Each graphic file format in Fireworks has a set of optimization options. For the most part, only the 8-bit file types such as GIF, PNG 8, TIFF 8, BMP 8, and PICT 8 offer a significant amount of optimization control.

NOTE

JPEG files are an exception. For more on JPEG optimization controls, see Optimizing JPEGs.

Fireworks optimization settings are similar for all 8-bit graphic file formats. For web file formats such as GIF and PNG, you can also specify the amount of compression you want on the graphic.

You can optimize 8-bit file types by adjusting their color palettes. Fewer colors in the palette means fewer colors in the image, resulting in a smaller file size. The drawback to reducing colors is that it can also diminish image quality.

As you experiment with different optimization settings, you can use the 2-Up and 4-Up buttons to test and compare a graphic's appearance and estimated file size. For more information on using the document preview buttons, see Previewing and comparing optimization settings.

NOTE

All file types mentioned above (except PICT, which is only supported on the Macintosh version of Fireworks) can be saved in their original formats in FireWorks from within the "Save As" dialog box. This behavior differs from that in previous versions of Fireworks. For more information, see Saving documents in other formats.