Resizing image files — the easy way.

This is easy. Don't be scared. The instructions are designed to be viewed on your monitor or printed so you can follow along. File\ Print Preview (just to look)\ Print (choose pages 1-8 to save a sheet)

Open Resizer and set it up as shown

Check all the check boxes even though I don't show the "Ask before overwrite" because that only matters if you are going to write the files back to the original folder which you are never ever going to do. But just in case you lose your mind and try to do such a silly thing, maybe the pop-up will remind you that PaPa John said, "Don't do that!"

Step by step:

1. Output format: choose .jpg
2. Output folder: Navigate to the folder where you are going to store the resized photos. You can add folder here if you want to. For instance navigate to "My Pictures" and after the C:\My Documents\My Pictures enter \websitephotos. You will get the "folder does not exist, do you want to create…" answer in the affirmative.
3. If you want to rename the photos to something of significance to you, the easiest way is to click on the Rename drop-down little arrows and choose "Image#####". Next, highlight and change the "Image" to the significant name. Leave at least a couple of the ## in place as that will give you the name and sequential numbers. If you do over 99, leave at least three.

Now click on the Advanced Options

And this screen will appear

The only option you really need to check at this point is "Use Resize/Resample"

The easiest and most universal settings you can choose are:

1. Resize based on one side
2. Predefined side: Long Side

The reason I like this is that it will make all the photos the same ratio i.e. 640 x 480 regardless of whether they are portrait or landscape oriented.

Of course if you want them all the same width or height, choose one of those options.

Then click the arrows on the <Pick A Standard Size> to reveal the drop-down menu.

640 will normally always be plenty big enough for the web pages. To give you an idea, the photos on the India trip page are 480 wide (longest edges). So unless you particularly want a large size, 640 will be plenty big.

If it is something that you want to make available for printing, call me.

Those setting will stay as long as you don't change them. However, just to be on the safe side, I would take a second and use the "Save Options to File" on the bottom.

You can save as many Advanced Options as you want. Make sure you name them something that tells you what they are. This is a case where a long file name might be a good thing.

That will (I think) bring up a window asking where you want to save it. I think a good place is in the same folder where you will be keeping your resized photos but it is your choice. Then name the file something that will tell you what it is. Like other applications, it will continue to save the options to the same folder until you change it.

The reason to do this is so that if you have multiple Advanced Options (and you will as you learn to use this application), you don't have to reset them every time you use the program. You would just click on the "Load Options from File" and pick the one you want.

Click OK and you're outa' here and back to the main screen.

Now you will pick the photos you want to resize.

Navigate to the folder where the photos are located and click on the ones you want to resize.

HINT:

• To select multiple consecutive files, click on the first one you want, then hold the Shift key and click on the last one.
• To select non-consecutive files, hold the control key and click as many as your little hear desires.
• Here's one for free — click the add button after you've selected the ones you can see. It's frustrating to find out you accidently deselected 20 files that are hidden up there somewhere.

Notice that you can check your photos in the little preview window at the bottom by clicking on the file name on the Input List.

Almost done…

Two Quick Steps Now

Click Start.

This window pops up

Notice the time elapsed to do the job. You could waste a lot of time doing this by hand.

Click the "Done" button, back to main screen, close it, FINISHED!

Nicely resized, ratio maintained and safely stored on your hard drive.

That's nice. Now how do I upload them? I'm so glad you asked. Click here to find out.

Or back to JYM Home Page.