Sizing an Image for submission - DPChallenge Forums

05/07/2004 10:07:07 PM · #1

Ok...I've seen instructions on here before, but nothing that seems to apply to my editing software - "Picture It"

I have no trouble really getting the 640x480 or typical size, but the file size is generally around 75 - 80k and it seems I'm not utilizing all the file size I can.

My question is how to increase the file size while maintaining the 640 max. side? changing the resolution (pixels per inch...72, 150, 300 etc.) doesn't seem to affect the file size. What am I doing wrong? My entries don't look too bad, but anything I can do to enhance the posting of them, I'm sure willing to try.

Help?

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/07/2004 10:12:49 PM · #2

Resolution only determines how big an area those 640 pixels are diplayed in.

Once your file is at 640 pixels, the rest of the file size is determined by the level or quality setting used when you save to JPEG.

If you can, save your final version as a TIFF file (should be about 900k), and then Save a Copy of that as JPEG with varying levels of compression until you get as close to 150k as possible. Some pictures do that, though, it's either 80k or 200k ....

05/07/2004 10:14:50 PM · #3

Originally posted by GeneralE:

What do you mean by "varying levels of compression"? I will try the tiff-jpg idea.

05/07/2004 10:19:02 PM · #4

Well, son of a gun. Little "options" button I've never seen before and I've been working wtih this software for a long time!

And what should be there but compression and quality levels! :) yay!

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/07/2004 10:19:25 PM · #5

When you save in JPEG format, most programs include a dialog with a setting for either "compression" or "quality" with a scale from anything 1-10 to 10-100. More compression=less quality ... you might have to play with it to see which way a higher setting number takes the file.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/07/2004 10:20:51 PM · #6

The purpose of the TIFF is so you can re-save it over and over with different settings without degrading the image with repeated compression.

05/07/2004 10:20:59 PM · #7

Whoa! It does make a difference. I had a building edge that was a bit on the jaggy side, and now it's all smoothed out, and still within the 150k limit.

Learn something new every day!

05/07/2004 10:23:30 PM · #8

Originally posted by GeneralE:

The purpose of the TIFF is so you can re-save it over and over with different settings without degrading the image with repeated compression.

Thanks so much for your reply! I had always used TIFF when doing editing work (usually save my jpg file from the camera as a TIFF first thing.) It always took a beating, though, when saved as the jpg. Now I know why...the quality level was set very low.

Thanks again! :)