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Box Brownie · Plugin Power User Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 8

Hi All

I hope someone can point me in the right direction of a PSCS2 compatible plugin that might help with my 'problem'.

I normally when PPing my images for the web keep them below 100kb (730px x 550px max) and as such the highest JPEG "save as" quality in PSCS2 to get that size. Doing this, for me, means that I keep the image as good as possible with minimal compression artifacting.

However, I have been asked to reduce the file size to less than 40kb (400px x 300px) of some images for a colleagues website but no matter what I do the loss of quality IMHO at that compression is bad to an extent that I am unhappy about the 'integrity' of the image as the photographer.

So, is there an advised workflow that others use that will maintain the quality look but still allow such hard compression?

TIA

HaraldHeim · Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:48 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't be too strict with the 40K limit. It always depends on the image content if you manage to get an JPG image file as small as 40K without compression artifacts. Images with little content, e.g. a lot of sky or a blurred background, produce a much smaller file size at the same compression level than image that have a lot of details or were sharpened.

I would set a file size limit to a a range of 20K to 60K, and use the same JPG compression level for all images. If you have images with various degrees of details, the average file size will be around 40K.

I think it makes more sense to use an average file size limit and apply the same compression level to all images.

If the image still look too "compressed" I would go for a higher average file size limit.

Doric · Plugin Newbie Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 1

I have played around with a program called jpegwizard (http://www.pegasusimaging.com/jpegwizard.htm), which besides claiming better compression algorithms, also allows regional compression, where yuo can select different areas of the image and apply different levels of compression.

So, for example, with a portrait, you can select the face and retain high resolution, but allow lower resolution in the background.

This may help you.

Doric

HaraldHeim · Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:04 pm Post subject:

Sounds good, but the question is if it is really practical. I can imagine that it takes a lot of time to select the area which will be compressed stronger. Did anyone try it and made some experiences with it?

Ilya Razmanov · Plugin Master Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 28