Adobe Server generation of GIFs, JPEGs, and PNGs is greatly enhanced by the "Save for Web" functionality of Photoshop and Illustrator.

Issue
The full power of Adobe Server is not available when outputting GIFs, JPEGs, or PNGs unless your template images are taking advantage of "Save for Web".

Applies to
Adobe Graphics Server
Adobe Document Server

Solution

What is "Save for Web"?
"Save for Web" allows the creator of an image to fine tune the Web compression settings for that particular image and save those settings into the Photoshop file (PSD) or Illustrator file (SVG). Later on, when a variation of the image is needed (eg. a different size or new text), the original compression settings can be automatically reused. Having the original artist optimize the Web compression settings for each image is especially important when variations will be created by an automatic process such as Adobe Server. The original artistic intent can be automatically maintained over hundreds of reuses.

Legacy Images
Photoshop 5.5 (July 1999) and Illustrator 9.0 (April 2000) first implemented Adobe's "Save for Web" so some of your legacy files may already have taken advantage of "Save for the Web". Your current workflow should include the "Save for Web" step so that you can realize current and future benefits.

How do I "Save for Web"?
(Here's an overview, see the Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Server documentation for full details.)

From Photoshop

1. Create the image (You can open an existing PSD at any time and then "Save for Web" but it is most efficient to do it when the image is created.)
2. File menu > Save for Web
3. Decide if the image should be a GIF, JPEG, or PNG
4. Determine the best compression settings for this particular image.
5. When you're finished, click OK. This will save a Web ready copy of the image based on your settings. You can use this image immediately on the Web or discard it.
6. Save the image as a PSD file. It has your compression settings embedded in it. This PSD file is the critical file for later reuse not the one in step 5.

From Illustrator

1. Create the image (You can open an existing .ai or Illustrator SVG file at any time and then "Save for Web" but it is most efficient to do it when the image is created.)
2. File menu > Save for Web
3. Decide if the image should be compressed as a GIF, JPEG, or PNG
4. Determine the best compression settings for this particular image.
5. When you're finished, click OK. This will save a Web ready copy of the image based on your settings. You can use this image immediately on the Web or discard it.
6. Save the image as a SVG file. It will have your compression settings embedded in it. This SVG file is the critical file for later reuse not the one in step 5.

Notes:

• Both the .ai and SVG formats will store your compression settings but Adobe Server can only work with SVG files.
• You may want to save both .ai and SVG versions of your files".) See: #52613Changes made to an SVG file using Adobe Server don't appear when reopened in Illustrator
• The "Include Slicing Data" box must be checked in the "Advanced" section of the "Save as SVG" dialog box or your optimization settings won't be saved.

Using Adobe Server to add "Save for Web" settings to a batch of legacy PSD files that were created without them.
If you have a batch of legacy PSD files that weren't "Saved for the Web" but share similar characteristics, you can use Adobe Server in a batch process to add custom optimization settings. Later on, when variations of the image are needed, Adobe Server can use these settings. This batch process doesn't give as much control as if the original artist had used "Save for Web" but it can give a lot better results than using default compression settings. (At a minimum, you can specify that the batch of images would be better as GIFs or as JPEGs.)

{load a batch of files one file at a time}
{customize the settings below to match the needs of your batch of files}
<set target="/psd/optimizationSettings">
  <optimizationSettings>
     <JPEGFormat quality="68" matteColor="#FFFFFF"  noMatteColor="false" optimized="true"
        progressive="true"  blurAmount="0.0" embedICCProfile="true" />
  </optimizationSettings>
</set>
{use a <saveContent /> to save the file(s) out as a PSD with your compression settings embeded in it}

Generating GIF, JPEG, or PNG versions from "Save for Web" files in Adobe Server

1. Load a file into Adobe Server
2. Modify the file with Adobe Server XML commands. (eg. Resize, change the text, etc.)
3. Save the file using the <saveOptimized /> command. A GIF, JPEG, or PNG will be generated using the compression settings embedded in the PSD or SVG file. The judgement of the original artist about the best compression settings for that image has been preserved and used.

Note: You can temporarily override the embedded optimization settings whenever a special situation arises such as a need for very low quality thumbnails. (Use the same approach as in the sample code above but replace the <saveContent /> with a <saveOptimized /> so your changes aren't saved into the PSD file but are only used to generate the compressed image.)

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