[Davey7549]

Jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image format is the most widely used and accepted format for Internet and E-Mail applications. The size of image in KB (Kilobyte) or MB (Megabyte) directly affects transfer (Download\Upload) speed and also size\resolution has a direct correlation to quality of image displayed. Keeping that in mind, using the smallest possible image and maintaining good quality should be the target of anyone who uses product image transfers in E-mails, website design or even adding graphics to forum websites such as TSG.
What is a Jpeg compressor you ask and what does it do?
Well basically a good Jpeg compressor strips much of the unneeded header information contained in Jpeg format and also uses different compression algorithms to obtain higher compression ratios with minimal degradation for Internet use.
My research for an application supporting the above criteria was difficult in the respect of finding a balance between price, quality of output, and functional control with application. After trying several different applications I decided to try and eventually purchase WinSoftMagic's Advanced Jpep Image compressor .
WinSoftMagic has a download trialware version available that allows one to completely use all functions but you are not allowed to save the output. The cost of the application is $25.00 but I might add I was a bit apprehensive and skeptical since I was unable to view the final saved product with an independent graphic application or as it would be displayed on a website so I E-Mailed the vendor about my concerns. To my surprise I received a response within 2 hours assuring me that I would be satisfied with product and offered a 100% money back guarantee.
Since purchase I have been extremely satisfied with the product!
It has intuitive controls, default setting that supplies a very satisfactory output and reduction, plus individual adjustments for many possible elements one would use in graphic preparation. The side by side original vs changed makes the adjustments very intuitive and reversible through slide controls.
Attached is an example of the interface displaying four images with explanation of the images to right of images.

Dave

Edit: Forgot to mention the program has full batch processing capability also.

[Davey7549]

Final Product.......


Dave

[hewee]

Looks good Davey.

Sounds like a great program to have.

[darnariq]

Hello,
I have been considering purchasing Advanced JPEG Compressor to compress my personal pictures to save disk space and faster download from my ftp site that I share with friends and family. Will I run into any image quality issues if I print out these compressed pictures onto photo paper?

[Davey7549]

darnariq
Welcome to TSG!
As you are probably aware Jpeg quality does not rival Bmp, Png or Tif however if you are starting with a clean Jpeg image and use the defaults already set in the compressor then you will see little difference between the two. To my knowledge some of the extra space that AJC removes is the extraneous header and note sections all Jpeg's have hidden in them.

Dave

[hewee]

You can get for free jpg cleaner.

http://www.rainbow-software.org/prog...#JPG%20Cleaner

[hewee]

May I add that if these are personal pictures that you have then I hope you have uncompress copies that your saving to CD's. Once you compress the images then your get JPG artifacts and the more you compress the worse it is and you can not undo it.

See this site here.

http://www.scantips.com/basics09.html

[darnariq]

Thank you guys for all of the suggestions. Thanks Hewee for the very useful links. I'll read up more about it and do some test printouts.

[hewee]

Your welcome darnariq. You never want to lose or down grade the pictures you take because they are your memory of things. You need to keep them looking there best. You can always make copies that you resize, compress, edit etc and you still have the ones you started with if you need them.
For printing images your want them to be really good images. Read the scantips and your find lots of great info.