Believe it or not, this is something MANY people do NOT know how to do! With today’s digital cameras putting out higher quality pictures, with more megapixels, that also means they are also making larger files! Well, you will appreciate that large file size and high quality when you print, but your friends and relatives will probably NOT appreciate it when they have to wait on those pictures to load on their computers!
For online viewing only, there’s no need for a huge file. What you need to learn how to do is resize those pictures. First things first. Open the picture you wish to resize, in whatever program you like. Click “File” and then click “Save AS” and save the file somewhere you will remember. I have a folder on my desktop specifically for resized photos. This should ALWAYS be your first step when you will be changing ANYTHING about your photos. This way, you don’t lose the original file! I made the mistake once, and ONLY once of resizing a whole batch of pictures and forgetting to copy them first. I am left with pictures that look beautiful on screen, but they are useless for printing! But, I digress…
When you have done that crucial first step, look for an option in the toolbar at the top of your image editing program that is called “Image.” I use Photoshop Elements 4.0, and I wholeheartedly believe it’s one of the best programs out there for amateur and home use, and firmly believe EVERYONE should have it! No, I don’t work for Adobe, and they have not paid me to say that! Anyhow, if you can’t find an option that says “image” then look through the menus, somewhere, with a decent program at least, you will likely find an option that says “resize”. In Photoshop or PSP, this is under the “image” pulldown menu. A window will pop up (again, in most programs). Now what you will probably see here is a bunch of numbers, most likely the size, in pixels, of your current pictures. I prefer not to mess with these, it’s to much math. If you have the option, resize using percentages, just make sure you always have the box checked that says “constrain proportions” so that your photo isn’t out of proportion when you resize it! For my files, using a 6mp camera, I resize to 20 percent for online sharing. That gives me a photo that’s big enough to see details, but small enough that it should not take forever to load, like the picture at the beginning of this post. Then save, and share.
If you don’t have the option to resize using percentages, then you will need a calculator. That pop up window should show you the current size, in pixels, of your photo. You will need to divide each number, the length and width, and enter the results in. If you want to make the picture half the current size, divide by two. If you want the picture to be 1/4 of the current size, or 25%, then divide by four, and so on. Then save, and you’re ready to share!
Yes folks, it really is that simple, so get to sharing those great pics!