The Rodding Roundtable

Motorhead Message Central => Sitewide User FAQ => Topic started by: OzRod on July 13, 2004, 05:44:56 AM

Title: Compressing Images
Post by: OzRod on July 13, 2004, 05:44:56 AM
Just wondering what software you guys use to compress digital camera shots to appropriate sizes.

I took a photo and transfered it from the digital camera to the computer and it was 9 mb in size. I then changed it from 16 million colours to 256 colours. This destroyed and distorted the picture almost completely but only reduced the file size to 250kb. I was using Paint Shop Pro 5.03.

How do I get the size down to about 20 or 30 kb without destroying the image beyond recognition?

Cheers,
Chris
Title: Re: Compressing Images
Post by: Fat Cat on July 13, 2004, 04:40:49 PM
Quote from: "OzRod"Just wondering what software you guys use to compress digital camera shots to appropriate sizes.

I took a photo and transfered it from the digital camera to the computer and it was 9 mb in size. I then changed it from 16 million colours to 256 colours. This destroyed and distorted the picture almost completely but only reduced the file size to 250kb. I was using Paint Shop Pro 5.03.

How do I get the size down to about 20 or 30 kb without destroying the image beyond recognition?

Cheers,
Chris

The keys are that you need to reduce the image size to around 500-550 pixels wide and use the jpeg image format. You don't need to reduce the number of colors. I also use Paint Shop Pro 5. I did some explaining on this issue here (http://www.roddingroundtable.com/dcforum/faqs/picture.html).
Title: Compressing Images
Post by: OzRod on July 16, 2004, 09:55:20 AM
Ok i read the post you made on the topic and it helped me understand things a bit better BUT not entirely....

Ok here's what happens....

As i mentioned when I transfer my image from my digital camera to my computer it becomes a 9mb jpeg file. I load Paint Shop Pro 5 and it is already set at 72 pixels/inch. Next I resize it to 500 x 371 and it becomes 543kb in size. I then crop it to about half the original size and it becomes 115kb in size. Now I change the resolution to 50 pixels per inch by using Image>Resize then select the Actual/Print Size button, and change the 72 to a 50, making sure the drop box next to it says 'Pixels / inch'. I click ok then nothing happens....hmmmm...... the file size is still 115kb and the image is a little too small to see for my liking. So I tried changing it to 1 pixel per inch by using the same method and still the file is 115kb. I think I am doing something else wrong here thats not mentioned in the link you provided.

BTW Fat Cat i know your a busy man so reply when you can.... no rush.

Cheers,
Chris
Title: Compressing Images
Post by: OzRod on July 22, 2004, 05:28:52 AM
Ok just worked out what the problem is or was!!

The image size I was refering to was from the bottom right corner of the screen.

(http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~chrismw/file_size_problem.jpg)

I have since discovered that this must be the file size when saving as a Paint Shop Pro (.psp) image. While it said the file was 9.1mb in size, I looked in windows explorer to find it was only 600kb. Then with a little work it compressed nicely to 20 -30 kb :D  :D  :D  :D

I think I should be using enjenjo's signature. DOH!! :oops:  :oops:
Title: Compressing Images
Post by: TJ's Dad on August 26, 2004, 06:17:22 PM
http://www.irfanview.com/

Oz Rod use the above ........ and it's free !!

                                 MIKE
Title: Compressing Images
Post by: Anonymous on December 11, 2004, 07:43:09 PM
Thanks for the tip. Great little program that. Cheers