Working with digital images

[cjanda]

I have been doing some editing with Photoshop Elements 3 on my Mac and am wondering why the files grow so much in size when I do a "Save As" and then select the maximum JPG quality --  I start with the JPG from the camera at about 2.3 MB and after saving it with Photoshop Elements 3, the file is 4.4 MB.

Just wondering how I end up with more "information" that I started with ??

Thanks.

[ShutterbugGail]

Remember, JPEG files are compressed so when you open them in a program such as Photoshop Elements, they are uncompressed. You don't usually have to save an edited image at maximum file size except for archiving and, perhaps, printing. I always try to find a balance between file size and image quality, depending on useage.

Are you editing your photos for printing or for displaying on the internet?  Some photographers prepare images in two sets: one for printing and one for web presentation. Let us know and we can give further tips for optimizing images.