Best image optimization program.

Seven3 · Post by **Seven3** » Tue Jan 30, 2001 10:14 am

As you may know, my comics are 640x480 jpegs which weigh about 100K. I've been reading that they should be down to about 70K for modem users. Which (preferably free) program is the best for taking them down that far with out lossing too much quality?I'm currently using <A HREF="http://www.xnview.com" TARGET=_blank>XN View</A> and getting these results:
<A HREF="http://portside.keenspace.com/misc/thrust_hi.jpg" TARGET=_blank>"Thrust" @ 100% 266K</A>
<A HREF="http://portside.keenspace.com/misc/thrust_cmc.jpg" TARGET=_blank>"Thrust" @ 90% 109K</A>
<A HREF="http://portside.keenspace.com/misc/thrust_lo.jpg" TARGET=_blank>"Thrust" @ 80% 76K</A> (Update: link fixed)The thing is I'm not objective enough to say whether the loss in quality is worth it. So my questions to you are: which one is the closest to your acceptable ratio of file size to quality, and just how long did it take for the images to load on your system?------------------
Time will tell. Sooner or later, time will tell - Albert Einstein, Red Alert.
Don't Panic. - Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
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A pic from the first violent video game, Axe. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">[This message has been edited by Seven3 (edited 01-31-2001).]

Reinder · Post by **Reinder** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 4:44 am

The smallest one looks good enough and loaded well within 30 secs on the fast connection I happened to be on.Have you got The Gimp? You may be able to get even smaller file sizes with the right combination of compression, smoothing and option switches. My colour strips are all done in the Gimp, 400x560 pixels and always below 70K. Tomorrow and the day after I will be running colour strips which are each under 60K.------------------
Reinder Dijkhuis
<A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/" TARGET=_blank>Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan</A>, Humorous fantasy strip, updated Mon-Fri, and really rather good. <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20000701.html" TARGET=_blank>Read it from the first strip!</A>

Reinder · Post by **Reinder** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:31 am

It is complex, and funny-looking if you're used to the Windows look and feel. But it is very powerful and effective. It helps to have some instructions. Make your search engine look for "Grokking Gimp" to find an online manual.Quick tips (three things that many people stumble over): All functions that most graphic programs have in a menu are made available in the Gimp by clicking the right mouse button inside the image. Keyboard shortcuts: you can make your own by simply pressing the desired key combination while the mouse is over the menu item. Do check if the combination isn't already used for some other function.Straight lines: use the regular brush, airbrush, eraser or pencil tool. Click where you want your line's first endpoint to be, then hold down shift and click where you want the second endpoint to be. Saving files: tweak tweak tweak to your heart's content <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">------------------
Reinder Dijkhuis
<A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/" TARGET=_blank>Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan</A>, Humorous fantasy strip, updated Mon-Fri, and really rather good. <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20000701.html" TARGET=_blank>Read it from the first strip!</A>[This message has been edited by reinder (edited 01-31-2001).]

Lady Faith · Post by **Lady Faith** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:40 am

Gravity is right on the mark...Smart Saver and Image Ready rock! (smart saver can give smaller file sizes, but you can lose quality sometimes). He was a little off the mark, however,about the legality of that download. You can download Smart Saver for free at the Ulead site, but it is a limited (15 day) version. Ulead expects you to buy it after that.
I'm not trying to dissuede anyone from downloading from FOSI, only giving the heads up to anyone who wouldn't want to participate in piracy. I know, I know, no big deal, and all...but some folks just don't like going along, assuming their not doing anything wrong and finding out later that they actually were. (it happened to yours truly and I felt pretty stupid)
BTW, Gravity, I just checked out your stuff, groovy! I'm gonna go read the archive now (very groovy!)
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Toddandpenguin · Post by **Toddandpenguin** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:56 am

The first one took forever! The last one was quic, and looked as good as the first one to my untrained eye. Definitely use the 80%. ~dave------------------
<A HREF="http://toddandpenguin.keenspace.com/" TARGET=_blank>http://toddandpenguin.keenspace.com/</A>

Insult · Post by **Insult** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 7:36 am

well, the 3rd one loads up the fastest and looks the best because it's the same as the first link, and it's already in the browser cache. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">I personally use Photoshop's Save for Web option, cuz you can compare original to compressed on the fly. my strip's about 750 x 278 and almost always under 40k, full color.--chris------------------
insult to injury
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Gravity · Post by **Gravity** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 8:32 am

I have a little experience with all these programs, (I'm a graphic artist)- and I can tell you that the best Image compression programs are ULEAD SMART SAVER PRO, which you can get for free at this URL- <A HREF="http://kickme.to/FOSI/" TARGET=_blank>http://kickme.to/FOSI/</A> --Don't go crazy over all the pirated software there, Ulead is legal to download.--As for the best, it's Image Ready from Adobe, which comes with Adobe Photoshop6...and that's what's used for the SAVE FOR WEB command in PS as well. You should be able to get most of your dailies down to like 30-40k and sometimes smaller. If you knwo your settings and tweeks, you can even make smooth color gifs at around 35-50k. - Hope that helps...------------------
D.J. Coffman
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Seven3 · Post by **Seven3** » Wed Jan 31, 2001 10:56 am

I've got GIMP. It's got some nice tools, but I don't see any improvement in image optimisation. Then again, I've only had it five hours. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">I've got an idea that I should working by the end of the month. It'll let me have low weight and high quality images.------------------
Time will tell. Sooner or later, time will tell - Albert Einstein, Red Alert.
Don't Panic. - Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
Spam Works(tm) - Overloaded billboard, <A HREF="http://portside.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>PortSide</A>
__|__P /_._
. |/ .. . |/
. / . .. / _
A pic from the first violent video game, Axe.

Rtist54 · Post by **Rtist54** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 8:17 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Seven3:
I've got GIMP.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That's Funny Seven3------------------
You mean to tell me you haven't seen my site yet!?!
What...are <A HREF="http://untitledagain.keenspace.com" TARGET=_blank>U A</A> wussy?

Russ · Post by **Russ** » Sun Feb 04, 2001 6:32 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Seven3:
I've got GIMP. It's got some nice tools, but I don't see any improvement in image optimisation. Then again, I've only had it five hours. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.g ... OTE>Hmm? When you save a file as JPG in Gimp you should get a popup with a nice slider from 0 to 100% quality that lets you dynamically see what the resulting jpg file would look like. Very handy for tweaking a good appearance/filesize tradeoff. If you use gifs, you can set the palette size to whatever you like as well. (Don't forget to turn off dithering.) I find Gimp very useful for getting smaller filesizes.
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russ
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Reinder · Post by **Reinder** » Mon Feb 05, 2001 1:24 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Seven3:
I've got GIMP. It's got some nice tools, but I don't see any improvement in image optimisation. Then again, I've only had it five hours. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Ya gotta admit though that my strips for Feb 1 and 2 were pretty small and not too bad looking for what they are <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif"> <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20010201.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.rocr.net/d/20010201.html</A> and the one after that.
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Reinder Dijkhuis
<A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/" TARGET=_blank>Rogues of Clwyd-Rhan</A>, Humorous fantasy strip, updated Mon-Fri, and really rather good. <A HREF="http://www.rocr.net/d/20000701.html" TARGET=_blank>Read it from the first strip!</A>