Along the right hand side of the dialog box, you will find all the settings you can use to adjust the image for a good compromise between file size and image quality. At the top of the settings panel is a preset menu which offers some common settings choices.
Take a moment to look at each of the presets and observe how it change the quality of the image. Also notice the panel just below the preview. This panel shows you the optimized file size, download time, and a summary of the settings you have chosen.
Have you noticed that the worst looking images have the smallest file size? This is the compromise you need to make when posting images on the Web.
By default, Photoshop shows you the download time estimate based on a 28.8 Kbps connection speed. This is probably the lowest speed used today. If you want an estimate closer to what the average dialup user will experience, you can change this to 56.6 Kbps from the preview menu. You access the preview menu by clicking the tiny arrow at the top right of the optimized preview. Choose the options for "Size/Download Time (56.6 Kbps Modem/ISDN)"
Optimize To File Size
The small arrow to the right of the preset menu allows you to Optimize To File Size. If you need your Web images to be below 25 KB, for example, you can choose this option and enter the desired file size, and let Elements choose the best settings to get you down to that size. Using the practice image, try entering 25 K for the desired file size, and "Auto select GIF/JPEG." Elements produces a JPEG with a quality setting of 41 which comes to just under 25 KB.
Beyond Presets
Most likely, the presets in Elements will meet the majority of your needs, but all the presets can be further adjusted using the various drop-down lists and controls. All the settings are explained in detail in the Elements Help Center (Topic > Optimizing for the Web and email > Optimizing images), so I will not repeat them here. However, I would like to encourage you to read over the help topics for optimizing as JPEG, GIF, and PNG. As you read, play with the various settings, and compare file sizes and previews to get a feel for how optimization affects your image sizes.
