Don
May be an idea to flatten image and resize image to the size you want, before saving to jpeg.
Paul
Beth,
Thanks for your reply. I am aware of the fact that there is more to file size than resolution and dimensions. This is a real problem. For example, I know from experience that a nice quality 800×600 JPEG image on the Web seldom exceeds 250 KB. Even "busy images". Well, I sometimes have had trouble getting a good quality image under 800 KB. Something is wrong. Maybe it is a bug in the software or some kind of compatibility issue with Windows 2000 or some other program. I don’t know.
Don
Don,
Fellow forumites will vouch that I complain about PSE when its deserved, but in my thousands of JPG saves its compression ratios are quite believable & consistent for each setting (on average; as Beth said a jungle scene can be 2-3 times the file size of a smooth tone sky/ocean scene). I tested PSE2 vs. PSE1 in this area & virtually no difference.
One idea – I never use save for web as its too slow. Maybe try plain save as jpg? Try another program that can save jpg? Excess grain / sharpening can also make jpgs bigger.
Carl
Carl,
Thanks for your reply. Here is another example of how this problem has manifested itself:
I was saving a small (100x80pixel) Bitmap image as a JPEG. The original file size of the Bitmap was 15.6 K. In the JPEG Options dialog window, I could see the file size and preview image quality change. I saved the image at Quality 6, which was estimated to produce a 7.6 K JPEG file. However, when I checked the size of the resulting JPEG image in Windows, the size was 15.6 K. Exactly the same as the original Bitmap.
Something is wrong. Maybe it is a compatibility issue or bug with Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, a conflict with some other program, or something else related to my configuration. But when a JPEG is the same size as the bitmap from which it came, you can’t say that JPEG commpression feature is working correctly for me.
Don
Don,
Try this…open a jpg image within PSE and note the file size as reported by the program. Open the same image (outside of PSE) using Win IE…does IE give the same file size?
Photoshop reports uncompressed file size ala TIFF for JPEGs, not the actual saved size on disk.
Take any JPEG, note file size that Photoshop reports, save it as TIFF, and TIFF file will be about what it reported for the JPEG.
Mac
Don,
So perhaps you’re not having the problem you thought you were having…??
Nancy
Mac,
Thank you for this information. It makes sense.
Don
Nancy,
This is a problem, even if what Mac says about the size reporting is true. In an example I had given previously, I saved a bitmap as a JPEG and ended up with the same size file.
In another case, I saved a small bitmap as a JPEG of greatly reduced quality and got very little reduction in size. The original bitmap was about 15 KB and I had to reduce it to complete garbage quality to get it down to a 10 KB limit for a Website listing. When I tried to compress the same bitmap using another utility, I was able to get a decent looking JPEG of only 3 KB! So you see, there really is a problem.
Perhaps I should try reinstalling the Elements.
Don
Don,
I see, something not right.
Make sure you find the preferences file and delete it prior to the uninstall, as it will remain otherwise (as will other bits and pieces you would probably want to clean up that is left behind after uninstall).
I’ll keep my fingers crossed this works out for you…how very frustrating!!! And this is really such a neat program!
Nancy
Don,
Rather I should have suggested you delete the prefs file prior to a reinstall.
Nancy,
Thank you for the advice. It is indeed frustrating and I agree that Elements is a neat program. I did file a bug report using the bug report form, so hopefully they will at some point take a look at this. I found one other user in this forum previously who was experiencing the same thing.
I will post what happens after uninstall, deleting prefs, and reinstalling the program.
Don
A little off topic, but there is a FREE jpeg2000 plug-in for Photoshop etc, at <
http://www.fnordware.com/>
Worth a play with.
Link courtesy of our friend, Mr Lynch
Paul
