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erkerkerk
Participating Frequently
December 20, 2023
Open for Voting

P: Exported JPEGs have pixel-based metadata making large files - option to discard

  • December 20, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1021 views

App version 7.1.2 (macOS, 13.6, Intel)

 

Just like it says in the title: my JPG exports are way too large in size. A 90%-quality JPG is 31.4MB, which is fine, I guess, but dropping that down to 30% quality and 500 pixels on the long side results in a file that is 30.8MB! This isn't a problem with the size estimate in the export panel either: I'm looking at a 30.8MB image that has terrible JPG compression artifacts and has dimensions of 333x500! I've attached it for your amusement. There's basically no information in this image and yet it's enormous! What is going on here?

 

I've had the same results on an Apple Silicon Mac and my iPad was also reporting large export sizes, though I didn't experiment with it as much there. To be fair, this is a large Lightroom file with lots of masks, but that shouldn't matter when it's flattened into a JPG.

 

For what it's worth, when I export to Photoshop and use the export feature there, a PNG file size at original res (which is only 1727x2591 btw) is computed at 5.6MB, and a JPG with 7/7 quality at 2.3MB. Both of those are much more like it. What's going on in Lightroom??

    2 replies

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    erkerkerkAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    December 21, 2023

    Thank you, Rikk. I did use AI selections for the first time on these pictures and unfortunately I now regret it. I feel I've bumbled into a trap by using that feature, since I apparently also lack a way to turn AI masks into regular pixel masks, so my JPGs are now going to be 30MB at minimum unless I can live without exif data (which I can't and don't think anyone should have to). As for this being as-designed, I'm a little muddy on the use case for having the pixel data you described go along for the ride as metadata for a JPG, given it can set such a high floor on its size in the process, but I know I have to defer to you there.

     

    This must be affecting others as well and I hope this feature request gets the attention it deserves. It's certainly not working the way I intend it.

     

    Finally, if my frustration bleeds through my words a little, that shouldn't suggest that I don't appreciate your assistance, because I most certainly do.

      Rikk Flohr_Photography
      Community Manager
      Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      December 20, 2023

      I am not able to replicate what you are seeing.

      Starting with a 5D Mark IV raw file and exporting at 500 PX Long Edge and 90% quality, I see around 140 KB, and at 30% quality about 70KB - hundreds of times smaller. I think you would be best served by showing us a screenshot of your export settings - all of them so we can determine what is happening. 

      It also wouldn't hurt to post the original file you are using to generate your export. 

       

       

        

      Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
      E
      erkerkerkAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      December 21, 2023

      What kind of export would be most helpful? "Original + Settings"? Will that get you all my masks and everything? It says it'll produce a 44.8MB file. If I can attach that here and it'll be useful, I'll do that.

       

      Meantime I'm attaching two screenshots. One, 30pct-small, shows the 30.8MB size of a file at 30% quality and 500px width. The second, 90pct-large, shows the 31.8MB size file at 90% quality and original dimensions.

      Rikk Flohr_Photography
      Community Manager
      Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      December 21, 2023

      I asked for the original - not an export.  Are you able to supply that? If not, then I would need the original plus settings as I can disregard the settings. 

       

      Concerning your settings. If you uncheck All Metadata how does that affect file size? 

       

      Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
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