The main problem is the GIF format. It's an indexed color format and drops out "unusued colors". You are better off using a highly compressed JPEG format than GIF for photos. GIF works better for graphics, buttons, etc... things where you have better control over what colors are used. The palette on a photo is simply too dynamic to use GIF.
If you're trying to save images for a website, I would recommend using PS and the "save for web" option. Save as a jpeg and adjust compression/image size to suit your needs. I usually compress the crap out of my images to use online. I compress them as much as I possibly can and still maintain image quality.
OK- I setup my site in PS then open in Image Ready to insert the rollovers and then save optimized as- once all the pages are done I'll open it in Dreamweaver to setup all the links.
I'm pretty new to this but I did a fair amount of looking around at the savng options to see if it would get any better- no luck so far...
The main problem is the GIF format. It's an indexed color format and drops out "unusued colors". You are better off using a highly compressed JPEG format than GIF for photos. GIF works better for graphics, buttons, etc... things where you have better control over what colors are used. The palette on a photo is simply too dynamic to use GIF.
If you're trying to save images for a website, I would recommend using PS and the "save for web" option. Save as a jpeg and adjust compression/image size to suit your needs. I usually compress the crap out of my images to use online. I compress them as much as I possible can and still maintain image quality.
OK- I setup my site in PS then open in Image Ready to insert the rollovers and then save optimized as- once all the pages are done I'll open it in Dreamweaver to setup all the links.
I'm pretty new to this but I did a fair amount of looking around at the savng options to see if it would get any better- no luck so far...
IMHO, you've got an extra step there. I use PS (or Fireworks for buttons) and create my rollovers as separate files. You can then use Dreamweaver to set up your rollover file(s). No need to use Image Ready.
Edit to add....
If you have Dreamweaver, you should do all of your layout set-up there. Use tables in Dreamweaver... lots more felixibility and more control over your final product.
I don't know anything about Fireworks but my rollovers are not the image themself- mouse rolls over & pic pops up on the side...
man, I tried so hard to use tables in Dreamweaver but I could not get things where I wanted them!
Also the save for web thing is not the problem... maybe it will be better once I save for web from Dreamweaver Although I thought I would be opening the HTML file which is already messed up looking? (I'm not at that step yet)
You might try doing *only* the images (as someone suggested Photoshop above), then replacing the ones in your "save as html" area with your new creations.
Hope that helps.
in Imageready open your optimize pallete, there you will find the options to switch from gif to jpg and set the quality etc...
Is that a global setting? Meaning does that set the quality for all images on that page? I've never used ImageReady (more of a Dreamweaver guy myself), but if you set a constant image quality for all images, it seems that wouldn't be the best way to "optimize" your site. Some images may require low compression to maintain quality while some might stand a fair amount of compression before image quality starts to fall off. To me it's better to treat each image separately to maintain highest quality and maximum optimization.
Thanks for you help guys, I'll try your suggestion Greg when the kids are asleep tonight & post how it goes here :0)
I had all my images at a pretty good size (around 50kb) before I opened them in IR and still looking good. So each image was done seperate in the first step... (it's the second one I gotta get down!) Thanks Lee!
