RIOT - Radical Image Optimization Tool. A free program designed to efficiently optimize images for the Web.
I have just found out about this FREE image optimization application, that from initial findings - really does a good job of getting file sizes down, while maintaining a decent image quality.
My standard method for optimizing the images that I display on my websites and forums, is using Photoshop and "Save for Web" - generally with a setting between 60% and 80% for Jpegs. I get the smallest file size possible from Photoshop, using that save method.
I think that it is pretty common knowledge however, that Photoshop is not the best tool available for squeezing out the smallest file size/image quality ratio. RIOT appears to be one tool that improves on Photoshops saving algorithm.
DOWNLOAD FROM THIS WEBSITE -
http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/------
A first quick test was done on an already Photoshop resaved image, where I had a decent file size and good enough image quality for web display. This is the type of image however that is very tricky to compress as it contains so much detail with all of the background scenery. Compression works best with larger areas that contain similar colour values.
And so I was reasonably pleased with the
160KB file size - although I hate using images that large on websites. I believe that I used a bottom end 60% compression in
Photoshop's Save for Web - to get even down to this file size.:
Ans so I opened this same file in
RIOT, and viewed the setting that it chose for JPEG compression - and was able to see the comparison in the double window this software provides - - - before saving. Astonishingly, the rerendered file came in at around
70KB - 1/2 the file size of the Photoshop file. Image quality looked almost as good:
Another feature offered with
RIOT, is the ability to set your own file size limit and let the program use what ever compression it takes to keep it under that threshold. Because of the Double Window and instant update using the new recompressed file - it is very easy to try different values and see if they will suit your needs.
As an example, with the above image I put in a value of 20KB and the image degraded quite severely - I tried 30KB and while the image improved, the details in areas like the rocks still suffered. After trying different file size values, I found that I could probably get away with the result returned from the 40KB setting - in many web applications where maximum detail was not required. In fact, unless there was a direct side by side comparison with the original - most viewers would not even know the difference and would accept the quality. Final file size was
39.4KB:
A Radical Image Optimization Tool
A Radical Image Optimization Tool
A Radical Image Optimization Tool
