Graphics question from a newb

[Doremus]

I'm hoping some of the graphics pros here can take a moment to help me. There's a large jpg on my home page that looks good when I view it on my hard drive, but when I upload it becomes all pixelly.

 

What's the correct way to get a nice, clean jpg on a osC website?

 

Should I be using a different format?

 

The other question I have concerns resizing. If the page resizes according to the viewer's screen resolution, how do I keep the photo from becoming distorted?

 

These are incredibly stupid questions I realize, but they just show you where I stand technically (lousy).

 

My utmost thanks to anyone who can help a clueless newbie. :)

[Muldrick]

Seems it becomes all pixely BECAUSE of the re-size issue. Use an editor (PhotoShop?) to resize it and set the resolution (pixels) to the proper settings before you put it on OSC.

[Doremus]

Seems it becomes all pixely BECAUSE of the re-size issue. Use an editor (PhotoShop?) to resize it and set the resolution (pixels) to the proper settings before you put it on OSC.

 

Thanks, Muldrick.

 

Would the correct settings be the size required at 800x600? What's a good resolution to use?

[spax]

On the large image view, your image will maintain its original size. No matter what the screen resolution is. If you are talking about the thumbnail view, that is because the image is being squashed down to the small image size, set in your admin. To cure that, you would need to install a thumbnail mod.

[Muldrick]

Yes, or...if you're talking about products, be sure to upload the full size image...not the thumbnail.

[Doremus]

Thanks for the help, guys.

 

The picture I'm talking about isn't a product. It's a large image on the home page. I'll resize it in PhotoShop and use a higher resolution to see if I can get rid of the noise.

 

Are jpgs the best format to use? What about gifs or some of the others? Any recommendations?

[Muldrick]

I use .jpg or .gif's. Either should be fine.

If I have a .bmp image, I use photochop to change it to a .jpg

[Guest]

I use .jpg or .gif's. Either should be fine.

If I have a .bmp image, I use photochop to change it to a .jpg

 

 

For best results, you should use jpgs for actual pictures (anything

with lots of colors, shadows, gradations - photos that include people

or places, or complex artwork, for example.

 

If your image has mostly one, two or three colors and those colors

are solid (no shadowing, changes in tone or gradation), then you

should use a gif. Until you're more familiar with image editing, it

won't hurt for you to save a gif and jpg version of your image, so

you can begin to learn which format is better for which images.

 

As for re-sizing, always re-size your image in Photoshop or a similar

program - don't use "width=" and "height=" tags to change sizes,

because that distorts the image.

 

Use 72 dpi (dots per inch) for your resolution if the image will be

used on the web or only on computer/tv screens and use 300 dpi

if your image is for printing on a printer or in a photolab.

 

If you're using Photoshop, and you want to make sure you have

a decent image, you can't go wrong with a jpg. Follow these steps

when you're ready to save your image for uploading:

 

>> Click file

 

>> Click "Save For Web"

 

>> Make sure that "JPEG" is selected, under "presets" on the right

 

>> Make sure that you choose anywhere from 60 to 100 for "quality"

(The lower the number, the more the image is compressed - which

means lower quality - it won't look as crisp, but it will be a smaller

file size. Most of the time, 65 or so is fine for web images)

 

>> Ignore everything else and click "save". It will then ask you where

you want to save the file - choose your desktop or whichever folder

you wish - but make sure you remember where that folder is, so you

can find the file later.

 

Voila! Hope this helps. :)

[Doremus]

Namu, you're a peach. :)

 

Thanks so much.

[Guest]

Namu, you're a peach. :)

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

My pleasure. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. :)