batch command file size, DPI and conversion? Need direction please

IW
Posted By
Iain Williams
Nov 23, 2003
Views
900
Replies
12
Status
Closed
Hi,

Although not new to photography and I am new to digital and elements 1 & 2. I hope someone can steer me in the correct direction with my query.

The images from my 5 meg camera come out as .jpgs (which I copy and archive). I then batch command the images to tiffs for image manipulation. (After manipulation I save the tiffs to archive along with the original jpgs). I then convert the tiffs back to jpgs for lower size file storing on my HD for slide shows, internet, e-mail, etc.

My THREE questions relate to when I batch command the tiffs back to jpgs.

There are two ways I can convert.
1. A straight conversion without ticking file conversion.
2. Use file conversion method.

Which is the best method of the above two????

If I use the convert file method, I tick convert file and leave the width & height boxes empty, selecting one of the above DPI numbers, however, I cannot really see any difference between 600 DPI and 150 DPI. Although the 600 DPI must have a higher resolution!

What DPI do most folks recommend here?????

Lastly, when I batch convert the images they always are quite low in size no matter what the initial file size was. It seems that elements 1 automatically optimises the best File size when batching. Is this correct??

I do not print images – only view on monitor.

Thanks………….Iain
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batch command conversion direction dpi file size

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JH
Jim_Hess
Nov 23, 2003
I cannot give you any definitive answer on file conversion methods. It seems that everyone has their own preference. Personally, I use a lot of adjustment layers, so I save most of my work as Photoshop document (PSD) files. When I have finished my editing I flatten my images and save them as JPEG files. As far as resolution is concerned, if you are only using your images on screen, you gain nothing by using high-resolution. Computer monitors can only display somewhere between 72 DPI and 100 DPI. Anything over that is simply taking up extra space on your hard drive because the monitor will not be able to show anything more.
IW
Iain Williams
Nov 23, 2003
Thanks Jim. Yes, everyone seems to have their own methodology in batching images. I just downloaded the latest version of breezebrowser and this program seems to be far more superior to elements when it comes to batch command, renaming files and control of the process. As such, I think I’ll use breesebrowser for batching and elements only for image manipulation. Elements just does not seem to allow you to exactly what you wany when batching – pity!
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Nov 23, 2003
Iain, I’ve used BreezeBrowser for more than a year now; wouldn’t be without it – it does a creditable job of converting my Canon Raw images. There’s also IrfanView, which has batch capabilities of some extent and is free.

Chuck
IW
Iain Williams
Nov 23, 2003
Hello Chuck, Nice to talk with you again. I’ve been using BreezeBrowser for all of 5 hours now and I’m VERY impressed with its power and versatility – so much so that I doubt I will use elements to batch command ever again.

A quick question re: breezebrowser if I may (and I’m aware that this is an Adobe site). The EXIF data that is attached/embedded in jpeg files is copied over when I convert to tiffs and then back to useable jpegs. However, if I edit the tiff (which you do) the EXIF data is lost….. Do you know how to ensure this data remains with the image?

I’ve read the help section but it does not alude to a solution to this problem. Ideas?

Many thanks Chuck……..Iain
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Nov 23, 2003
Good morning, Iain: Good question, and I’ve seen the same phenomenon. Perhaps a note to Chris Breeze would get some light on the subject; he’s generally very good about answering e-mail about his product. Here’s his address:

Best regards, Chuck
IW
Iain Williams
Nov 23, 2003
Thank you Chuck. I didn’t know there actually was a Breeze individual in Breeze-Browser. I’ll do as you suggest. Best to you……..Iain
J
jhjl1
Nov 23, 2003
Ian wrote:
I do not print images – only view on monitor.

Thanks…..Iain

James Replies:
Hello Ian. As for the dpi in batch command as long as you are not printing images you can ignore that. Whatever shows up to start with is fine and can be left alone. It will have no effect whatsoever on your file size or the way the image looks on your monitor. I have put 4 test images here:
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview/elements_group_test_
As you can see they all look identical on your monitor. If you download them and look at file size all are identical in that regard as well.
Have A Nice Day,
jwh 🙂
My Pictures
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview
J
jhjl1
Nov 23, 2003
Jim Hess wrote:
Anything over that is simply taking up extra space on your hard drive because the monitor will not be able to show anything more.

James ask:
Jim are you really getting different file sizes in kb on disk with different resolutions with all else being equal? I just did another test and can’t duplicate that. I opened two images and used batch command to save as high quality jpeg at 72 dpi. I then used the batch command to save those two 72 dpi images at high quality jpeg with all other available dpi’s and all of my file sizes are the exact same.

—
Have A Nice Day,
jwh 🙂
My Pictures
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview
JH
Jim_Hess
Nov 23, 2003
When I open an image from my 5 MP camera, taken in "normal" mode, it measures 2592×1944 pixels. This translates to 36 inches by 27 inches at 72 DPI.

If I crop that photo to an 8×10 at 300 DPI the size of the file increases from 1.39 MB to more than 6 MB . Now , I know some people here speak out adamantly against upsizing , but this is what I do and for some reason I get the results from looking for . But yes , the size of the file does increase in my situation .
J
jhjl1
Nov 23, 2003
Hello Jim. The question I posed to you "Jim are you really getting different file sizes in kb on disk
with different resolutions with all else being equal?" was in the context of the original posters question.

The original poster wrote:
If I use the convert file method, I tick convert file and leave the width & height boxes empty, selecting one of the above DPI numbers, however, I cannot really see any difference between 600 DPI and 150 DPI. Although the 600 DPI must have a higher resolution!

You replied:
As far as resolution is concerned, if you are only using your images on screen, you gain nothing by using high-resolution. Computer monitors can only display somewhere between 72 DPI and 100 DPI. Anything over that is simply taking up extra space on your hard drive because the monitor will not be able to show anything more.

James replies:
The original poster said he is converting file types, tiffs back to jpeg’s using the batch command. In the batch command choosing a different resolution will not change file size. You stated "If I crop that photo to an 8×10 etc..". I can not find the option to crop to 8×10 in batch command. If you take that 8×10 6 plus MB image which you now have at 300 dpi and you resave it at as is in 72 dpi and 600 dpi does your file size for the two new images match?

Have A Nice Day,
jwh 🙂
My Pictures
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview
JH
Jim_Hess
Nov 23, 2003
It seems that we are talking about something different. No, the file size does not stay the same. If I take the 8×10 at 300 DPI and change the DPI to 72, the file size drops to 672 KB. If I increase the DPI to 600, the file size increases to 16 MB. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t give you the kind of help you are looking for. Perhaps it’s because my approach is just too simplistic.
J
jhjl1
Nov 23, 2003
Jim, are you doing this in batch process as mentioned by original poster or in Image >Resize>Image Size? If it is in Batch Process how are you getting the 8 in x10 in input into the equation? For some reason I only see pixels under the height and width boxes in Batch Process. The only way I can get the different file size as you are getting is using image resize with resample checked.

—
Have A Nice Day,
jwh 🙂
My Pictures
http://www.pbase.com/myeyesview

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