jpeg file sizes - I can't seem to make them small enough!

[Lance B]

I can't seem to make my jpeg file sizes smaller than 1.4MB and these large files won't fit into the competition. Even though I make them 8bit and are 1200 on the longest side and save tham as "0" in jpeg options, they are still enidng up as huge file sizes, well over the limit for competitions here on AP. I know I must have a setting wrong somewhere, but I just can't seem to find what it is. Anyone got any ideas?

[tandeejay]

What application are you using to do the jpeg compression? I've seen one app that was atrocious at doing JPEG compression


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gazza]

Lance, go to Export→Save for the Web(Legacy) Keyboard shortcut..."Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S"
Type in 1200 (near the bottom r/hand side) on your longest side and click the image for it to take effect...
Adjust the 'Quality' top R/hand side until you're just under 400kb showing bottom left of the image


Hope that's what you were after...cheers.

[ameerat42]

I don't know what you're using to save, Lance.
In Photoshop, depending on what's in the file, a 1200 pixel side
at about 3:2 will go about 395KB at 10 compression level (12 being the highest).

[Lance B]

I don't know what you're using to save, Lance.
In Photoshop, depending on what's in the file, a 1200 pixel side
at about 3:2 will go about 395KB at 10 compression level (12 being the highest).

This is an "updated" Photoshop CC when I went to Windows 10. When I used to save in the pre Windows 10 Photoshop CC, I would get a file size abouit what you describe above, however, it seems as though I have also lost my "Save to Web" option, not that I ever used it as that strips off EXIF data.

Anyway, my workflow is: After converting to 8bit, I go to "File" - then "Save as" - then select jpeg, and save which then takes me to the "jpeg options box" which has the slider scale of small through to large file 0 through to 12 and even at 0 it is saving as a file which os 1.44MB! Very strange!

[ameerat42]

KK! Sounds like a job for Super-Adobe! That is weird - ie, badly wired

[Lance B]

Just re-checked my jpeg options.

At "Maximum - 12" (large file) and set to "Baseline (Standard)" I get a file size of 2.18MB
At "Low - 0" (small file) and set to "Baseline (Standard)" I get a file size of 1.36MB - not 1.44MB that was for a setting of 4.

The other funny thing is that when I tick the "Preview" option in the "jpeg options box" to show the file size before saving, the "Maximum" file size actually shows 3.4MB but ends up being saved as "only" 2.18MB. Similar for the "Low" setting, it shows 2.6MB but actually "only" ends up being 1.36MB.

So, it is still making the files smaller when set to a lower setting, but they are still huge in comparison to what they used to be pre updated Photoshop CC.

Whatever the case, the files are way too large for some reason.

[Warbler]

I have also lost my "Save to Web" option, not that I ever used it as that strips off EXIF data.

Actually that is no longer true, and hasn't been since CS5 if I remember correctly Lance. There is now a series of options that you can check to keep EXIF or exclude it, or to just keep copyright inbfo. And you don't need to convert to 8-bit before saving as JPG anymore either.

[ameerat42]

Hey, Lance!! I just remembered something...

You know that when a jpeg is saved it is only compressed while residing on the drive.

Is this where you are reading the file sizes, or is it in a corner of the display when the
file is open in Photoshop? Have a look at the pic below...

The pic below...
filesize.jpg

[Lance B]

When I click on the thumbnail on my hard drive, the image states the size, 1.36MB as I had saved it as the Lowest setting, or "0" and when I tried to save it here on AP for one of the competitions, it said the file was also 1.36MB and too large for the competition, which is 400KB max. So, the jpeg is definitely being saved as 1.36MB but why can I not make it smaller, like I used to be able to do in the previous version on Photoshop CC?

[Mark L]

I can't seem to make my jpeg file sizes smaller than 1.4MB ....

So once you've done that, can you then open that image and save again at another reduced file size? Might be a work around that still doesn't really answer the original problem.

[Warbler]

Lance, try this method. Use the "Save for Web" option. In the attached JPG, you'll see that you select the pixel dimension of 1200pixels on the long side. Then make sure you go and click in the other dimension box and you'll see the image actually change size. You need to have the "Optimised" image showing to see this. Under the pop-up box I have shown you, there are the options for the metadata. Set those however you want them. There is also a check box for converting to sRGB in case you forget. Now to optimise the image size to get under AP's limit, you click on the little triangle to the right of the very top far right-hand box, not the one right beside "unnamed", but the one on the extreme right beside the three lines, and up pops the dialogue box you see overlaid on my JPG. Put the size of the file you don't want to exceed. I usually go 5K under to be sure. When you do this, PS will size the image for you. Give it a try.

[Lance B]

Yes, I used to use "Save for Web" years ago, but it did use to strip meta data. However, I did recall that they changed this is later releases. I have since received an answer on Photoshop help forum:

Adobe, in it's "wisdom" has altered the way things are when you want to save a file in the new Photoshop CC. Previously with all Photoshop versions, to save a jpeg you went to "File" > "Save as", or "Save for Web", or "Save" - any of these options saved it how you wanted it saved, and then a further selection was to what type of file, ie jpeg, tiff, PSD etc. You then selected "Save" and then you had a selection box appear which then gave you the option of what quality you required which obviously gave you a file size - Low through medium to Maximum.

However, I have now found out that you now go to "File" > "Export" > "Export as" > which then gives you dialogue/selection box where you choose jpeg file size and "Quality". There was nothing about this anywhere. The thing is, it still has the option to do as I used to do, ie "File" > "Save as" > then the jpeg dialogue/selection box appears with the same old "Quality" file size as previous which anyone would think would work as previously did on previous versions! Oh no, this is too simple, they had to invent a new way to do the same thing but with different dfescriptors. I mean, why change it when it worked perfectly well before? And if you do change it, then why not remove the other options that lead you the same way as you used to do things.

Anyway, thank you all for your help. I seemed to have managed to get it sorted in the end.

[Warbler]

^ Ah the lovely little surprises of Photoshop CC eh?

[Lance B]

^ Ah the lovely little surprises of Photoshop CC eh?

Yes, the "lovely surprise".

The techy over at the Photoshop forum said: "The exporting experience introduced in June (2015 I assume) now delivers faster performance and better compression for all file formats, especially JPEG; the ability to export the same assets at multiple sizes; support for sRGB export; and options to embed metadata such as copyright into your files during export." which is all very well, but why not leave it as "File" > "Save as" > then go to the new dialogue box that they use in the new version rather than create a new path - "File" > "Export" > "Export as" then the new dialogue box set up? I mean, you wouldn't know to even look there without help, especially as the old way to do it was still available and thus you would think that it is still the same way to do things but then doesn't allow you complete control over the file size which is ludicrous. It is simply confusing!!

[Trevspics]

I don't know if this had anything to do with your problems lance but I'll add to the confusion hoping to help in some way. I had problems trying to compress 20-30mb images down to 400kb it was bordering on ridiculous so I started using Flickr, was the only way I could upload images without compressing them so much they were not viewable. So are your original images so large that it's making compression a nightmare?

[Lance B]

I don't know if this had anything to do with your problems lance but I'll add to the confusion hoping to help in some way. I had problems trying to compress 20-30mb images down to 400kb it was bordering on ridiculous so I started using Flickr, was the only way I could upload images without compressing them so much they were not viewable. So are your original images so large that it's making compression a nightmare?

My original images are large, ~45MB RAW - 206MB 16bit TIFF. However, when I reduce them for web size view, ie 1500 x 1800 pixels say, and then convert them to jpeg 8 bit, they are much smaller, say around 2-4MB depending on how detailed they are. I can then easily (now) reduce them by reducing the quality slider in the jpeg options. Anyway, it all works now,

[ameerat42]

Trev. What do you mean? Compressing what? a jpeg that's 20-30MB, or a RAW that starts at about that size?
If the first, I'd agree that it would be hard to do, but if a raw (say even 40-45MB, such as I usually get and which
produces a best output jpeg of 14MB) is then reduced to 1200 pixels max on a side and it is a 3:2, then it is
doable with not too destructive compression. I have done this often enough.
...
(Some time since the last sentence.)
...

From a particular raw file just now:
Raw file size: 45.5 MB
Full size jpeg: 14.1 MB
1200x800 jpeg: 382 KB (saved at quality 9 in P'shop.

Whether this results in an optimally detailed file is another thing.

[bobt]

Personally, I'm old school. If I find something that works, I stick with it.

I ignore all the multiple re-sizing options and use a free little program that's easy, effective and just works - without any need to negotiate menus, use Photoshop or anything more complex than clicking with my mouse.

www.fookes.com/easy-thumbnails

Free, reliable, around for years - and it simply works.

Edit. For f****s sake ... the software here has censored the web address because it thinks it's a rude word!!!!

Look up EZ Thumbnails instead .... it's by a company whose name sounds like F**** but isn't !!!!

(Fixed - Kym)

[ameerat42]

...Free, reliable, around for years - and it simply works...

I'm sad to hear that, Bob (this sad ). It means you miss out on pulling your hair and other forms of frustration.