Limit File Size help please

[Duncanh]

Help please. I have an image (raw with some develop settings) that when I export at 100% with no file size limit and no resizing is 25.5MB. I need to have a file less than 25MB to upload for producing a photo book. If I Limit File Size to 24,000K or reduce Quality to 90% both come out at 14.4MB (image sizing section is unticked). Doing same with another image that is 26.8MB it exports to 16.2MB.
Done a search of forum and found a post that seems to say LR has a number of "steps" (10??) when compressing but going from 25.5 to 14.4MB seems big jump. Is this a LR limitation and is there anyway round it ? thanks
Lightroom 4.4

 

[Jim Wilde]

Have a read of this article from Jeffrey Friedl: http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/jpeg-quality

The bottom line is that yes there is a big reduction in output file size when using smaller numbers on the Quality slider, but in reality dropping down to the 92 level (which is probably what happens when you used Limit File Size for that particular picture) will give a quality that will be virtually no different to the 100 setting. In other words I wouldn't worry about it.....but if you are bothered by it all I can suggest is a very small crop then export at full quality which should get you under that 25mb limit.

 

[Duncanh]

Hi Jim

Thank you very much, that article explains and demonstrates what is happening, why and the results which even I can understand !! After reading article your bottom line really sums it up. I've bookmarked the link to show others, again thanks. Duncan