ncswampfox Loc: greensboro, nc

what are the pros and cons of save as or save for web?

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

Save As - Larger files
Save for Web - Smaller files and depending on the software the colours may be changed to "Websafe colours"

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

ncswampfox,

This depends on the software used to edit the image file.

In general it means the "Save As:" allows you to save the edited image in a format for later use with a higher resolution and in a format suited for multiple uses. The "Save For Web:" will save the image in the physical size you left it in at the end of editing, and reduce the resolution to between 72 and 96dpi. It may reduce the color depth to web safe colors, and a preset physical image size.

Michael G

ncswampfox Loc: greensboro, nc

Thank you Michael. Does it have anything to do with exif data?

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

In Photoshop, "Save for web" allows you to save as much or as little metadata as you want.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

ncswampfox,

It depends on the program you use to edit the image. Web Save is intended to meet the requirements for a web site, or embedding into e-mail, and with that goal will strip out all non essential data during the save process.

The Save, Save As function may leave EXIF intact if saved in a natural JPG format, and the UID should provide a check box to select EXIF data.

The choice of keeping EXIF data is a personal privacy issue, your camera may be providing data that is of a personal nature you may not want shared around the WWW.

Michael G

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

If I intend to post the image, I chose "Save for the Web".
Then I also save it at 50% so I am sure it will upload smoothly.

The drawback is I then have 3 files of the same picture. :?
A RAW (nef), a jpg, and a jpg_web file. (Because I put a " _web" on them to quickly delineate it is a web sized file)

But that is how I dootit. (Adobe Elements 12)

Reason being, modern cameras save pretty large jpg files. So when saving I crunch it 50% for speed.
UHH also will crunch a biggo picture to tailor it to the site for smooth loading. That can add to upload (posting) time, or toss the post entirely.
Reduced jpg's have loaded better for me.
And the displayed image appears to be fine from my end.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

Sonny,

What ever works for you is just fine. Be aware that if you upload a "Saved for Web" file to UHH, the UHH servers may well reduce that file for a thumbnail, and if you click the Store Original the visitors will only see your compressed image file, not your intended original image in JPG.

If, on the other hand, you save your original JPG file at high resolution, and upload it to UHH the server will automatically reduce the size and resolution for thumbnail viewing. If you click store original the server will provide a link to your originally uploaded file and present that file in its full size and resolution.

Neither approaches guarantee the original quality of your JPG file will be displayed on a visitors monitor from the server.

Other image sharing web sites may work differently, and that is why I use different folders for each web site.

It's a pain in the butt for us, but that's why we have external hard drives.

Michael G

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Yep. and yep, yep, yep. Michael. ;)

Kuzano

A complement or extension of what Searcher said:

Save As: file kept at larger file/pixel size and if posted to web, target for theft or copyright violation, if you post large.

Save for Web: File saved at lesser pixel and possibly color size for posting to web sites as portions of the site and to load fast. NOT as likely to be purloined by the "pic thieves".

Searcher hit the nail on the head for a concise explanation. I only added the part about thievery as it is a fairly common occurrence which digital and the internet has brought to play.

I have always considered Save for Web, as something you do if you build your own web site and the pages consist of photos as portions of the pages, so the site will load faster. Worst thing you can do is build, pay for, and support your own site, without regard to how fast it loads. People won't stick around on a slow web site.

Save for Web somewhat automatically renders pictures appropriate for web viewing. Save As allows you to save files with all edits at pretty much any size you choose, as long as you do so with regard to final usage. You may actually up size or up rez an image to print larger, or you may downsize, but keep color quality for smaller pictures.

Searcher is fairly concise.
I am rather verbose.

Depends on how much you want to read. There are people who just want to get in the car and drive, as well as there are people who want to understand internal combustion, fuel injection, ad infinitum.

TheDman Loc: USA

Your pixel dimensions are not affected by either save as or save for web. You can use either method on any size image.

ncswampfox Loc: greensboro, nc

Want to thank everyone for the very informative answers. Have wandered about the subject for sometime. Now I feel I understand.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

ncswampfox,

There is one way to really understand the priniples in Saving for the Web.

Many ISPs provide some private web space for their customers, it is usually small, about 20Mb. With an imag straight out of your camera (.jpg only) upload the image to your private space.

Note how long it takes to upload to the sever, note how long it takes to download and render on your computer. You will need to build a simple web page and there are plenty of free apps to do this.

Once you have the simple web site (page) built and on the server, note the physical size the image renders on the computer.

The final test that will prove most of what you have read earlier on UHH. Go to a friend, or family member who has the older dial-up connection to the internet. connect to your private page and not the time it takes to download and render your picture.

"The proof is in the pudding".

Michael G

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I learned all that in the low side of the 1990's, grinding out my own with HTML code. (I've been on the web since before Al Gore invented it. Bulletin Board (BB) days.)
But also then, we were stuck with mo-damn's at 9600 and 14,400 baud rates. I've always been about one step back from the fastest available. First in my Neighborhood with static DSL (pre-ADSL days), I learned to HATE the telephone company.
Their system was the reason the web was the World Wide Wait.
Here, 25 years later, things are moving well.

I absolutely agree that the size needs consideration for those who live remotely from the pipelines of the urbanites. But today is blazing compared to the then.

Nightski

I was going to start a new topic, but I thought I might ask this question here. Why doesn't the save for web option let you choose where your file is going? Where does it go? I saved one last night and I have no idea where it is.