resizing and optimizing images

[Gumhead]

Resizing

There is a lot of software for resizing images. I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro (http://www.jasc.com/products/paintshoppro/) and Adobe Photo Shop (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html). These are a little overkill if your just using it to resizing pix. A fantastic software for resizing images is Irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/). Irfanview is also great for just viewing images and best of all its free! You can adjust the color balance and other neat stuff with it too.

Resizing pictures with Irfanview is as easy, just open the picture with the software and click on image on the top menu, then click on resize/resample image, then either type in the size you want or click on a preset size. Just make sure that the preserve aspect ratio is clicked or your pic might look a little funny after. I found you have to remember to save the image after editing, unlike other software it will not remind you when you exit!


optimizing
Now that you resized you image you should optimize it! Why optimize? Jpeg and gif images are still quite large. Optimizing will make the image load quicker on the web, this is a must for our dial up user friends that want to see your pix. It also allows you more room where space is limited like the gallery here on TRT or when there are limitations like file attachment sizes in posts. When you optimize a jpeg or gif image it reduces the colors in the color pallet of the file witch in turn makes the file smaller. I optimize every image and graphic file I put on the web.



I use Ulead Smart Saver Pro (http://www.ulead.com/ssp/runme.htm), I think it is the best optimizing software you can buy. Nope its not free, I think it is well worth the money (at least for me). If you would like to try it they do have a free trial version.

If you have any questions or you need help please post in this thread or PM me, I would be glad to help.

[stang8s]

Dave-
How do you setup ulead to get that sort of savings? When I use it, I use the batch process with the default settings and I dont get much savings in space.
I do jpegs with the Q75 progressive option, no slicing, no resample.
Jeff

[Gumhead]

Thats only an example Jeff. The picture of the bubble coral is mostly green and blue, so when the software optimizes it, it takes all the colors that aren't used out of the color palet... making a much smaller file size for the image. I believe I open the pic up in Smart Saver and turned down the quality till it still looked good but the file size was very small. This is only an example tho, I usually adjust my pictures to the highest quality but yet try to keep it under 120k...

[clamm]

do you know of any software that will do a batch edit to a folder of photos at 1 time...say I want crop to a certain size, compress, increase brightness...all the same in about 20 photos?? how can i do this?

[Kevin McG]

do you know of any software that will do a batch edit to a folder of photos at 1 time...say I want crop to a certain size, compress, increase brightness...all the same in about 20 photos?? how can i do this?

I use a program called irfanview to resize my pictures all at once. Not sure if you can increase brightness and compress though. here is the link to the free program.


link (http://www.download.com/IrfanView/3000-2192_4-10335353.html?tag=lst-0-1)

[steevareno]

Just downloaded infraview! If i can just figure out how to resize and optimize pics to the right size so i can attach them for viewing :confused: Can anyone give me the right steps to do this? thanks for help in advance. Steve

[steevareno]

i don't have microsoft paint and i just downloaded irfanview but seem to be having trouble resizing my pics to fit! Can anyone sell me a clue as to how to do this? thanks, Steve :confused:

[nunofs]

Steve, I hadn't replied before because I don't use either Paint or Irfanview, so I was hoping someone else would chime in... but since no one did, I decided to download and install Irfanview to be able to help you.

Here's the steps you need to take:

1) if you want to crop a part of the image, click and drag the mouse over the image to select the part of the image you want to keep; then go to the Edit menu and choose "Crop selection"

2) to resize, go to the Image menu and choose "Resize/resample"; pick one of the standard sizes on the right (maybe 640x480 or 800x600), or enter a custom size on the left fields.

3) Go to the File menu and choose "Save As"; at the bottom of the "Save Picture As" dialog, enter a new name for the file and pick "JPG - JPEG Files" from the drop-down list; on the new window that pops up on the right side, adjust the "Save quality" to 60 or 70; then click Save; do not close Irfanview yet (see below)

4) now go to the folder and check the size of the image; if it's over 96KBytes you won't be able to upload it to the forums and you'll need to save again (just repeat the previous step, #3) with a lower "Save quality" setting.

Nuno

[clamm]

Nuno, since you mentioned it, what do you use as your favorite. Ive been leaning towards Photoshop elements 2. What do you use?

[nunofs]

I use Photoshop, I have an older version that came with my scanner... any recent version of Photoshop or Photoshop elements is great, but may be overkill for simple cropping, resizing and saving... I'm saying that because I don't want people to think that they need to go out and buy Photoshop, because there's lots of other software that will do the job for free.

Nuno

[clamm]

Got ya, ok...thanks

[steevareno]

Thanks Nuno! That worked for me, appreciate the help..........Steve

[~Flighty~]

I know a lot of people aren't up to downloading software, so here is a low tech method even my Mom can do (ok, she can almost do it if she has help from the grandkids). It isn't the best way and doesn't produce the smallest file sizes, but anyone with Windows should be able to do it.

If you have windows you have MS paint
Look at START->Programs->Accessories->Paint
or
with your mouse right click on the picture and select OpenWith->Paint

Once you have the picture open with paint select:
Image->streach/skew
Put 50% in the horizontal and 50% vertical box (you can use any % less than 100 as long as they are the same)
Repeat until you get the size you want and select:
File->save as-> and make sure you select JPG as the file type.

[Clam Man]

It seems no matter what you do being restricted to 97.7 and getting a good tank shot is hard one coral is ok but you like to show the whole tank

[nunofs]

It seems no matter what you do being restricted to 97.7 and getting a good tank shot is hard one coral is ok but you like to show the whole tank

The forum attachment limit is actually 96 KBytes... with appropriate compression it's quite possible to post a good, decent-sized picture, including full-tank shots.

Btw, there's a difference between resizing and compressing... first you resize the image to the actual size you want (eg, 800x600 pixels). Then, when saving as JPEG, you pick the appropriate compression level.

Nuno

[petesreef]

I have started to use this free software. I had taken advantage of the resizing. What do I gain from the decompressing function?

[nunofs]

JPEG compression allows you to save the image with different levels of "quality" (JPEG is what's called a "lossy" format, it actually discards some information when saving)... more compression equals less quality, and vice-versa. So the process should be to resize to the desired pixel size, and then save at a compression/quality level that fits under the file size limits you may have (96 KBytes to upload to the forum, for instance).

Nuno

[Mini4x]

Just DL'd Infraview.. awsome program.. I just did a resize/resample on some photos, my old resizer used to take 600k photos down to 2-300k, this one drops them to 90-100k.. nice!

[OceanGuy]

Thanks to all who told methods of resizing and posting. I just successfully downloaded my first picture online of the 220 gallon tank that I'm starting in my middle school science class. I have a club of 20 kids who are now meeting on Mondays afterschool to learn about reef ecosystems and the care of a reef tank. They are really excited.....I think maybe some of my excitement spills over to them.

Thanks to Scott Merrill and Dennis Denvig who helped me with the initial set up.
Tom Ocean Guy

[rtc_reefer]

I would highly suggest using free MS software to perform this function.

If you are running XP (and you should be) please, investigate MS Powertoys. They have an image resizer and multiple other tools that you may find very useful.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

[Mini4x]

JAlbum is awsome. Does resizing and makes webpages all auto..

[Cheetos]

Anyone here using linux? I use Gimp Image Editor.

[Bill and Elaine]

This seems to be a very easy to use resizer

http://www.imageresizer.com/

[jimmyj7090]

test pic

[zax_papa]

I think...old pic but finally resized....if this works im getting my camera back out for some new shots.
Erik