Best way to reduce size without reducing quality...

[rwreich]

<p>Hello All -<br>

I've been reading photo.net for a while and I'd like to load some of the pictures I've taken to the server so that others might view/critique/comment on them. I'm not sure how to reduce the size of my images so that several will fit into my free server space without reducing the quality of the images. Would someone be kind enough to help me? I'm using CS4 and a decent mac if that makes any difference. Thanks very much in advance!<br>

- RWR</p>

 

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Some folks use automated type options such as "save to web" or the equivalent, depending on their photo editing software. I don't care for that option.</p>

<p>I use an option that allows me to preview the effects of JPEG compression before saving. This option is available in my old copy of Corel Photo-Paint, Jasc Paint Shop Pro (and the current version of Corel PSP), FastStone (an excellent freebie/donation-ware utility) and a few others.</p>

<p>The advantage to the preview is that you can choose the smallest possible file size without sacrificing too much quality. This will differ for each image so there is no one-size-fits-all setting. A landscape with a large expanse of blue sky will not tolerate as much JPEG compression as a candid photo of people. Preserving the maximum quality for one photo may require a 90%-95% quality setting, while another may tolerate only 70% without apparent degradation. An 800x600 JPEG for one type of photo may be reduced without significant degradation to less than 100kb. Another of the same dimensions might need a 200-300kb file size to preserve image integrity.</p>

<p>If Photoshop doesn't offer this (I'd be surprised if it didn't), download FastStone and try its preview option for saving files.</p>

[william_staniforth]

<p>CS 4 does give a preview and options for size and quality . Just spend a little time studying the interface , I know it's not obvious !</p>

[rwreich]

<p>Lex and William,<br>

Thanks for the advice! I did manage to upload a few pictures to my workspace here on photo.net using a combination of Photoshop and ViewNX (free with my D60). I think the results are web-tolerable and that most of the color and sharpness survived the process. Thanks again!<br>

- RWR</p>

[images_in_light_north_west]

<p>see this <a href="http://imagesinlightnw.blogspot.com/2009/04/sharpen-for-web.html">here</a></p>

[rwreich]

<p>Hi Ross,<br>

Great blog, and thanks for the help! My difficulty is that when I use the bicubic sharpener method and cut down the size by pixel, the actual file size is still a little too large. I've tried reducing the resolution to somewhere below 300ppi, but I don't know where the sweet spot lies.<br>

I noticed a great difference in detail when I reduced and saved with your method in CS4, so it definitely works better than what I was trying. What resolution would you consider optimal / average / tolerable for web based presentation?<br>

I see that one of the pictures on your blog registers at 96 ppi and it looks fine - so is there a standard ratio of pixels on the long edge vs. ppi?<br>

Of course, all responses are welcome, and thanks in advance for reading this!<br>

-RWR</p>

[images_in_light_north_west]

<p>Ralph, be careful not to mix ppi and dpi, I do a lot, any way mine are all saved at 300 dpi, but for the final save to web in CS3 I dont know what happens there, have not checked.<br>

Ross</p>