How to Use the Photoshop Save for Web Tool

Balance image quality with size

By
Eric Miller
Eric Miller
Writer
  • New York University
Eric Miller is a former Lifewire writer, freelance graphic designer, and owner of a web development and graphic design studio established in 1998.
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Updated on December 18, 2021
Reviewed by
Lisa Mildon
Lisa Mildon
Reviewed by Lisa Mildon
  • Southern New Hampshire University
Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Open an image in Photoshop. Select Image > Image Size. Enter a new width, and then select Pixels > OK.
  • Choose File > Save for Web and Devices. Choose the 2-Up tab to see the original and optimized images side by side.
  • Change the Quality value and view the results. Make adjustments to the size or file type if needed. Select Save and name the new image.

This article explains how to use Photoshop's Save for Web tool to optimize images for use on the web. This information applies to Photoshop 20.0.10 and later. Commands and menu options may differ between versions.

How to Save for Web in Photoshop

Graphic designers, web designers, and others who create content for the web, also create web-ready images such as photos for websites and banner ads. Before uploading these images, they optimize the images to download and display quickly in a web browser.

Here's how to use the Save for Web tool in Photoshop to get the right balance of image quality and file size for your images.

  1. Open the image you want to save in Photoshop.

  2. Select Image > Image Size. Or, for PC, press Alt+Ctrl+I, for macOS, press Command+Option+I on the keyboard.

    An image open in Photoshop with the Image Size menu option highlighted

  3. In the Width field, enter a new width, select Pixels, then select OK.

    Resize the photo to a small size that can be used on a website.

    The Image Size dialog box in Photoshop with the width window and OK button highlighted

  4. Select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). Or, use the keyboard shortcut: Alt/Option+Command+Shift+S.

    In other versions of Photoshop, the path is File > Export > Save for Web. The item may be called Save for Web or Save for Web and Devices.

    An image open in Photoshop with the Save for Web and Devices menu item highlighted

  5. In the Save for Web window, go to the Original, Optimized, 2-Up, and 4-Up tabs. These tabs switch between a view of the original photo, the optimized photo with the Save for Web settings applied to it, or a comparison of two or four versions of the photo.

    Choose 2-Up to compare the original photo with the optimized photo. This shows side-by-side copies of the image.

    The Save for Web & Devices window in Photoshop with the 2Up option highlighted

  6. Change the Quality value. As you lower the quality, the image looks muddier, and the file size goes down. Smaller files mean faster-loading web pages.

    Find a happy medium between file size and quality. A quality between 40 and 60 is a good range. Use the preset quality levels (JPEG Medium, for example) to save time.

    Save for Web & Devices window in Photoshop with the quality slider and presets highlighted

  7. Change the file type, if needed, to JPEG, GIF, PNG-8, PNG-24, or WBMP.

    Image type menu in Photoshop's Save for Web window

  8. Change the size of the image, if needed. Enter a width or height, or scale it by a percentage.

    Click the chain link icon to change the proportion of the image. Otherwise, enter a different width or height to change the other value in proportion.

    Save for Web & Devices window in Photoshop with the Image Size and Percent areas highlighted

  9. The values below the image preview display the file type, size, and how long the image will take to open on a website. These numbers update as you make changes.

    Photoshop's Save for Web & Devices window with the image size and type readout highlighted

  10. When you're satisfied with the photo, select Save.

    Save for Web & Devices window in Photoshop with the Save button highlighted

  11. Type a name for the photo, then click Save.

    Save As dialog box in Photoshop with the Save button highlighted

What Makes a Graphic Web-Ready?

Most web-ready graphics share common characteristics:

  • Resolution is 72 dpi.
  • Color mode is RGB.
  • Files are reduced in size for faster-loading web pages.
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