BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?

Subject: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 06:45 PM

This one's been puzzling me. I have a lot of jpegs on my computer, mostly pictures I've taken with a digital camera. They are large files, typically about 1.2 Megabites each. I am unable to upload these photos into Ebay ads or email them to friends who don't have Hi-speed hookup, because the files are so large.

How do I make them smaller? I'd like to reduce the size of these pictures to maybe 300k each or something like that.

I notice that when the pictures are attached to an email and they appear below the text that they are very large...quite a bit bigger than the entire computer screen. I'd like to reduce their size in that respect also, down to maybe half as wide as the computer screen.

How do I do it?

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: bobad
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 06:58 PM

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

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Alice
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:07 PM

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:08 PM

Use a photo editing program, such as Photoshop.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Alice
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:09 PM

Sorry, didn't mean to send a blank message. Are you using a PC or Mac? What system version?

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Alice
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:10 PM

Photoshop is what I use, but it is a bit pricey... that's why I asked what system you have.
Alice

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:17 PM

The best way of doing it is with a decent photo editing program.

My favorite is Photoshop Elements, but I got an old version when it was cheap, and it's been "improved" now. New versions are a bit expensive. I'd still recommend it, if you might want to do anything other than extrememly simple stuff.

I'm not current on what freeware image editing programs are available now, but the basic answer is that you need an image editing program that lets you change the number of pixels in the image, and that can save as .jpg. Better programs let you choose how much compression to apply as well, but for web use you may be able to get by with one that uses a single compression amount.

The only things included in WinXP, so far as I've noticed, are the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, which can't do any editing, and Paint, which allows limited cropping but can't change resolution - which is what you need.

There is one freeware program that I've seen that's an "almost copy" of Photoshop, that would be an excellent choice; but for some reason I'm not finding my notes on it, so I'll have to do some "exotic searching." Someone else may be able to recommend a favorite while we wait.

John

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: bobad
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:25 PM

Would that be Gimp John?

The first link I posted is a very simple and quick resizer that just requires a right click on the image and you 4 preset sizes or a custom size option, all one really needs.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:25 PM

Cool! The image resizer Powertoy does it. Thanks, bobad! That was really a quick fix. The amazing thing is that I have spent a fairly large amount of time with 2 local computer stores, trying to solve this, and someone on Mudcat solves it for me in no time flat.

Sure is funny how the world works...

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:28 PM

And it was a hell of a lot easier (and cheaper) than buying and then trying to learn Photoshop...or some other such utility program.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Alice
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:30 PM

If you have a Mac, there is an inexpensive program called Color It!

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: ragdall
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:31 PM

Another really great free photo editor is Picasa2. It's awesome! (Thanks, number 6, for showing this to me.)

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:31 PM

Oh, by the way, I have a PC and am using Windows XP...to answer Alice's question.

The Powertoys image resizer that bobad gave the link to is a free download.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Bill D
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:38 PM

There is a free image viewing/editing program called Irfanview which will do almost anything the average person needs like that.

There is another free viewer/editor called Faststone which may even be better.

Both excellent programs.

Photoshop is overkill for simple editing.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:38 PM

Serif Photo Plus 6.0
. This is the download site at Tucows. The download is about 19 MB, so getting it will take a while on a slow connection; but I didn't have any problems doing the download on my "worlds' slowest dial-up."

If you're NOT using Windows, you may want to pop back up to Tucows and look for a different version, but there's lots of info about the program splattered all over the web.

This program has been recommended as "does everything that Photoshop does" although it's admitted that it's not quite as "intuitive" to use as Photoshop. You should be able to get what you want with it, and you'll have lots of spare horsepower if you ever want to impress someone.

I haven't tried it, but downloaded it for my cheap-assed ^%!$@# trucker son - who, I see, still hasn't bothered to install it, so I still can't look at it unless I do the install for him.

Another way of working the problem is to use one of the accessory programs that typically comes with your inkjet printer, or that you can download from your printer-people. There's lots of variation in what these programs do for/to you, so personal evaluation is required.

The really grubby cheapassed don'tgiveashit method is to upload the picture to one of the common "shareyourpictureswithallyourfriends" websites. The site usually will atuomatically resize to a "web friendly" thumbnail/display size, and you can save it back from the web to get a "more usable" size - sometimes. Results may vary.

John

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 07:50 PM

Well, John, my only concern here was just finding a fast and simple way to resize a jpeg. I'm always willing to pay for software if I need it, but I hate paying for programs that I can't understand how to use, and which end up accordingly as a complete waste of my time and money...not to mention programs which do 85,012 things, out of which 85,007 of them are probably things I will never even want to do! ;-)

(sigh...)

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: pattyClink
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 08:07 PM

Irfanview!! Tiny, quick, no grief, very easy to change resolution and type of file. and free!

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Bert
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 09:44 PM

I prefer Paint Shop Pro over Photoshop. I find it much easier to use.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:06 PM

Bert -
Paint Shop Pro is intended for (emphasizes and makes easy) different uses than Photoshop, although there is a lot of overlap.

You can use whatever strokes your creative gremlins, and PSP is pretty good for creating art. It only takes a little practice to learn that Photoshop (and especially Photoshop Elements) is much better for photo manipulation, changes in format, etc for my gremlins.

LH -

Did you miss my last suggestion? (Not actually a method I'd recommend.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:12 PM

I saw it, John, but I seem to have already found something that works fine with bobad's link, so I didn't pursue it further. It sounds more complicated than what I can do with the image resizing tool.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Number 6
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:48 PM

If your using Microsoft XP you change the actual size by opening up your jpeg, click on the "Image Edit Icon" down at the bottom (right next to the ? icon) ... once your edit is open, click "image" on the toolbar, select "attributes" ... ok, now you can change the image size (pixels, or cm, or inches).

Rags ... yer welcome.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Number 6
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:55 PM

Ignore my previous post ... I just realized this works only if you have Nikon Picture Project installed on your system.

If you want Picture Project ... go out and by a Nikon D200, you get the software included with the camera. Then again, forget the the software. Nikon Picture Project is not a photo editing program that I recommend. I do highly recommend the Nikon D200 though.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:56 PM

If you ever want to learn the powerful program with all of the bells and whistles, Photoshop is the program. I still use only a fraction of its functionality, but I do use it all of the time. It's very powerful.

Picasa is a good one, but the main thing I had to do to get the funtionality from it was to make it look deeper into directories to find all of the places I store photos. I like the feature for printing contact sheets of whatever is in a given file. That is very useful.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 10:58 PM

Hmm. Interesting.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: frogprince
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 11:23 PM

Buy some t-shirt transfers in the computer supply section. Print your photos on them. Iron them unto wool fabric. Wash them in warm water.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Number 6
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 11:26 PM

I now use Picasa (exclusively) for my photo editing. Photoshop is now just collecting dust somewhere on my laptop's hard drive.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 11:33 PM

Photoshop!!!

But, Kodak, ImageServer, Photobucket, Flicker, MS-Page, MS-Image, will all permit you edit photo size. (Even check out the ancient "Bandwidth Conservancy")

For "web-page" publication a 72 by 72 will give the reader all the pixels most traditional screens can display.

What is your purpose????...that determines application.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

you can even drag/draw to fit format....if loading speed is not a consideration.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Number 6
Date: 02 Jun 07 - 11:34 PM

LH .... instead of e-mailing your pictures to family/friends, open up a flickr account, post your pics there and provide the link to them.

I'm surprised e-Bay doesn't have the facility to automatically resize pictures posted.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:35 AM

And LH, anything is easy if you can get someone else to do it for you.

If it's too complicated for you, give the task to Chongo and he'll be able to figure it out. I'd suggest, however, that he's gonna want a good program to work with, and a couple of bananananas as friendly compensation.

With a little practice, he'll be able to tranform that ugly ape he's been dating into a lovely chimpish goddess, so he can brag about her to all his friends (or at least admit he knows her).

John

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:44 AM

I have 3 freeware programs, & I find this one xnview the best. All have PC & Mac versions.

Gimp does as much as Photospop, which far too massive for my purposes & I never got around to using CocoviewX, so I can't comment on it.

With XnView, I just Open a pic, Resize & Save.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: BK Lick
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:41 AM

Here's a handy little online facility.

—BK

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 05:51 AM

You may already have it, LH. From experience a number of software packages supplied with digital cameras (HP photoshop for instance) have the facility. It can be in the saving of the file. Open the file with your editing/viewing software and chose 'Save as' rather than just 'Save'. It may well give you the option to resize.

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 05:57 AM

Sorry mixing my packages up - HP Image Zone.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: bfdk
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 08:41 AM

LH,

As far as I can see nobody's mentioned this before, but when working on photos always work on a copy and leave the original intact.

That way you can go back and start over if you screw up somehow :-)

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 09:06 AM

Working on a copy-- YES. Also be aware that once you downsize, blowing it back up will make bad blurries. That means that photo recipients will not be able to upsize effectively, but they probably know that. They can request a better qual large version if they have a favorite. Also I believe .GIFs are smaller files, so downsizing and saving as a .GIF may do it.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: bfdk
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:02 AM

Depending on the motif of the photo a gif file may be smaller than a similar jpeg, but then again it may not. However, gif is restricted to a total of 256 colours, so if there are many shades in a photo, these will be lost when converting it to a gif file.

I have a Canon EOS 300D (that's the Rebel in the USA, if I'm not mistaken) and I use PSP6.0. Here's what I usually do when downsizing photos:

1. Open the photo file and take a copy to work on (Shift+D).
2. Run Unsharp Mask (Images > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask) - this may or may not be necessary, as some cameras deliver the photos rather "soft" in focus whereas others don't.
3. Resize the photo to the desired size. If you go for 600 pixel wide on a landscape format photo and 400 pixel wide on a portrait format one, that should in most cases give you a file size in jpeg around the 2-300k, which is within your specified size range.
4. Make any necessary optimizations with Colours > Adjust > and play around a bit with Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation/Lightness or try the Gamma Correction option and add some saturation afterwards. This depends entirely on the individual photo.
5. Once the photo looks its best, run the sharpen filter (Images > Sharpen > Sharpen) and save as a jpeg file.

Best wishes,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: bobad
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 10:12 AM

The Microsoft Powertoy utility automatically resizes to a copy and labels it as such along with the size to which it has been resized.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 11:19 AM

My goodness! What an avalanche of information. Mudcat comes through with flying colors.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:15 PM

Little Hawk-

It may be a little late to suggest this, and most likely other folks on this thread that I've skipped over have already said this, but I always keep the original image and do a "save as" to produce a copy that I can dumb down for web or e-mail attachments.

I generally set the resolution at 96 and the size a little less than 1 mb. That generally produces an image of about 7" X 5" on the screen for ready viewing. It won't make a great print at that size but will look fine on the screen.

I use Photoshop on a MAC system.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: John Hardly
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 01:30 PM

Now that you've had the question adequately answered, is there anything else you'd like to have shrunk?

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 02:24 PM

I have Paint Shop Pro 9, which I use for all my photo editing. It has a toolbar which allows you to optimise photos for the web. The toolbar contains a 'Jpeg optimizer'. If you click on this you are presented with a wizard option which is pretty nifty for shrinking images. I stumbled on this the other day when trying to shrink some photos for a Powerpoint presentation. Because of the particular application that I was working with it took me a while to realise that it was the web optimiser that I needed.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Jun 07 - 04:25 PM

I use Microsoft Photo Editor to resize, and I think it came with Works. It certainly came with Office at work. That's about all I use it for.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 01:51 AM

Yeah, John, I'd like to shrink the dachshund. He's getting too fat.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 12:19 PM

another relatively easy way (in XP) is to use SEND to in the pull down file commands and there is an option for reduced file size for email
- that way you can reduce a whole bunch of pictures at once. (I used to reduce them the hard way by opening and reducing files one by one - its so much easier to select all the pics you want to send.)
cheers
petr

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: John Hardly
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 12:25 PM

I use irfandog voodoo imagemanipulator softdogware 3.1. With this simple software I have been able take a picture of a dog, scan it with any available scanner (mine is HP Officejet 7310 all-in-one). Then I transfer the image of the dog (in jpeg format) into the irfandog voodoo imagemanipulator softdogware 3.1 and click on "Resize Dog".

Be careful not to over-do it. Sure, the upside is attractive -- very, very small backyard piles -- but make that dog too small and fences become totally useless. And nobody wants to be out searching the neighborhood for a weinerdog that you can barely see.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: John Hardly
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 12:32 PM

Of course, as soon as I hit the "submit reply" button, it occurred to my that you might be quite practiced at finding weiners that you can barely see.

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 12:37 PM

John, how is the pottery business these days? Do you tell us about this trick because you make and sell tiny little pots to use as dog houses?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 12:43 PM

LOL! Wow, that sounds like a really useful piece of software, John.

No, not the wiener....

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: John Hardly
Date: 04 Jun 07 - 01:30 PM

They are actually TEENY tiny pots. And, yes, they work very well for teeny tiny wiener dogs.

They keep 'em fresh too!

Subject: RE: BS: How do I reduce size of digital photos?
From: GUEST,Oscar the wiener dog
Date: 05 Jun 07 - 12:08 PM

You may not be able to see us, but you will never fail to hear us.