Resizing pictures - how to determine the correct size to display?

[Brenda]

Many of you have helped me with a website I am trying to do for someone who
wants to get some DNA results up on a website. Unfortunately, this person
uses Word to create web pages, and I use FrontPage2003, so he and I are
having some "issues" between the two of us.

He is sending me *HUGE* jpg's, which I turn into gifs (using Paint Shop
Pro). At that time, I also attempt to resize them, but I also know that I
don't have them resized down nearly as far as I should, *BUT* I cannot
figure out what size I need to end up with, in order for the pictures to
display properly.

For example, if you look at this page -
http://www.pagey-dna.org/Page Origins.htm - there are a total of 4
graphics on this page. They were all originally jps that he emailed to me.
When I opened them in PSP, they didn't look "so big" but if they were
displayed in a browser, they were HUGE - I mean HUGE, to the point of
scrolling right and left, AND up and down to see the whole graphic.

When you get a huge graphic that needs to be displayed on a website, how do
you know how small to make that graphic, in order for it to display
properly?

As much as I hate to admit it, I reduced it in size, optimized them as gifs,
and hoped for the best. Even at that, my end results were LARGE, so I used
FP to force them down to size, which I know, is NOT the thing to do, but I
couldn't figure out, how to decide what size graphic I needed to end up
with. I realize that these pages load slowly, and it's because of the size
of the graphics, but I have gone outside my comfort level and am at a
COMPLETE loss when it comes to knowing what size graphics need to be, in
order to display properly. I would say that the size these graphics appear
right now, are the size that he (the website owner) wants to see them
display at, BUT I do not know what size I need to end up with, in Paint Shop
Pro, to display graphics this size.

I'm not sure if my confusion makes sense to anyone, but I would appreciate
help here. The last graphic on the page appears to still need help, but it
was not a very clear graphic to begin with. The first graphic, the DNA
graphic was not clear at all, when it was originally sent to me in its huge
state, but I'm quite amazed at how clearly it reduced down.

Thank you - if you could point me towards something that would help me when
I'm trying to figure out what size to reduce graphics to, that would be
great!

Brenda

 

[Craig Schiller]

Brenda -

One way to figure things is to decide what is the minimum page width
your viewers will use. Say you decide that most viewers will use a
screen of 800 by 600. That means you have a width of 800 pixels to play
with. You could fairly easily fit 3 graphics side by side at about 240
pixels wide each (3x240 = 720, leaving room between graphics and on the
sides).

The graphics on that page don't have to be nearly as large as they are,
in my opinion. Or, you could compromise, and make the graphics on the
page smaller but make them clickable to see a larger version.

What's really making the page go bonkers is the "Page-Y DNA results"
chart. I'm not sure I see an easy way around that while maintaining its
legibility.

HTH,
Craig

 

[~Brenda]

Hi Craig,

Thank you so much. You have helped a lot. Yes, that DNA spreadsheet on the bottom is hard to work with. I'm not sure of anything that can help it...

Brenda

 

[Rob Giordano \(Crash\)]

First you need to resize them to the size you need, then optimize them...or
do it both at the same time.

You need IrFanview (freebie) it's a great tool for this.

Generally gifs are good for illustration/graphics, jpgs for photos or
graphics with gradations or many colors.

make sure you keep your aspect ratio the same as the original (pst...you may
have problems with that huge dna chart)

DON'T use FP for any graphic conversions resizing resampling.

You may want to get ScreenCaliper to measure sizes...its another freebie.



--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rob Giordano
Microsoft MVP Expression

 

[esar]

snip

Hi Brenda,
you could try jpg' over Gifs - and see if it makes much difference
in file size, or size v quality. Good advice from Graig - me too, I'd
make them a bit smaller - and if it's preferred to have a "closer
look" - then yep make it clickable to a larger view.(maybe open in new
window, same size as image.)

but yep~ the "chart" is the tricky one.. I'd suggest making this a
separate page, and placing a link to it somewhere on the site, or
perhaps replacing the current chart with a graphic and link from that
~ BUT.... the Chart - might be best as a PDF file, at least then it's
resizeable to the viewer, they can zoom in or out as best suites them,
and it gets it off this main web page.
If you want to give it a try - and your not able to create a PDF, I
can do that for you,(well - I'll have a go at it and see how it looks)
just let me know, and I'd email it to you, and of course ~ I'd need
Your email.

 

[~Brenda]

Rob,

Thanks much. I had heard of IrFanview, but had forgotten about it, and did
not know it was a freebie.

Sounds like maybe I should be useing jpgs for the crest of arms, etc.

I had ever heard of ScreeCaliper. I will check that out.

MANY thanks.

Brenda

 

[~Brenda]

Hi,

I will change them to jpgs to see if that helps the quality. Many thanks.
I think I will try to make them a bit smaller and jpgs.

That chart -- the owner of the website does NOT want to see it linked... he
wants one big long webpage, because he wants it all "flowing together". I
think I'm going to leave that chart alone. (I might try to turn it into a
pdf, to see if that helps...)

Thanks for your kind offer. I can create pdf files, but I do thank you so
very much for your kind offer of helping me get it into a pdf file.

Brenda