# Make Photos Smaller? (Kb)



## grngal

Hi, I'm wondering how everybody makes their pictures so small in size?
By size, I don't mean size on the screen but size in Kb.
I re-size my digital photos the simpleton's way and reduce using 'percentage' rather than pixels, as I understand that better but even when I've reduced a photo to 1/4 screen size, it still ends up several hundred Kb. I've noticed others post photos as large but they are never hundred's of Kb - ?


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## cwwozniak

If you are not saving your photos as JPEG type, that would would be your first step in shrinking the size.

Most photo editors should also allow you to set the JPEG quality or compression used to save the file. Higher compression gives a smaller file size but also reduces the quality (sharpness and details) of the picture.


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## Guyzer

What operating system do you use? If you use XP go here and download Image Resizer. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Install it and when you view a image in one of your folders just right click it, select resize and take your pick. It's that easy.


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## etaf

well you only really have two options
1) compression - which reduces the quality
2) Pixels

I usually post on the web around 100K 
forst i reduce the number of pixels down to fit approx a 800x600 screen
so if portrait around 550 pixels 
if landscape around 700 pixels

then compress to around 90 - 120K in size

can you post an example of a small filesize and large picture that you have seen on web ?


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## Guyzer

I use the XP Resizer to post all my pics here. I work with RAW files as a rule and save as jpg using the higest compression. Some files are in the 6mb range before I resize. They always end up well under TSG's 200kb limit when I resize down to 640 x 480 which btw is one of the optimal sizes for everyones viewing pleasure.


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## 911

Get the free program Irfanview. http://www.irfanview.com/

It's the best one I have ever found.


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## grngal

Thanks very much for the help, everybody.

I know this should be easy to understand but I'm still mystified. Your explanations are clear, I just learn a little differently. I think it's the quality that has me confused - but I needn't torture you all with questions, as it seems I can accomplish the task with little comprehension. Yay, Image Resizer and thanks for that, Wimpy369.:up: 

To answer your questions, cwwozniak - Yes, my photos are all JPEGS. Maybe a little torture .. may I ask, is quality the 'p.p.i.' in my editing program? May I also clarify, when I'm reducing size using percent, is that the same as reducing pixels?

Wimpy369 - I've been uploading to a pc that isn't my own, as my hard drive's full. That pc has XP but I have 98. I have a new pc on hold and the day to decide - just might have XP and hard drive space soon. By the way, you take beautiful photos.

etaf - You must think I can do a link. A good example would be Wimpy369's shots in the Photo Album of this site. They're a nice viewing size, clear, yet quite small in file size. I'm not sure how it is you 'compress to around 90 - 120K in size'?

911 - That seems to be a popular program. I use Serif PhotoPlus on one pc, perhaps I'll try Irfanview next.

One last example of my confusion ... I've reduced a photo to 640 x 480 and it's over 200 Kb - yet reducing it with Image Resizer leaves it at just over 50 Kb. 

Thanks for your time everyone and for a solution.


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## Guyzer

grngal said:


> Yay, Image Resizer and thanks for that, Wimpy369.:up:
> 
> Wimpy369 - I've been uploading to a pc that isn't my own, as my hard drive's full. That pc has XP but I have 98. I have a new pc on hold and the day to decide - just might have XP and hard drive space soon. By the way, you take beautiful photos.


My pleasure on the Image Resizer. It's the easiest one to use imo.

Also, thanks for the nice comment on my pics. It's just a hobby and in order to get the ones you looked at I trashed a bunch let me tell ya. Those were just the lucky ones.


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## Island Girl

Easy Thumbnail is a small Free tool that's easy to use. Google for a download site.


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## cwwozniak

grngal said:


> To answer your questions, cwwozniak - Yes, my photos are all JPEGS. Maybe a little torture .. may I ask, is quality the 'p.p.i.' in my editing program? May I also clarify, when I'm reducing size using percent, is that the same as reducing pixels?


I believe that "p.p.i" means pixels per inch. It does not affect the quality or files size. A jpeg file defines the picture size as a given number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical direction. A pixel is the smallest defined element in a picture file and is a single color. The ppi of a jpeg file is more of suggestion as to the physical size (in inches) to be used when printing the picture. The smaller the ppi, the larger the printed picture. However, each single color pixel in the picture will also be physically larger.

If you are scaling or reducing the picture by a percentage, then yes you are reducing the number of pixels in each direction. The software will combine (resample) two or more pixels into a single pixel for every set of pixels in the picture. The percentage of scaling will determine the number of pixels that need to be combined. The software may give you options for how it will combine the pixels.


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