Batch Compressing Images

[Geobop]

Can Photoshop or any other Adobe program be used to batch compress images? Let me explain my question . . .

First, I'm using a Mac. I'm working on an epub with over 1,000 images that have to first be resized from 1,000 pixels to 2,000 pixels. Next, I want to compress the images to a smaller file size.

I just learned that I can batch resize the images using Apple's Preview program. I then downloaded a program called ImageOptim that lets me batch compress the images.

However, I discovered that each image's file size is about three times as big as an image that I manually convert in Photoshop. I simply open the image in Photoshop and save it at a resolution of 72 dpi. It's just 1/3 the file size of an image compressed with ImageOptim!

Going back to square one, I'm looking for a way to batch resize and batch compress large numbers of images. So far, it looks like Photoshop is by far the best choice for compressing, but I can only process one image at a time. Can anyone offer me any tips?

Thanks.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer · Accepted solution]

Hi @Geobop Photoshop has a batch option found under File>Scripts>Image Processor.

You can designate file format and size to compress properly.

The only drawback is the volume of images and your available resources. I would test run 100 at a time and increase until you error out to find out how many you can run at once.

[Geobop]

Awesome! That's a feature that's going to save me a ton of time. Thanks for the tip.

[Conrad_C]

In addition to Image Processor in Photoshop, you can also select multiple images in Adobe Bridge or Adobe Lightroom Classic, and export them all in one step, to specific size and compression settings. You should not have to resize and recompress in two different applications, because so many of them can do both in a single export, including all of the software mentioned in this post.

In Adobe Bridge alone, there are multiple ways to batch export a large number of selected images:

• Open the images into Adobe Camera Raw (if the image format is supported), select them all, click the Save icon, set size and compression settings, save the new copies. 
• Open the Export panel, set up an export job that resizes and compresses, and run the Export job. 
• Switch Bridge to the Workflow workspace, set up a workflow that resizes and compresses, and run the workflow on the image. 

Unfortunately, it is necessary to test each one to see if you get the size and quality you want, because they don’t all use the same resizing and compresison algorithms.