P: Generator JPEGs very poor quality

Report · Aug 19, 2015

Photoshop CC 2015 - I'm using Generate to export .jpgs and have noticed the quality settings result is hugely different outputs from the Save for Web dialogue generated files.

Here's an example where the Save for Web (legacy) dialogue exports a decent looking 12KB jpg at 11%.

Even at 1% .jpg quality, the 10KB output isn't too bad.

The same area exported via Generate at 11% (generate-11-percent.jpg11%) is 6KB and revolting.

Why aren't the results comparable?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Report · Aug 20, 2015

could you please email us the file you're exporting? original file you're exporting from. We're working on improving image quality on export and want to make sure we're fixing all cases. My email is imaderyc@adobe.com

thank you!

Report · Aug 20, 2015

Have emailed.
Also download here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4...

Report · Sep 01, 2015

Is this issue linked to sRGB?
I notice 24bit PNG files made with Generate are not sRGB. This renders them useless to me, and presumably everyone exporting assets for online use.

Is there a way to force Generate to produce sRGB images?

Report · Sep 02, 2015

> Is there a way to force Generate to produce sRGB images?

For some unknown reason, Adobe decide not to include color management when they wrote the code for both Generate and Export As. We've been asking for it since it was released and there has yet to be any visible movement in that direction.

Report · Jan 25, 2016

This is a big issue for me too, detailed on Github here:

https://github.com/adobe-photoshop/ge...

Report · Jan 25, 2016

Did a little testing this morning and i think the issue you're having is with the default generator compression. Have you tried setting a custom compression suffix?

Comparing a jpg with 90% quality vs the default generator isn't a fair comparison...

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/usi...

Report · Jan 26, 2016

I've tested this extensively on many different files, and as detailed in my Github post, I'm not just comparing the default quality — many different compression and output settings — attempting to get the same results, without success.

(Please also take a look at the file sizes when you are testing too — there are significant differences when aiming for the same quality of final output. This is an issue for production web environments, a few KB here and there on every single file has a significant cost at scale.)

That's all I'm after, the same quality of output in Generator as what it is replacing. So far that's not possible.

Report · Jan 26, 2016

Without sRGB, which I think Generate still fails to export, you'll never get web ready outputs. Otherwise, your github post seems to mirror the problems identified above. No fix yet, apparently.

Report · Feb 15, 2016

I've just hit this issue also.

Was aiming to use the feature to speed up the image export process but the lack of sRGB export has killed the vibrancy of my images.

Left image is exported using File > Generate > Image Assets.
RHS Image is the PSD file.

Has there been any progress or solutions found?

Report · Feb 15, 2016

Yeah, it's not great isn't it. That's just one of many problems with the output quality.

They are still working on it apparently, but it's quite difficult to get some firm answers.

See the latest reply to this though:

https://github.com/adobe-photoshop/generator-assets/issues/348

Report · Feb 15, 2016

That is somewhat reassuring!

Report · Feb 15, 2016

When it comes shortly after a statement confirming it was already fixed... limits the value 🙂

Report · Feb 16, 2016

Yeah, agreed.

I wish there we better, more formal communications channels with Adobe. Strange mashup of community input and staff members from multiple teams commenting on 3rd party websites.

Don't know who to believe, nor how to communicate with the right people.

Report · Feb 16, 2016

Thanks Jim for sharing the github issue. We are indeed working on it. One of the main factors is that S4W and Generator use different libraries and tables. We are working on addressing that in Generator so it yields the same qualitative and quantitative results.

Report · Feb 16, 2016

Generator will remain useless until it is properly Colour Managed and the lets the user embed Colour Profiles, and full EXIF too, when they wish to.

Report · Feb 16, 2016

Ann, I disagree. If sRGB was supported today I could probably utilise Generate for a wide variety of asset exports for use in website user interfaces and site population.

I have previously embarked on such a workflow when doing template design but ended up having to manually export in the end due to Generate's shortcomings.

With sRGB assets creation from Generate I would still be limited non-transparent, 256 colour, GIF files and 8-bit PNGs (due to lack of matte colour management support etc), but 24-bit PNGs and JPEGs would be fine. Naturally I'd have to tweak the JPEG quality settings to ensure the quality was okay.

I'm interested to know for what uses Generate would be a time saver, when the export required other colour profiles and full EXIF. My scope for using Generate may be too narrow!

Report · Feb 16, 2016

SFW is superior to EA for posting photographs (JPGs) to websites because conversion to sRGB can both be done automatically and the colour profile can also be instantly embedded in the JPG.

The better web browsers can read that profile and clients who need to download the file receive one that they can open, view and edit correctly in colour-managed applications (instead of getting a lump of Mystery Meat from EA dumped into their machines!).

The inclusion of full EXIF , or some subset of the EXIF, is often desirable when posting images on Photography forums on the Internet.

SFW provides these features (and a lot more in addition!) while Export As still fails to offer these essential tools.

SFW needs to be preserved as a separate entity from the Generate/Export As module; and it also needs to be returned to its top-level position in the File Menu.

Report · Feb 16, 2016

Of course Save For Web is a fabulous tool (I actually never use Export As for this reason). But I think that debate is quite separate from the issues related to Generate. Generate exports Layer objects from PSDs as individual files. I can't see how this would be used for creation of resized images with EXIF data for Photography forums or correctly colour managed files which might be required for printing. Do you usually compose many of these in one PSD?

Report · Feb 16, 2016

My concern is that Adobe seems to be intending to replace SFW with Generate/EA; or to enfold SFW into EA (hence the insertion of the word "Legacy"); and Export AS is still missing a number vital tools (including CM, EXIF options and comparative windows).

The poor quality of the EA-generated JPEGs (and the lack of better controls in the EA Panel including the embedding of the sRGB Profile) is a very strong reason for keeping SFW totally separated from the EA module.

So the issues with the poor quality from Generate/EA could directly affect SFW unless they are kept as completely separate operations.

Report · Feb 17, 2016

I have exactly the same problem. Also described here:
https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/ps-new-export-functionality-does-not-reach-im...
with Examples.

And BTW the new UI from the latest update is really bad.

Report · Jun 29, 2016

Sadly, this does not seem to have been fixed in Photoshop CC 2015.5 - just released.

Report · Jun 30, 2016

The defaults will still exhibit the previous results, however, updates were applied to the FLITE transcoder for better jpg optimization. You can set Generator to use FLITE with optimization via a configuration file. Here are the resources you can leverage to do that:
https://github.com/adobe-photoshop/generator-core/wiki/Generator-Configuration-File-Format
https://github.com/adobe-photoshop/generator-assets/wiki/Configuration-Options

Report · Jul 11, 2016

For those still following along at home, the 2015.5 update includes a new image export engine and Generate can be configured to use it. The result is better JPEG quality and sRGB files.

Here's a summary of what you need to do, on a PC, to force Photoshop Generate to work properly.
https://github.com/adobe-photoshop/generator-assets/issues/348#issuecomment-231910466

Report · Jul 11, 2016

You might like to update your WIKI to reflect the need for "module.exports = {" for .js files... and maybe add some additional clues that might facilitate self-help. Thanks though. Finally got it working!

Report · Jul 11, 2016

Oh, it does... just overlooked/misunderstood by a novice. 😞