Resample to JPEG; retain original

[Stevod]

Hi,

Like many web professionals, I need to create/keep hi-res originals of images in PLD format (20MP). However, I also need to export these as lower res images to JPEG for insertion on web sites with lower quality requirements.

At the moment, I can't find any way of using Web Export and resampling the output in the same operation. Therefore, to avoid losing the originals, I generally save as a different PLD file, resample the file and then export from that second PLD file, to avoid the high risk of resampling the original PLD, then saving it as a matter of course, and forgetting to remove the resampling and hence losing the hi-res original in the first PLD.

Is there a simple way of doing this in one operation, to avoid PLD file clones, and hence making life easier for people in the same situation?

Many thanks,
Stevod

[bkh]

You can record an action for downsampling your files. Then just choose that action in the Web export dialogue. This will retain the original (PL) file and allow to save a downsampled version.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[photoken]

For your convenience, here's the action I use when exporting for the Web:

Scale Image.zip

The action pauses at the Scale Image dialog to allow choosing the various options.

You define it to be used in the Web Export dialog:

web export actions.png

[Stevod]

Spot on. \thanks guys!

Stevod

[Stevod]

Spot on. Thanks guys!

Stevod

[Herbert123]

Another option is to use the external app link. I installed ColorQuantizer and RIOT (Radical Image Optimization Tool) (only available for Windows).

http://x128.ho.ua/color-quantizer.html
http://download.criosweb.ro/download.php?sid=R
(be certain to download the portable version of RIOT - the installer version may include spamware.)

Then, hook up both with the external app link option in Photoline. I assigned F10 for exporting to CQ. Decide for yourself whether you wish to export the flattened document, or the selected layer (or "ask").

Although Photoline does a fair job exporting to PNG, ColorQuantizer is the BEST PNG optimizer I have encountered so far: the level of control over quality and compression is amazing. It even offers a quality brush to control which areas in an image must retain the exact colours. Nothing else comes close. I never use Photoline's PNG web export, and instead I consistently prefer CQ.

RIOT is good for JPG optimization, and a nice alternative to have alongside Photoline's web export, primarily because it allows for manual control over chroma subsampling (something not possible in Photoline or Photoshop), and meta data can be removed or maintained. RIOT also provides an automatic mode in which you can compress to a pre-selected exact file size. This is at times an almost essential feature to have when preparing images for the web.

Both apps allow for resampling an image while exporting. CQ even has a nice automatic trim feature - which is extraordinarily handy when exporting layer groups and layers. CQ also offers the largest number of resampling algorithms I have seen so far: 16(!) different methods for your downsampling pleasure!

In addition, RIOT and CQ allow you to compare the optimized and original version in-place. Arguably much more useful than a side-by-side comparison.

ColorQuantizer also (partly) fills a gap in Photoline: the lack of an indexed colour mode. In CQ it is simple to take control over a custom indexed colour palette, editing and deleting specific colours. Together with 8 different dithering algorithms, it becomes an indispensable tool for web, screen, and (2d) games work.

After setting these up as external apps in Photoline, they feel as if they become part of Photoline. Even more so in a sense compared to Photoline's own export web option, because the + and - keys zoom in and out - while PL's web export does not respond to those keys, for some reason. Once CQ and RIOT are open, you can have as many instances open as you need or like, AND images can be dropped in both from your Photoline browser and mini-browser panel. It really helps the workflow. Again, this is not possible with Photoline's web export window, which is completely modal in nature.