Size your photos

 How to size your photos--and what the heck is dpi?

To submit the correct size images to Bead Star--or any of our title--here are some digital image basics.

The short answer is--image sizing is something you do in your image software. Sizing options are in there someplace when you choose "save as". Image software includes Photoshop, ACDC, Preview, and so forth. Many cameras come with their specific type of image editing software.

The long answer:

Leslie:

 How to size your photos--and what the heck is dpi?

The long answer:

When you save any image as a jpeg, you have options to save it in specific sizes, both in dpi (that's the resolution, stands for dots per inch) and in the space it takes up on your hard drive or disk (that's the amount of bytes, KB, MB  and GB increments). When you click on "save" or "save as" in your software appplication find the menu options to edit your photo in your image application (Photoshop, for instance.) You should see places to edit or change the sizes of how you save the image. Choose 72 dpi and size your image at 640 pixels WIDE x 480 pixels HIGH, so it's a horizontal rectangle. (Don't worry about what that means for now, we just need that size.) See if this keeps your disk size at 500 KB or under. If you are larger than 500 KB, resize the actual print size, canvas size or image size of your photo until it is 500KB. You probably want to save the larger version for yourself with a different file name, for your own future use, call it "original" or something. Then, make sure to save the smaller file for Bead Star with the proper naming conventions as directed in the rules. Make sure you have selected the "jpeg" option. Then, remember where you save it, and when you submit your form, you can browse your computer to find that new, smaller image.

If anyone has clarification or better advice, please post!

Thanks!--Leslie, editor in chief

 

Sriously, Leslie,  I appreciate your being able to state it that clearly in that small amount of space.

I used to write training courses with "slide shows" and had to constantly edit, and send out for review, so I could cover the subject, but have it short enough to be interesting.  [That phrase, underlined, almost sounds like plagiarism, doesn' it?]

Stan B.

 Thanks, Stan! I guess I am pretty good at telling people HOW TO do things!!

you may want to add clarification to the size--its 640 pixels WIDE by 480 pixels TALL.

So it should be a horizontal rectangle.

Erin

I am now confused.  I have resized my photo to 640p wide by 480p tall and it is 72 dpi.  However, when I look at it in Windows Explorer, it shows it as 87KB, not 500KB.  What am I doing wrong?  Or are you saying it should be 500KB or LESS?  If that's the case, I'm okay.   I don't want to submit the wrong size picture, and it has to be submitted by Thursday!

Please answer quickly, but perhaps I'll ask other BD members who I know have already submitted their photos.

 Hi Sherri!

Here's a fast way to check your image: view it in its "print size". Is it a postage stamp? Then it's too small. If it fills the screen and you have to scroll around to see the whole piece, its too big.

Adjust your size accordingly so the print size reveals your piece nicely and clearly in a single window and remains under 500K.

Hope this helps!

Leslie, editor in chief, Step by Step Beads, Creative Jewelry and Bead Star

That does help - thank you.  After receiving your advice and that of other BD members, I've now submitted my entry and am biting my fingernails right along with everyone else!

 Good luck!! Glad to help!

Leslie

In my haste to get my 2 entries in today I realized, too late, that my pictures are 522 & 527KB.  Should I re-enter my pieces with the correct size photos or am I too late? 

Thanks,

Sandi

Note new post about sizes now under the Bead Star forums. :-)