How should I save my images? :)

[Ted]

Hello all!

I'm hoping that somebody can explain in baby-talk how I should save my images... because I am just not getting it.

Here's what I'm doing:

1. I upload an image from my SD card to my computer using the Organizer. It's some huge file because it's 6.1 Megapixels... I get that part.

2. I do "Image>Resize" and bring it down to 4x6 with 300 DPI.

3. I then click "File>SaveAs" and save it as filename-4x6.jpg...

4. Then I have to choose the "Quality"... I am choosing 12 -> Maximum. It shows down below 1426 kb or something similar...

5. HOWEVER... when I go to upload it or look at it later, it says the file is about 2.5 MB!

What is the use of looking at the 1426 kb down below the "Quality" when it is not accurate?

I'm just not understanding all this resolution, image size, etc.

I've looked at tutorials and still no help.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks very much!

[Fortissimo]

:gasp you seriously made me cringe.

Because you *never* know what you're going to use your photos for, don't touch them after you've uploaded them to your computer. If you have an issue with hard drive space, then burn your photos onto cd (you should be doing that anyways for backup purposes).

You can always resize smaller later if you need a smaller photo for a layout, but realistically, you can not resize larger because it will degrade the quality of your image. Plus, every time you save an image as a .jpg, you are putting compression (even the lowest setting of compression has compression) onto the image, degrading it.

[Ted]

Hi Stacy,

Thanks for answering! :)

I'm thinking I wasn't clear in my original post. I'm notorious for my lack of clarity! :)

Let's say I upload a photo "familydinner.jpg"

I want to resize it as a 4 x 6 so I do Image>Resize and make it 4 x 6

I then save it as "familydinner-4x6.jpg" (thus not removing my original) :)

The question is... when I save it as .jpg, the Jpeg Options dialog comes up and asks for a quality (from 0 to 12). When I choose "12/Maximum", in the bottom of the dialog, shows something like 1478 kb/23.4s So silly me, I assume it's going to be about 1.5 MB large.

However, when I go to upload it to an online gallery, etc... it ends up really being like 2.7 MB!!

How did it get bigger?

Your post brings up another great question about backing up:

I backed up to a blank DVD-RW...

But when I go to back up again... I can't... because it's "closed"...

How do I backup and leave the DVD "unclosed" so that I don't have to waste DVDs?

Hope that's clear?

[Fortissimo]

Let's say I upload a photo "familydinner.jpg"

I want to resize it as a 4 x 6 so I do Image>Resize and make it 4 x 6

I then save it as "familydinner-4x6.jpg" (thus not removing my original) :)

The question is... when I save it as .jpg, the Jpeg Options dialog comes up and asks for a quality (from 0 to 12). When I choose "12/Maximum", in the bottom of the dialog, shows something like 1478 kb/23.4s So silly me, I assume it's going to be about 1.5 MB large.

However, when I go to upload it to an online gallery, etc... it ends up really being like 2.7 MB!!

How did it get bigger?

I honestly don't know. I just tested it out on my machine and there was about a 20K difference.. but that's it :(



I backed up to a blank DVD-RW...

But when I go to back up again... I can't... because it's "closed"...

How do I backup and leave the DVD "unclosed" so that I don't have to waste DVDs?

Hope that's clear?

I'm not sure. I have never used a DVD-RW. I usually have more than enough photos to load up a disk, and if I don't I just put what I have on one. Disks are so cheap now that I don't mind wasting space on one.

I'm not real helpful today am I ? :)

[Flutterby]

Hi Ted...
first, don't insert a "resolution" when resizeing your pics.
UNcheck "resample", and check "constrain proportions", and when u put in either the width or height, it will automatically put in the correct resolution of the original photo, which is going to be at least 486, or in your case, higher, and NOT 300.

By reducing it to a resolution of 300, you are taking away the high quality that you have paid for with your camera....:-)

I would print it from this, and, as Stacy says, NOT save it. Save the original. U can resize the original again later, if u need to for another project. Or save your resized image by using "save as", and creating a seperate file, still keeping your original to work from later.

I don't really know why it changes size, but PERHAPS first LOWERING the quality (thru resolution) and than asking to save it as a HIGH resolution (12), maybe THAT has something to do with it....???