I get a lot of emails from individuals with gigantic pictures attached. This is a really simple process to make your images smaller in both file and actual size. If you have photoshop and are not using this on a regular basis, this is how you do it:
Take your original images and get them the SIZE you want by clicking:
Image–>Image Resize (In this case say 200 pixels wide)
Next Click: File –> Save For Web (These settings are optimized to save pictures at low file sizes and you can adjust your compression settings as needed. You will have a dialog box that can have up to 4 different previews (see left tabs) on the same screen)
(Note on the bottom left of each picture you have predicted file size.)
Lastly you can adjust the compression visually by sliding the “Quality” slider in the top Right of the dialog box.
Finally save to the folder you want. This will save the picture as a copy so you have your original and one for the web.
You can also set the image size in the Save for web dialog box.
Just click on the tab Image size and select your target size. Keep constrain proportions checked this way if you have a portrait image, you just have to put 200 in the height column and it will adjust it proportionally.
Great info., Michael. And I’d add this little item I learned not too long ago…very helpful (especially for those of us who work a lot on the Web and need to keep an eye on file size). When you use the "Save for the Web" function, there’s a little round button with a right-pointing arrow in it just to the right of the drop-down for Preset. Go to "Optimize to File Size," and you can enter the max file size you’d like (under "Desired File Size"). Takes the guesswork out of it!
"I get a lot of emails from individuals with gigantic pictures attached"……Um, you could have just said " I get a lot of emails from Natalie with gigantic pictures attached"….. 😛
INot related to this blog but..I had to share! I have been so excited about this! I did my first paid photoshoot, nothing big but still I got paid!! I shot my friends baby and they came out so good! Thank you Michael I owe absolutely everything I have learned from you. Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity to shoot a wedding with you, thank you for your online lessons (I have pointed many people to them) and thank you for the great blog! You are a wonderful teacher!
Congrats, Alexandra! You’ve taken the leap. Hey, and on an unrelated subject, where are you today, Michael? You post with such regularity, it’s disconcerting to check in and not see a new entry! I need my fix!
Great to hear Alexandra! I am so proud of you! I can tell you are excited about it and I know how good that feels. Way to go!