Photoshop 2015: Save for Web (Legacy) and Generate Image Assets

[Thlayle]

For whatever reason, I have been having some trouble adapting to the new 'Export As" command in Photoshop 2015. For one thing, it always defaults to PNG unless I, (1) change my quick export preference to JPEG and (2) settle for whatever quality level I originally chose if I did set up JPEG for my quick export preference.

It also seems to be a bit slower in rendering the image preview.

The same old 'Save for Web' is present, though named 'legacy' now.

All of this led me to explore the 'Generate Image Assets' feature. This is better for graphic design folks and does not seem to be quite what I need for my more general photography interest. Still, it is slick: you can generate saved asset files of various sizes and even within separate directories just by renaming layers within a Photoshop file. I hear lots of comments in this forum about the benefits of time saving steps. This can be a real time saver, at the very least for the graphic designers but I think maybe also for the just the 'regular' photographers. You can quickly kick out several versions of an image just by the use of layer names.

Just posting this since I am curious how others, the Photoshop CC crowd mainly I guess, are doing with the changes to the Photoshop save & export commands.

I can't say I really know how long this 'generate assets' has been around, in it's current form anyway. A tutorial about is is at https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/us...ts-layers.html

Regards,

-Randy

[chauncey]

I found a work-around...convert ProPhoto to 8 bit sRGB>save to jpeg, you have a choice of image IQ.

[Manfred M]

I found a work-around...convert ProPhoto to 8 bit sRGB>save to jpeg, you have a choice of image IQ.

This is exactly the same workflow that I use. I'm also generally downsizing to 1600 pixels as the largest dimension to speed up image load times.

[FootLoose]

To change the default file type from PNG to another image format, choose File > Export > Export Preferences...

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/ho...s-new--2015-06

[rpcrowe]

I have never used Photoshop's (any version of that program) Save To Web tool.

Instead, I select the size I want and I save the file in that size.

For posting on most web sites, I save my images to Smugmug and post a link to that program rather than saving the image itself to the website. I am able to save multiple images at once to my smugmug galleries. I have been using smugmug for years and, although I don't use all the available bells and whistles of that site, I really like it.

Although smugmug does cost, five U.S. Dollars a month is a small price to pay for the ease of use.

[Thlayle]

I have been using Photoshop for just over a year now & have come to rely on the 'Save for Web' option because it does easily allow for choosing the image size and quality. There's a number of other options there too, including the ability to create presets for different purposes and then choose them from a pick list when saving.

By comparison, the new 'Export As' in the current Photoshop 2015 release seems to have fewer options.

I am curious & a bit confused, Wm and Manfred, about doing the 'convert ProPhoto to 8 bit sRGB>save to jpeg' that is mentioned. Are you saying you change the image mode to 8-bit and then do a 'Save As'? I don't find the exact 'convert ProPhoto to 8 bit sRGB' phrase anywhere and when using the 'Save As' off the file menu, I am not seeing image quality options.

Greg, yes, that is an option in the preferences and I even changed my preference to JPEG. Still 'Export As' brings up PNG by default. The preference seems only to affect what the 'Quick Export as' option, making that JPEG -- but that relies on the quality setting I chose in the preference panel & doesn't allow me to alter it during the export.

So I am inclined to stick with the 'Save for Web' choice, since it works for me. Hopefully, Adobe doesn't just drop this now 'legacy' option. I am open to trying new things, better or faster methods, including this 'convert ProPhoto to 8 bit sRGB>save to jpeg' idea (but I don't understand where/what it is).

Finally, have any of you used the 'generate image assets' feature? It really seems like it has promise for cranking out several image versions & combinations -- just by the use of layer names.

[redforester]

I've been using Photoshop for many years as a web/graphic designer (not nearly as long for Photography). I'm still scratching my head why Adobe seems to be phasing out "Save for Web". As Thlayle mentioned its faster than "Export As" and has more options.

Judging by the comments at the end of this article I'm not alone:
http://blogs.adobe.com/crawlspace/20...p-cc-2015.html

That said, I stopped using "Save for Web" for my photographs when I realized that my EXIF data was gone when I uploaded those JPEGs to Flickr. Now I save my DNG file from Camera RAW as a PSD, make any additional adjustments to my PSD file then "Save As" a JPEG. I post my images full size, and only set the the JPEG quality.