PS6 - "Save for Web" suddenly saving at 300 dpi instead of 72

[FloridaGal]

I've been using PS6 for Windows for years and saving images for the web all day long with no problems.

The last couple of days instead of saving images at 72 dpi with "Save for Web" as it always has, it's suddenly saving the correct reduced pixel width and height, but hasn't reduced the pixels to 72 from 300 of my original image.

Any advice on how to fix this, or at least reduce the image resolution to the right size would be MOST appreciated.

I'm so used to this working seamlessly that I'm drawing a blank at solving my own problem. Thanks folks.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Save For Web doesn't save with any ppi. Not 300, not 72, not anything. Resolution metadata are stripped from the file since it's not relevant on screen, only in print.

Any ppi figure you get is assigned when reopening the file by another application. All applications have their own defaults.

In any case, the ppi figure doesn't really matter as long as you don't use it to resample the file. But that's a secondary function. Other than that, the file is just pixels.

[Warren Heaton]

There's nothing to reduce as far as screen resolution is concerned.  The DPI for print only comes into play when you go to print the image.  

Another way to look at it is 1920x1080 at 300 dpi is the same as 1920x1080 at 72dpi (or any dpi for that matter) until you choose File > Print.  Furthermore, you can adjust the dpi as needed with no loss or gain in image quality as long as the pixel dimension remain 1920x1080.