Compression, downsizing of pictures, need help!

Discussion in 'General Computing' started by apex1, Feb 4, 2009.

  1. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Hello to all,

    I am annoyed by a real silly little problem everytime I want to upload a picture.
    How can I downsize a picture I have taken with my digital camera, in the most efficient way (without loosing too much of the impression it reflects).
    In terms of editing pictures I´m a total layman! I use "the Gimp" to edit and "Irfan View" to sight. And I do´nt want to install another program.
    I am not at home or in my office, I am in Turkey at present. Although the internet connection here is at a reasonable standard, uploading files takes ages (20 minutes for 300 kb), at least with my provider.
    I tried to solve the prob. by: first downsizing to a usable size, say 15%, then reducing the resolution to 60 dpi, then on top reduced the colours to 256. The result is a size within 60 to 200 kb, but the pictures look poor.
    Any cheap trick?
    Thank you in advance!
    Regards
    Richard
     
  2. apex1

    apex1 Guest

  3. daiquiri
    Joined: May 2004
    Posts: 5,371
    Likes: 258, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3380
    Location: Italy (Garda Lake) and Croatia (Istria)

    daiquiri Engineering and Design

    The first image was saved to jpg format with almost no compression. I've opened it with PaintShop and saved it again with 10% compression factor and it is 80 kb now, nearly same visual quality.
    What photo software do you use?
     

    Attached Files:

  4. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Thank you very much, the software is mentioned above! I´ll look if I have some feature!
    edit: No, at least I could´nt find it
    Regards
    Richard
     
  5. Guest62110524

    Guest62110524 Previous Member

    there is a much easier solution picasa 3 free from google allows you to instantly easily crop a pic, save sent to microsoft image or otherAlso hit print screen and with picasa open , what is on screen comes up in picasa, crop it and there you have a file to send use do what you will with:))
     
  6. Guest62110524

    Guest62110524 Previous Member

    like so, abt 100 times faster than paint
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2010
  7. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Thanks Stu, will google that! Problem is, I have just my notebook here and that is packed with Data and program till upper edge lower lip. Just 254 mb left!!!
    No way to install another program, and have already two external hd in use! shi....t
    Thanks for assistance.
    Regards
    Richard
     
  8. robherc
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 433
    Likes: 5, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 102
    Location: US/TX

    robherc Designer/Hobbyist

    You can try saving it to .PNG format, that usually shrinks things up a good bit for me, and most current browsers will read it as well as a .jpg :) (I'm not completely sure if that format's allowed in here though...will have to check on that)
     
  9. daiquiri
    Joined: May 2004
    Posts: 5,371
    Likes: 258, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3380
    Location: Italy (Garda Lake) and Croatia (Istria)

    daiquiri Engineering and Design

    GIMP is a great photo editing software and, incredibly, all for free. :)
    You will find all the instructions here:
    http://docs.gimp.org/en/
    Read the chapter 6.
     
  10. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Thank you very much! ALL
    Regards
    Richard
     
  11. Guest625101138

    Guest625101138 Previous Member

    I find PowerPoint to be an easy to use means of compressing photos. It is already on most computers. It has a good jpg converter although you cannot alter its compression ratio.

    The attached images compare straight from the camera versus same image just inserted in PowerPoint and SavaAs jpg. The ratio in file sizes is about 12 : 1.

    If you have a series of photos you can insert them all into PowerPoint and when you SavaAs they will be placed in a folder, each as a jpg image.

    PowerPoint is a reasonable tool for quick sketching and image manipulation. It is worthwhile spending a little time to play with these functions if you have not done it already.

    Rick W
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Guest625101138

    Guest625101138 Previous Member

    Actually if you have a Mac it is a single mouse click to get any part of the screen.

    Rick W
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Guest62110524

    Guest62110524 Previous Member

    mouse click, Rats I do not have a mac
     
  14. apex1

    apex1 Guest

    Impressive, Thanks! Yes naturally I have powerpoint on my laptop. I´ll try!
    Thanks to daiquiri, I found out now that the "Quality" switch in Gimp is related to compression ratio (or say, I believe it is) and that solves the problem for now! Will make immediately a upload to my Gallery (Red boat, not built at my yards).

    Again thanks to ALL of you nice guys !:D

    It is really not a big problem to be a disabled *****, as long as you know whom to ask!
    Regards
    Richard
     

  15. robherc
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 433
    Likes: 5, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 102
    Location: US/TX

    robherc Designer/Hobbyist

    You're EXACTLY right...it was called "Quality" in iPhotoPlus4 (my personal fav. image manip. software of about 12 years ago...rofl.
     
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