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I have a cropped image in Photos which I need to provide to someone in a size above 5MB. The photo is 8.2MB, so, great. BUT no matter how I try to export it (Mail, drag, save to desktop, USB etc) IT ALWAYS REDUCES TO 2.8MB.
How can I maintain the 8.2MB size?
The already cropped image is 8.2MB.
Where are you seeing the size of the photo? Photos 5 is always showing the size of the original image file, Even if you crop the image to only a tenth of the pixel size, the size shown in the info will be the size of the uncropped original image file. Photos is rendering the cropped or adjusted image only when you export it. And then the file size will depend on the JPEG quality you select.
The controls for the JPEG quality and size are hidden by default. To see them, use the tiny disclosure triangle to the right of "Kind: JPEG". It will reveal the controls for the quality and the size. The "size" control changes the pixel size, resulting in a different file size. The "JPEG quality" changes the amount of lossy JPEG compression, changing the file size and the amount of annoying JPEG artefacts.
When you crop an image (regardless of the app you use) the resulting cropped image will always be smaller than the original. The only way you could "maintain the 8.2 MB size" would be to resample the image (increase the pixel dimensions) after you have cropped it.
In Photos you may be able to do this during Export. In the File > Export dialog, click the arrow button to the right of where it says Photo Kind: It will expand the options and you can Customize an export size. However, I don't know if Photos resizes or resamples the image ... resampling is the only one of the two methods that would increase the file size.
This might work to give you a larger file size but keep in mind that resampling an image to a larger size can easily introduce artifacts.
The already cropped image is 8.2MB. It has already been cropped and that is its current size. I just need to keep that size.
I do not want to artificially increase the size - I need the resolution at its best. Why on earth can't I keep the current size?
Thanks for helping out. I followed your directions to the "customise" option previously and there was no "size" option there, but now I have looked again and it is there! The "Customise" option is no longer there. I am very confused as to why??? However, thanks a million, now I have been able to select "maximum" and I have solved the problem. :)
When you export from Photos, have you selected JPEG Quality = Maximum?
I often use GraphicConverter to losslessly crop jpg images. AFAIR such cropping must be done in 8-16 pixel steps.
Export photo without reducing MB size - Photos
