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Andrii Kulikov
Participating Frequently
April 26, 2019
Question

Illustrator Export for Screens VS Save for Web - file size

  • April 26, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 12324 views

Hi!

why would Export for Screens feature produces noticeable larger jpg files compared to good old Save for Web? For instance using the same artboard:

EfS: JPG 80% (predefined) 365 kb

SfW: JPG 80% (default settings) 261 kb

Trying to get used to use EfS but this issue rolls me back every time.

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 21, 2019

Andrii, others,

In addition to what byronigoe said, you may have a look at this somewhat similar thread, especially post #9 by Ton:

Measurement precision FAIL

Participant
July 21, 2019

It's not just filesize, but also quality. I've attached 2 JPGs: the first was made by "Export for Screens" to "JPG 50" with "Baseline Optimized" compression and "Art Optimized" anti-aliasing; the second was made by "Save for Web (Legacy)" to "JPG" with 50% quality, Optimized, and including the ICC Profile.

The first is 552KB, and the second is only 321KB (58% the size) and looks better.

Note that the first has a pink halo between the two black circles around the numbers, and the lines are less sharp. I thought there might be a default "Blur" applied by Export for Screens, but when I add Blur in Save for Web the filesize goes down and I never see the halo.

ryan_edwards
Inspiring
April 26, 2019

you could run your jpegs thru this as well if file size is a big concern

https://tinyjpg.com/

Andrii Kulikov
Participating Frequently
April 26, 2019

thanks! anyway I now that trick and It seems to be a workaround not a solution for me.

I could keep using Save for Web, but Adobe says 'Hey! Why not use super-duper Export for Screens feature instead of this old junky Save for Web?'

being a new-features-fun I try to learn all improvements come with updates and though I missed something somewhere in settings.

Sandee Cohen
Legend
April 26, 2019

I can confirm this.

Export for Screens on left, Save for Web on right.

Some of what I think is Save for Web has controls not available in Export for Screens. For instance "Art Optimized" is in Save for Web. That could mean the difference.

But my question is what is "Export for Screens" for? I thought it was to create the images used in creating apps, not for the web. And images for apps for screens aren't downloaded except ones for the initial setup. That's one reason you don't need to worry about file size.

Or am I wrong?

I rarely use Export for Screens. Legacy gives me more controls. I just wish they didn't use the label Legacy. It makes me feel very old.

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 26, 2019

Some of it could be metadata, which Export As and Export for Screens both save, but Save for Web doesn't.

Andrii Kulikov
Participating Frequently
April 26, 2019

100kb should be a lot of data. Any way to disable adding these?

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 26, 2019

It does seem like too much to be accounted for by that, but I can't think of anything else.