how to reduce file size past "quality = 0"

SP
Posted By
Steven_Pogact
Jun 15, 2004
Views
260
Replies
9
Status
Closed
Lets assume that you have an image that is 800px x 600px at 72 dpi. You want to shrink the file size down as far as possible for web use and you have taken it all the way down to "quality = 0" during the File-Save process. Image quality is not an issue. If 800×600 at 72dpi is the required image size that can not be changed, what else can I do to reduce the FILE size?

There has to be some software utility that looks at the image and somehow creates a copy using only 40% of the information used in the original. Well, thats how my brain would approach this problem. But what is the real, currently available solution?

Thank you.

Steve

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

CR
Chris_Rankin
Jun 15, 2004
Are you doing File>Save (or Save As)? Or are you using Save for Web? You should be using the Save for Web option.

CR
SP
Steven_Pogact
Jun 15, 2004
Sorry, I should have mentioned that the image was originally a multi layer Photoshop file that was flattened and saved as a JPG. The image is currently a JPG file. I tried saving it as a GIF with a limited number of colors, but the resulting file was four times larger than the JPG file (at "quality = 0"). How do I shrink this JPG image down below its current 100k file size without messing with the 800 x 600 @ 72dpi specs?

Thanks.
Steve
MM
Mac_McDougald
Jun 15, 2004
You didn’t answer Chris’ question.

Save For Web is always smaller with same settings than Save As. Removes any header info, etc.

If you are at 0 quality setting in Save for Web, no Progressive, no ICC Profile, that’s all there is.
If photo image, must look pretty darn rough, though.

M
JF
Jodi_Frye
Jun 15, 2004
Steve, i am really curious….what kind of image is this that you are not concerned with quality ? Save for web ‘0 quality’ looks really bad. Anyways, if quality makes no difference then you can always reduce the opacity of the image in the editor before saving for web. It will knock down a few kb’s but it will be washed out a little…pale.
RR
Raymond Robillard
Jun 15, 2004
Would turning it into B&W also reduces the size of the file? I haven’t tried it…

Ray
SP
Steven_Pogact
Jun 15, 2004
It is a purposely distorted web graphic; if there was such a thing as "quality = negative 100" the image would still have more than enough "quality" for my purposes. My only problem concerns maintaining the 800×600 @72dpi image size while slashing the file size as much as possible.
JH
Jim_Hess
Jun 15, 2004
The description of your project is awfully confusing. What is it that you are REALLY trying to do? I have a feeling that you might be taking the wrong approach to solving your problem. If you can describe what you are trying to do, I’m sure some of the highly qualified people who contribute in this forum would be able to help you find a solution.
JB
John_Burnett_(JNB)
Jun 15, 2004
If it’s a graphic and not a photograph (or even a very ‘graphic’ photo), reduce the number of colours from 24 or 32-bit (16-million colours plus) to 15/16-bit or even 8-bit (256 colours only). You generally have to do that outside of jpeg. But you can then convert to jpeg afterward if need be. I’ve really lost touch, but I seem to remember that there were utility programs designed to reduce the number of colours based on analysis of the image itself (DeBabelizer?).
FK
Flar_Kibiger
Jun 16, 2004
steven,

as you target the web, you are limited to file formats web browsers are able to show (if you don’t want helper applications to do it…) so this is jpg, gif, png. they come with their compression algorithms, which means you just can’t get smaller file sizes unless you tweak your images in favour of some algorithm.
all you can do is tweak your image: make it b/w, reduce bits per color, use a mosaic effect.

extreme example:
manually map all your colors to 1 color, say white.
your compression ratio will be amazing… 😉 SCNR

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections