Method 1: Export As (recommended)
The modern way to reduce image size in Photoshop:
- Go to File → Export → Export As.
- Select JPG format.
- Adjust the Quality slider — start at 80% and decrease until you reach your target file size.
- Check the file size preview in the bottom-left corner.
- Click Export.
This method gives you real-time file size feedback as you adjust quality.
Method 2: Save for Web (Legacy)
The classic approach: File → Export → Save for Web (Legacy).
- Select JPEG and set quality to 60–85%.
- Use the 2-Up or 4-Up view to compare quality vs file size.
- Enable Progressive for better web loading.
- Resize the image dimensions if needed.
Method 3: Reduce canvas/image size first
Before compressing, check if your image is larger than needed:
- Image → Image Size — reduce dimensions to your target (e.g., 1200px wide for blog images).
- Then use Export As to compress the smaller image.
A 4000×3000 px image reduced to 1200×900 px will be dramatically smaller before any compression is applied.
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