digital image size question

[drache]

how the heck do pixels relate to file sizes
and how do those relate to image size

I believe pixels determine image size?

how can I make something a smaller file size without ending up with small images?

the tools I've found only let you make images smaller, and then they end up being a smaller file size

I just want to change the file size though . . .

[adamanteus]

I'm not fully conversant with altering file size on the PC, but if you take the photos with a lower resolution (less pixels) in the first place, this with give you the same image size but smaller file size. Are you taking your pictures at a particularly high resolution, Rhea?

[Stefan-A]

Originally Posted by drache

how the heck do pixels relate to file sizes
and how do those relate to image size

I believe pixels determine image size?

how can I make something a smaller file size without ending up with small images?

the tools I've found only let you make images smaller, and then they end up being a smaller file size

I just want to change the file size though . . .

A pixel is one picture element and is the unit usually used for digital images. Your desktop for example may have a size of 1024 x 768 pixels and the smilies on this forum are 16 x 16 pixels. The size of the image is given in either the side x side format or as a total number, usually in megapixels.

Depends on the program that you use. I use Paintshop Pro, which allows you to adjust the compression factor of .jpg files when you save them. It reduces the file size and subsequently the quality, but not the image size.

[KITKAT]

I use Photo Impact. You can reduce the dimensions by using the whole picture and telling it to reduce by a certain percentage. When you do that, the number of pixels goes down.

The other method is to crop the photo, taking out all of the extraneous material around the main image, such as the snake's head. When you do this, the pixels will be less because you have eliminated the ones you did not want, rather than reducing the total pixels in the image.

Clear as mud?

[stonyloam]

There is a difference between pixels and bytes. The pixels determine the resolution of the camera. Bytes are used to store the image information. The file size (bytes) of a given photo image depends a lot on the photo itself. For example I have a 5 M pixel camera. If I take a photo of a simple scene (large areas of continuous color), for example a snow scene with a lot of white and black I may use only 500KB (bytes) to store the image. A very complex scene with a lot of small detail and hue changes taken with the same camera may take 2 MB to store the image. You should be able to look at the properties of the file to determine its size. I use the Kodak Easyshare software, and you can edit the photo and save it as a smaller file (75% 50% etc). You will get the same size image, in a smaller file size (e.g. reduce a 1.5 MB file to 700 KB file). You will of course lose some resolution. There should be some feature in your software (that came with your camera?) to do something similar. I may have gotten some of that wrong, I am an old time film guy myself.

[Cazador]

As was mentioned, you need to use some type of "compression" software, and newer computers just happen to come with it. Pull up your explorer window (right click on "start." then left click on "Explore."). Then navigate to your image.

Right click over the image icon (without actually opening the image). Then select "open with." Hopefully now, you'll see an option that says "Microsoft Digital Image Starter Edition."

If not, disregard the rest, and let me know what programs you have available.

If so, open the picture with Microsoft digital image starter edition.

Select "Save as" then click on the "options" button. The 3rd option from the top should say "quality level," and you can adjust the slide bar to select the quality you want.

When you're done, hit "OK." Then rename the file, for example, snake2, snake3, etc. and hit the save button. Then go back to the "Explorer" and check the file size after you've refreshed the screen (hit F5). It should have a smaller file size (in Megabytes or KB), but the image dimentions should be the same. Hope this helps,

Rick

[drache]

thanks for all that input
my problem seems to be of a more mysterious nature

my images get shrunk when I import them to this forum and I don't know how that happens

it's kind of made me not bother to even post because it's too frustrating to see my thumbnail sized photos next to everybody else's

I use iphoto and there seems to be no problem with anything else
the pic are plenty big in iphoto
it's just when I import them that they shrink

[Ameivaboy]

well unless im just not understadning your problem why not just upload your pictures onto photobucket.com and then drop the IMG code they give you into your post, the image should be the same size unless the site has a program to resize them automatically (i dont think this site has that but some like repticzone.com automatically resizes images to save space i assume)

[GarterGuy]

Hmmm...that's really strange....I haven't had anyproblems with the pics "shrinking" when posted. Though I guess when I copy them from the gallery, they tend to stay the size that they are posted there and not their actual size. Hmmmmmmmmm????????
Roy

[Stefan-A]

Some of us keep our pictures on another server, not in the gallery on this forum, which lets us post pictures in their actual size. Could this be the problem you are referring to?

From the gallery:


From another source:


It's the exact same file, one uploaded to the forum's gallery, the other to another server. Images from the gallery are apparently limited to a 600 pixel width when used in threads.