Do any of you use either PNGCRUSH or OtiPNG or something along those lines to reduce the file size of your PNG images? If so, Would someone be able to help me out? I have downloaded the .exe for optipng. It is a Dos program and I am having problems figuring out how to use it. If there is a png utility with a gui it would be helpful to know more about it.
Thanks!!
why cant you just use PS or FW optimization?
I am using Photoshop to create the original PNG image, but it is possible to streamline a PNG after creation in photoshop that will shave off some of the file size. Then when imported into flash, it is smaller and faster loading. I have heard that photoshop & fireworks put redundant info in there that uneccessarily bloats the file.
FW compressions is alot better than PS because of png32. Also flash does its compression. I think what you are trying to attempt may not be even worth the hassle unless the .png is just huge, like a wallpaper or something. but FW compression is better.
but fireworks is expensive. were the files you posted freeware?
[COLOR=black]I do not know of one that is GUI. “pngcrush” is a command-line utility[/COLOR] and I have heard good reports about that one.
I agree that when using Flash you want to squeeze the file as much as possible (especially when you can do it without loss of quality).
There are still a lot of folks on “dial-up” 
Okay you got me more interested so I downloaded PNGCRUSH and ran it on a 221 kb png image I made. It “crushed” it down to 47 kb with no apparent degradation.
I am sold on it so far.
The installation is not clear from the primary site that created the software. It appears that they are brainiacs and assume everyone else looking to use this is a brainiac also.
If you need help with pngcrush I can tell you how to set it up. Apparently it crushes the png but places the crushed version in a “black hole” never to be found. So the way I did was to run a batch command that places it into a specific folder.
The batch command will “crush” all png’s in that particular folder. Very cool!
Hey Canis
If you could help me with the set up of PNGCRUSH, I would most appreciate it. I agree, whoever made the program made it for scientists and not designers. What is the best way to run it? I notice there are many variables you can type in on the command line to manipulate certain elements of the PNG file, but I am not sure where to start. Any help would be great!
Install a .bat and it will do the work for you. 
Send me an email and I will email you the bat file with instructions.
What .exe did you use to install pngcrush?
There is a way to set it up so you can right click and use pngcrush that way (and incorporate Powertoy with it so you can do a whole folder), but the problem is that I cannot locate the file after it crushes it. 
That is why I resorted to using the .bat file. It not only crushes the png but it creates a subfolder and installs the crushed png in that folder. Cool!
Also, I hate command line typing. Never was a fan of DOS. Gui is my favorite. Guess I am lazy.
[COLOR=gray]I will be gone until later this evening.[/COLOR]
Hey Canis, Could you send me a write up on that too? Now you got me curious. Better yet you could just make it a tutorial here and K can put it on the homepage. I can see lots of use for that. Maccapug thanks for bringing this topic to light.
Yeah, I agree, thanks maccapug.
Okay, here is what I did (there may be other ways of doing it, but this works).
Go to this site and download the zip file. “pngcrush_1.5.10.zip”
[COLOR=#003366]http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/members/Jed/pngcrush/pngcrush.html[/COLOR]
[URL=“http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/members/Jed/pngcrush/pngcrush.html”]
Unzip the files to it’s own folder. Call it something like “pngcrush”.
I would place the pngcrushbaby.bat in a particular folder called “pngcrushbat” or “mycrushedpngs” or whatever you like.
Place the .png files you want crushed in the same folder as the .bat file
Run the pngcrushbaby.bat (double click) and it will crush all .png files in that folder, plus it will create a subfolder called “crushed” and place the crushed files in there. So now you have two files of the same .png, the original in the same folder as the .bat and a crushed version in the “crushed” subfolder.
Enjoy!
Optional: (for XP – older OS versions may vary)
Download the .exe file.
Start --> Control Panel --> (get to “Folder Options” in xp pro it is in “Appearances and Themes”).
In Folder Option click the “File Types” tab.
Scroll to “PNG” entry
Click Advanced
Click New
In ‘Action’, type Crush, and in ‘Application used to perform action’, type the following:
(okay, this is where you can customize it to do whatever you want. You can go through the help files to find all the commands and string them together how ever you want)
EXAMPLE:
[FONT=Courier New]C:\Downloads\pngcrush\pngcrush.exe -brute -e 2.png “%1”[/FONT]
// This will execute the pngcrush, cause it to use bruteforce, place a “2” at the end of the file name
// The zip file comes with a “readme.txt” that explains the commands. I just read through it and found out how to put the crushed files into a directory. It is -d (duh) and the directory name.
Close the “Folder Options”.
Right Click on a .png file and you will see the choice to “crush” it.
Couple this with Powertoys and you can do it to a whole folder.
Enjoy.
sweet tute! thanks:)
You’re welcome. :thumb:
Maccapug, did this help you at all?
I saw a Gui program for this, has anyone tried it?
It is called “PNGGauntlet”
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