When you scan an image into a JPG file there are three things that affect the size of the file:

- size of the image; the bigger the image the bigger the file. You take a chip that is normally about a 39-40mm chip and scan it at a higher resolution it saves as a larger image. For example, here is a common sized GPI chip. I scan this at 200dpi so the chip is a little more than double the normal size when I save it. I have the option through the software I use to make it smaller when I save the file but I tend not to unless I am sending them to Paul for publishing on his site.

- JPG compression; this image format allows for compression from 0-100%. By compressing the image you will do two things - make the image smaller by running it through an algorithm to render the pic and you will lose clarity. Of course this is all in the eye of the beholder but when the image is smaller you typically do not see the clarity lose, but as you blow it up you will. I save mine between 60% and 80%. At this size I see no difference at all. If I would zoom in on the image (make it 2, 3, 4x bigger on the screen) it would get fuzzier and fuzzier. You can play with the value to see what looks the best (no compression is the best and gives you the biggest file size).

- colors on the chip; because of the way compression works a simple chip will compress more than a complicated one. For example, if you look at a very simple compression algorithm such as this:

original: 00000000000000000000 compressed: 20(0)

I've taken 20 zero's and compressed them 5 characters. JPG doesnt work that much differently. If a chip has a lot of same color in a row it will compress down more than one with logs of graphic detail.

The software you use to save the image may have other settings that affect the image size but in general with JPG images its the starting size and compression rate that determine how small the file will be. The image above is about 60KB,