How do I know if my picture is too big & how do I work out bits, bytes meggathingies & image sizes?

Open the folder where the picture is, right click on the picture (or it’s file name) & you’ll see a box with options open up. The bottom one should be labeled as “Properties” click on it. You should now get a different box with several “tabs” at the top or side. Make sure you’re on the “General” one by clicking on it again.

Look at the “size” heading; it should look something like this, (which is how my camera keeps pictures). 1.46 MB (1,540,750 bytes) That is computer talk for a 2848 X 2136 pixel (dot) picture measuring 39.56” X 29.67” way to huge for a computer screen to show & huge so it’s slow to send (upload) or receive (download).

How big is a monitor screen?

It depends. Mine is a 19” one & its maximum working size is 1280 X 2136 pixels (dots) so I have to shrink the image by enough to fit the screen. Smaller screens use even less dots, all the way down to 640 X 480 for some laptops.

OK so how do I know how big (or small) to make them?

Well the computer will help by making some suggestions.

800 X800 is thought of as a “regular” e-mail size,

1024 X1024 is a “large” e-mail.

640 X 640 is a regular web size, 800 X 800 a large, just to give you some ideas.

NOTE: Remember the picture probably isn’t dead square, so one of these sizes will probably be smaller. Pick the longest side to size to & the rest will just fit in proportion, don’t worry about it.

So what happens to all the thousands of extra dots if I make it too big?

The software throws them away as it can’t use them!

You can send a huge (I have one that’s 30.1 MB (31,593,718 bytes) one that is 3520 X 2240 dots, that’s 7884800 dots files for a specific use, so the software will throw out everything above 640 X640 (409600) dots even after I’ve waited for ever for them to be sent (uploaded). That means I’ve thrown away 7475200 dots that I waited to be sent!

What’s the answer to all this number crunching?

Shrink the picture & save a mini-copy for posting to websites.

Here’s a step-by-step how to, don’t let this intimidate you you’re going to work with a copy so no matter how much you mess up the original is safe. We’re going to use MS PAINT! Because just about everybody has it as it one of those “freebies” included in Windows, all you have to do is turn it on following the instructions above.

We’re going to start even simpler than that though by making a special folder (directory) for putting the copies in & working on them. I call mine “RESIZED TO POST” feel free to be creative. We have to do this so there aren’t 2 files (pictures in a .JPG) with the same name. Windows gets all confused if we do that. It also stops you getting confused & deleting an original, or sending a biggie by accident.

REMEMBER! Once you throw away pixels they’re gone, you can’t get them back. This is why we only mess with duplicates or copies of the original.

STEP1: go to wherever you store your pictures, many versions of Windows have a “MY PICTURES” folder.

On my computer its [COMPUTER] > [pictures] > [My Pictures], yours is probably similar.

Click on [My Pictures} or whatever your folder is called & look for an option called “NEW FOLDER” (usually at the top border) click on it.

Step 2:

Make copies of the pictures you want to post to the website.

How? Easy.

Find the picture.

Click on “OPEN WITH”

You’ll get a list of everything that can open the file; Paint or MS Paint is almost certainly one, click on it.

This opens MS Paint, stuffs the picture into it & waits for you to go to work, all in one easy step.

This is actually how big your picture really is, up till now all you’ve seen is a reworked version, this is the real McCoy, warts & all, huge isn’t it?

The first thing we’ll do is save our working copy.

Open the option that says “SAVE AS” (NOT SAVE, BUT SAVE AS. THIS IS IMPORTANT)

You get a box opens with options & a list of folders, go to “RESIZED TO POST” & click to open it.

Hit “SAVE”.

You now have a copy of the picture just sitting there for you to work with. The original is safely tucked away where you can’t harm it if something goes wrong.

Step 3:

Now pick a size in pixels. (800X800 is good for most web use) make sure the sizing is in PIXELS not INCHES.

Make sure the “MAINTAIN ASPECT RATIO” box is checked, if it isn’t click on it. (This just keeps the shape the same & lets you enter only one set of numbers, the computer figures out the rest for you.) For example if you have the box checked & enter “800” for the longest side (width, or depth) you’ll be fine.

Look at the picture at 100% magnification, there’s a slider in the bottom right. Is this how you want it to look? If YES then click on the picture of a disk up with all the other thingies.