Product Picture Size

[Azure Moon]

Hi,

 

Again...I'm new to OsCommerce and web sites in general, so please excuse my ignorance. Is there a correct size for product pictures on OsCommerce sites/what size do pictures need to be before uploading into product. Please advise.

 

Many Blessings,

 

Azure Moon :blink:

[bill110]

Any size that does not take up the whole page is ok, just find a size that looks comfortable when you "click to enlarge". But if you use a thumbnail contribution it will make load times better and help with distortion issues. Also in the admin area set maximim image width or height to 0 and it will not stretch the thumbnails.

[matrix2223]

You can do that or if you like to have already large image there is a thread that tell you how to have large images in your discriptions and there is also a contrib to keep image perportions on the index page.

 

Either way the size is really up to what you like.

 

Eric

[Azure Moon]

Any size that does not take up the whole page is ok, just find a size that looks comfortable when you "click to enlarge". But if you use a thumbnail contribution it will make load times better and help with distortion issues. Also in the admin area set maximim image width or height to 0 and it will not stretch the thumbnails.

 

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for the info...however, I'm a true newbie and don't quite understand your answer. Is there a specific pixel size? And excuse me.."a thumbnail contribution"? If you could explain a bit further I'd be forever grateful.

 

Many Blessings,

 

Azure Moon

[bill110]

Here is a link to a contribution to add that will automatically thumbnail your images on the products pages.

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1484

There are others in the contributions section of this site. Look under the community tab

As far as pixel size, it really is up to you. The problem is that you end up with images with different dimensions ie. some wide some talland osc will somesimes distort them in the small image.

This contribution is supposed to help with that problem

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1137

down these and they should have install instructions.

[Azure Moon]

Here is a link to a contribution to add that will automatically thumbnail your images on the products pages.

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1484

There are others in the contributions section of this site. Look under the community tab

As far as pixel size, it really is up to you. The problem is that you end up with images with different dimensions ie. some wide some talland osc will somesimes distort them in the small image.

This contribution is supposed to help with that problem

http://www.oscommerce.com/community/contributions,1137

down these and they should have install instructions.

 

Hi again Bill,

 

I'm lost. Again...I am totally and completely illiterate with all of this. My site is pre-built, so can I assume that the correct picture size is already programed in there? Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but according to the first contribution, it will automatically re-size the pictures? I guess what I'm looking for is the best pixel size for each picture prior to uploading into my product catalog. I don't understand "contributions" frankly...I realize that they're people's solutions to problems, but where do I put them?

 

What I need is a beginners guide to all of this and from what I see, there isn't one. Any further help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many Blessings,

 

Azure Moon

[bill110]

Yes the first contribution will auto resize the images. Here is what happens normally. In the admin section under configuration-images you see a small image width and small image height. If you keep your pictures to that same aspect ratio ie 200X160 400X320 all will be OK. The image quality may not be very good and also it just shrinks them keeping the same file size, hence slower page loading times. The thumbnailer will reduce the file size speeding up load times. The first contribution comes with a text file that explains which files to edit, what lines to change etc. I use dreamweaver and upload them after making changes. You could use the file manager to edit the files but problems have been posted about doing it that way.

The contributions arent only for problems but totally changing aspects of the shop, so it is your own and you can get the look and feel you want.

Do you have anything on your PC like XAMPP or easyphp so you can edit the shop locally and view the results before uploading changes? Both are free and great tools.

[Azure Moon]

Yes the first contribution will auto resize the images. Here is what happens normally. In the admin section under configuration-images you see a small image width and small image height. If you keep your pictures to that same aspect ratio ie 200X160 400X320 all will be OK. The image quality may not be very good and also it just shrinks them keeping the same file size, hence slower page loading times. The thumbnailer will reduce the file size speeding up load times. The first contribution comes with a text file that explains which files to edit, what lines to change etc. I use dreamweaver and upload them after making changes. You could use the file manager to edit the files but problems have been posted about doing it that way.

The contributions arent only for problems but totally changing aspects of the shop, so it is your own and you can get the look and feel you want.

Do you have anything on your PC like XAMPP or easyphp so you can edit the shop locally and view the results before uploading changes? Both are free and great tools.

 

Hey!

 

No XAMPP or easyphp...no clue as to what either is...sorry. The first contribution you spoke of is evidentally what I need, however, I'm confused as to where to get all the details. I'm beginning to think that starting my own online business was a huge mistake :( because I don't understand any of this. Like I said, my site was pre-built and I would hope that everything is set up the way it should be, however, it was designed for offering products via drop shippers, but sold both ways. I just want to crawl under a rock right now and give up all together.

 

Please let me know if you can help me any further. I apologize for my ignorance, but everyone has to learn somehow and I truly appreciate all the help you've offered so far.

 

Azure Moon

[bill110]

Don't give up. We all had to start somewhere. 6 months ago I didnt know PHP from ESP. If you downloaded the first contribution it was a text file. open the text file and it has some info at the beginning . go down a little further and you will see:

Installing should be quite easy, only one file to change.

Follow these 6 steps:

If your shop was pre made there may already be some sort of thumbnailer. Add some products and images and see how they work. If you use the aspect ratio I told you about you should not have a problem with distortion.

Good luck!

[Azure Moon]

Don't give up. We all had to start somewhere. 6 months ago I didnt know PHP from ESP. If you downloaded the first contribution it was a text file. open the text file and it has some info at the beginning . go down a little further and you will see:

Installing should be quite easy, only one file to change.

Follow these 6 steps:

If your shop was pre made there may already be some sort of thumbnailer. Add some products and images and see how they work. If you use the aspect ratio I told you about you should not have a problem with distortion.

Good luck!

 

 

Bill,

 

I did not yet download that first contribution...how do I do that? And I tried adding a "test" product by using a picture I want to use on my "About Us" page and it looked great as far as I could see. So maybe everything is ready to go and I don't have to mess with anything...I sure hope so.

 

As long as I have your attention, could you look at one of my other questions/problems in the General Support forum titles "I can't get rid of old graphics" or something like that? Nobody has answered that question yet and it's making me crazy.

 

Thanks again for ALL of your help...you rule!

 

Many Blessings,

 

Azure Moon