Need help reducing size of images

[myforevervideo]

I have several .jpg images processed with adobe photoshop and saved with a quality of 3 (of a scale 1-10, 10 being the highest.) However, the images are considered too big to be 56k friendly (65kb for 327x327 pixels). Any suggestions?

[eightfifteen]

A couple of things:

Are you going to have several of these images on the page at the same time?
If there is only one of these images on the page, then I say that should be kosher. That image will only take about 2 seconds to download. If there are going to be several of these images on the page, maybe you should reconsideryour design.

Is reducing the pixel dimensions acceptable?
If you can't squeeze any more compresion out of the image, the other option is to reduce the dimension. (i.e. make them 150px x 150px)

Would GIF be a better option?
If there are large areas of solid color, or if these are not photos, a gif might serve as a better option for smaller graphics.

Good luck, and happy compressing!

[myforevervideo]

Thank you for the quick reply. There are 2 images as well as a flash banner on the index page, which totals to about 175kb. I found a potentially helpful image optimizer at Sitereportcard but even the first optimization of the images produces unwanted side effects.

[redcircle]

is it possible to post links to the images... Flash is not that 56k friendly to begin with.. Try not to use flash.

[eslider_01]

Have you tried the save for web feature in photoshop yet? If not give it a try it really gives you control on reducing the size of images for the web.

[DaButcher]

This is a good tip:

Originally Posted by eslider_01

Have you tried the save for web feature in photoshop yet?

Also:
http://www.rainbow-software.org/download/jpgcln26.zip

That is an application that removes un-necessary comments in the jpg files.

Sometimes, files take less space if you save them as .gif and select less colors. Though, this is hard to say more about, unless you post your images.

[akbigdog]

Yes, do use the "Export to Web" option in Photoshop. It gives you excellent control over your output options, displays preview of optimized image and--most importantly to the topic at hand--shows you what the optimized file's size will be.

[redcircle]

I like the export feature in fireworks as well also.

[Jade456]

Also make sure the DPI is set to 72, anything higher is wasted on the web. GIF format is definitely a good way to go as well.