Making an avatar or profile pic?

Question

Level 2

397 points

Making an avatar or profile pic?

Hi,

This question is basically about image resizing. I've looked all over the forums but haven't really found the answer. I want to make a profile picture/avatar type thing. This image must be 80x80 and no more than 5kb.

So I go into iPhoto, the only image software I have on my mac and select a photo that I want to create the image from. This might be a 5mp picture measuring 2592 x 1944 and 2.4mb in size. I crop a small square from the image containing the image I want for my avatar. Actually, I'm goign to do this now so I know exactly where I am...ok so I crop around the part that I want, then to get the exact pixel size I constrain it to 80x80 then crop again. Now, on saving those changes, the resultant image is 375x375 and 147kb. This is where I'm confused. But anyway, moving on. I now select the image and choose export, whereupon I select 'scale images no larger than 80x80' and save it to the desktop. Now the image is 80x80 but the file size is 12kb. This is still too large.

Do I need a 3rd party image editor or is there another way to do this. I know about the option to resize for emailing but why isn't that option available in the standard save mode? i.e to the desktop or any folder?

Please help,

Thank you in advance...

iLee

G5 imac, 2Ghz, 17, superdrive, 160gb HD, 1.5gb RAM, Mighty Mouse, Mac OS X (10.4.2), 30gb ipod with video (black)

Posted on Feb 12, 2006 4:50 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 12, 2006 7:08 AM in response to iLee

HI iLee,
You have done everything right. This is one limitation of iPhoto. You need to be able to decrease the quality of the image in order to get the file size down more. I am sure there are some freeware applications at VersionTracker that can decrease the quality and therefor the file size for you.

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Answer 2

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 12, 2006 7:36 AM in response to lori_diloreto

Hi Lori

You've helped me before and I knew you'd be the first to help on this one.
Are there any apps you could recommend to me? Actually, to help in my search, what am I looking for? Is it an image editor?

Thanks,

iLee

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Answer 3

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 12, 2006 7:58 AM in response to iLee

Hi,

What about GIMP? What is this? Will that help me? It needs x11 which I have but it's not installed yet.

Anyone else use GIMP?

Thanks,

iLee

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Answer 4

Feb 12, 2006 10:19 AM in response to iLee

You can download a freeware app called Goldberg 2.
Open the image in Goldberg and then hit "save as"
In the next window you can reduce the image quality to make your file size smaller.
http://mypage.bluewin.ch/opus/freeware/g2/osx.html#download

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Answer 5

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 13, 2006 2:51 AM in response to lori_diloreto

Thanks Lori but that's not really working for me. I can only get it down to about 12kb, same as iPhoto really.

Anything else?

Thanks

iLee

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Answer 6

Feb 13, 2006 7:11 AM in response to iLee

Even moving the quality slider to the left you have the same file size?

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Answer 7

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 14, 2006 5:00 AM in response to lori_diloreto

Hi,

That gets it down to 8kb. I even took a new picture at a 1mp setting on the camera, then cropped the section I wanted. I thought this would produce a lower res crop, which would allow me to get a smaller file size. But no dice.

iLee

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Answer 8

Feb 14, 2006 5:51 AM in response to iLee

Is there a setting to strip the resource fork?

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Answer 9

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 15, 2006 3:59 AM in response to lori_diloreto

er....fuzzywuzzywozza what?

You'll need to explain that one Lori.

iLee

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Answer 10

Feb 15, 2006 6:22 AM in response to iLee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_fork
This is the long of it. The resource fork can add a little to the file size, and it might be keeping you from getting your file size small enough. It might already be stripped I don't know. You can send the avatar to yourself as an attachment and make sure to check the "send windows friendly attachment" in mail.app. this will strip the resource fork for you when you receive it in email.
There is also a contextual menu plugin that strips the resource fork.
GrimRipper
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/mac/16168

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Answer 11

iLee Author

Level 2

397 points

Feb 15, 2006 11:32 PM in response to lori_diloreto

Lori, this has been solved now by a friend of mine on a pc using MSpaint of all things. He got it down to 4kb!! This has been the cause of much frustration within the forum where I wanted to upload the pic for my profile. I seem to be the lone mac user and have recieved a fair slice of ridicule for not being able to get this done. Those windoze geeks think they're so clever.

Thanks

iLee

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