Resizing and Prepping Images

[DanClark]

When you upload images to talkFestool, our software can resize your images automatically to keep them with the maximum file sizes. However...

You will almost always get better results from decent image processing software. For example, PhotoShop CS3 defaults to a bicubic algorithm for resizing. And it has several other algorithms available for image resizing. (I've had the best results with standard Bicubic, followed by applying a little Unsharp Mask at between 30 and 50%.)

Regarding image processing, my work flow is:

1) Crop image to remove extraneous parts and focus on the imporant elements.

2) Adjust lighting and color if necessary. (I typically just use "Levels" in PhotoShop. "Image --> Adjustments --> Levels..." in PhotoShop CS3 or "Enhance --> Adjust Lighting --> Levels..." in PhotoShop Elements 6.)

3) Resize image. ("Image --> Image Size..." in PS CS3 or "Image --> Resize --> Image Size..." in PSE 6.)

4) Sharpen lightly ("Filter --> Sharpen --> Unsharp Mask..." in PS CS3 or "Enhance --> Unsharp Mask..." in PSE 6.)

5) Export for the web. ("File --> Save for Web & Devices..." in PS CS3 or "File --> Save for Web..." in PSE 6.)

Regards,

Dan.

[RWeber]

Dan & all:
I found irfanview years ago and it is freeware. While I love CS2/3, free it certainly ain't.
irfanview is uber simple, resize, crop, sharpen, whatever. Almost too easy. Nowhere near the ability to modify an image that Photoshop has in it's pinky, nevertheless. Very useful and quick for people wanting to trim a file size down for posting.
Just do a search and I think it takes all of 20 seconds to download. Literally.

[DanClark]

Good points! Some other options:

• PhotoShop Elements is very good and at $95 is much less spendy: Amazon.com: Adobe Photoshop Elements 7: Software

• Gimp is also very good and a bit more complex, but it's free: GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program

Regards,

Dan.

[fidelfs]

If you don't want to deal with another software just for resizing pictures, there are free websites that can resize the picture for you.

You just have to select your picture, select a size , special effect (optional), quality of new size and click resize button.

Resize Images online

[JayKnoll]

Microsoft Picture Manager gives you a choice of compression, I use "web"

[DanClark]

fidelfs, Jay,

Thanks! Another couple of nice options.

Dan.