Default Compression Factor for JPG with CTRL-S

[Alp]

Hi all,

I've been using PSP since decades, currently I'm using the latest PSP X5.

When I open a .jpg/.jpeg file and without changing anything on picture hit File-->Save or CTRL-S or the Floppy on the Toolbar, any picture is overwritten with a certain compression factor of about 15 (but not exactly). If I go over the File-->Save As..or F12 function, I can choose the compression factor as I want (f.ex. 5) over the options, it will be retained forever, until I change it manually, what is perfectly ok.

I'm quite sure, it wasn't always like this, but since some versions it is. I think earlier the factor I choose on "Save As..." was also used for "Save". But a mystical compression factor is used, which can't be reproduced manually: 15 is a notch bigger but about the closest.

Question:
Can I set the default compression factor somewhere, I don't want to make the whole procedure over "Save As..." every time, I just want to open an image, edit and click "Save" with a compression factor of let's say 5. Anything for achieving that is acceptable, like modifiying Registry settings or editing config files to the HEX Level. A lot of googling and searching in settings didn't solve my problem yet.

I use very many features of this great program and plugins and stuff, but it turns out, the only problem I have with it, is about the most basic function

[hartpaul]

I have just tested with X5 and found that my default Save compression seems to be set at about 5. I took the same file and moved it to a Temp folder on my desktop and changed its name. I did this 8 times so I had Name 1 to Name 8.
The original file size was 5444 KB.
I then did a direct Save - 3534 KB
Save As compr 10 -- 2040 KB
Save As comp 5 ------ 3540 KB
Save ----- 3534
Save -------- 3534
Save As comp 15 --- 1522
Save ------ 3534
Same test in X2 and when I changes the compression factor that was maintained for the Save so that both Save As and Save gave the same number of KB. So this feature seems to be broken in X5 andX4.
The compressions are maintained for X3, X2 and PSP8.

This creates a problem if you are trying to resize and save a group of images for emailing. So instead of correct, resize, unsharp mask and Save you would have to keep doing Save As . Come on Corel fix it.

[Alp]

Thanks for the quick reply and your findings hartpaul. I knew it wasn't like this before, since I jumped through all the versions too. And that's something you don't immedeatly realize, since I don't check filesizes after every save, I noticed it randomly.

After your post I tired some different sized jpegs and it get's even weirder:
Picture 7216x5412 size 8,93MB --> open and save --> 3,74MB, equals about factor 3 (8,54MB)
Picture 10335x9580 size 25,4MB --> open and save --> 27,8MB, closest is factor 18 (24,3MB)

And I only tested this on 3 pics yet, so there is some kind of "intelligence" which calculates a weird factor when saving, which could make the file bigger or smaller. Who knows, maybe it's really the perfectly calculated factor for those images, which produces the best quality while making the file as small as possible. But is that a feature, or a bug? And I would very much like to control it myself, maybe as a preference.
Like, Jpeg Quicksave setting:
- "Intelligent" saving
- Fixed factor of "X"
- Same as "Save As..." setting



Please Corel, make another preference option for that.