photoshop image optimization

[aaron.martinas]

WITHOUT saving in jpeg format, what is the best way to optimize this image in photoshop? this was saved in both gif and png format, and its still a quarter of a meg. thats just too damn much. i used to use "microsoft image composer", and as crappy as that software was, it could make this file like 25k and it would retain all the necessary colors.

how can i best compress images i want to save in gif or png format without massive color loss? assuming i dont want the size to change or that i want to use the jpeg format.

http://everquest.toocrooked.com/images/tempeq/bloated_gif.gif

[TJ111]

I use "irfanview" (google it) for things like image compression. It's really functional and lightweight (and free!) software that's great for minor editing, resizing/resampling, and compressing images. It also allows batch processing to perform the changes to multiple images at once. I'd recommend it.

[aaron.martinas]

yea, i had used that program 3 or 4 years ago since i couldnt get image composer installed on a work computer. good stuff.

however, im asking about photoshop if anyone has any pertinent info that can help me regarding photoshop

[WebJoel]

http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/imageoptimizer/

Allows you to upload & 'test' your image and get various return results of increasingly smaller KB size. You choose the amount of compression/visually appealling image, and download to optimized image. Free.

[aaron.martinas]

photoshop! please, im trying to learn HOW to do it (in photoshop!!), not any other 3rd party tool!!

[tracknut]

I don't work with gif files much, so I'm not sure if this is abnormally large or not. But in photoshop I first saved it as a jpg at quality level 5, then back as a gif file with a color table of size 128 and no dithering. The result looks essentially the same as your original, and is 133kb rather than your original 237kb.

Dave

[dtm32236]

in photoshop, i always save for web (ctrl+alt+shift+s) and use the JPEG High Quality defaults. this usually works out pretty well, but if it's going to be a high-res large file, you may need to use the Medium Quality setting or a comprimise between the two but adjusting the 'quality' bar.

[dtm32236]

oh - sorry - why not JPG?

if not JPG, i would use .png...

or as tracknut explained, GIF 128bit no dither.

[aaron.martinas]

oh - sorry - why not JPG?

personal preference, really.

if not JPG, i would use .png...

unfortunately for me...

this was saved in both gif and png format, and its still a quarter of a meg.

ill try the dithering thing.

[tracknut]

personal preference, really.


Please be aware that the intermediate step I suggested of saving as jpg level 5 will incorporate a data loss (as does the color palette size). If "information loss" happens to be the issue you're trying to avoid, then my suggestion accomplishes nothing for you.

Dave

[Centauri]

As far as I am aware, with Photoshop at least, there is no filesize optimisation available for gif or png format, and I am not even sure that either of these formats can be compressed without loss of quality. For photo type graphics, .jpg format is the only one where significant data compression may be used without a very noticable loss in quality.

[tracknut]

As far as I am aware, with Photoshop at least, there is no filesize optimisation available for gif or png format, and I am not even sure that either of these formats can be compressed without loss of quality. For photo type graphics, .jpg format is the only one where significant data compression may be used without a very noticable loss in quality.
All three (jpeg, gif and png) are compressed file formats. The difference in gif and png from jpeg is that they are not lossy algorithms. So with jpeg you can "tune" the balance between image size and image quality based on what your end goal is. With gif and png, it's a fixed compression algorithm with no "tuning" options available to the user.

Dave