a look at your file sizes, see if they can be optimised a little more.

rod@sameplanet.co.uk
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[waynesworld]

violBion and funkymonk,

Thanks for your suggestions. I have Photoshop and I know about saving gifs for the web and jpgs in varying quality levels. I didn't realize that meant compressing it though. I found one compression tool called ProJPEG but I guess it works the same way Photoshop does in making smaller jpgs. So it's up to me--pay for more webspace or compress my images (losing some quality).

waynesworld

 

[blueark]

You can actually use ImageReady to optimise some areas of an image more than others. If high JPG compression is acceptable for parts of the image, but not others:

1: Select the important parts of the image and go to Quick Mask mode

2: File > Save for Web. Click on the 'Optimised' tab.

3: Beside the Quality drop down list, click the channel button.

4: In the dialog box that appears, select 'Quick Mask' as the channel, and select a low quality for outside the mask and high quality for inside.

There you go: good and bad quality in the one image!

 

[waynesworld]

blueark,

Sounds like it's worth a try. I'll test it out, thanks.

waynesworld