Step by Step Instructions

Saving as JPEG

1. Begin with an image in either RGB or CMYK Color mode. Photoshop will not allow you to save other modes as JPEG.

2.

While the File->Save As command will often work, it is easier to use the File->Save a Copy command. This method always allows you to save as a JPEG (assuming the image is in the right color mode), regardless of how the original file is saved. Using Save a Copy will also keep an original version around, which is very important because saving as JPEG almost always results in loss of quality. Furthermore, if you do use Save As, the image appearing in the open window afterward does not reflect the loss in quality that JPEG introduces! You have to close the window and Open the file again to see what it really looks like.

3.

The Save a Copy command presents you with a Save dialog, into which you can type the name of the new JPEG file. When saving JPEG files for the Web, you should always make sure the last four characters of a file's name are .jpg (in lowercase). After you have given the file a new name, click on the Format popup and choose JPEG. Put a checkmark in front of Flatten Image and/or Don't Include Alpha Channels, if available.

4.

Now, when you click on Save, you are presented with a second dialog. This is where you tell Photoshop what quality you want the resulting image to be. The further the slider is to the right, the higher the quality (and the larger the file). In fact, if you to save a 16-color image in JPEG with the Maximum quality setting, it will be larger than if you simply use the GIF format. Needless to say, it takes some experimentation to find the best trade-off between quality and size. Unfortunately, there is no preview in this dialog, so you need to open the saved file to view the results.

If you have Photoshop 4, there are three Format Options available. Baseline Optimized is a slightly smaller version of Baseline, and is almost always the best choice. Progressive causes a Web browser to draw alternating sections of the image as it is received. This option is not recommended, however, since only the newest Web browsers support this option; older browsers cannot view JPEGs saved in this manner at all.

The Save Paths option is unnecessary if you are saving images for the Web, and should therefore not be checked.

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