Tech Info

You may have already seen this before, but it's time to discuss it again for some of the new users.  The digital age is here and we are all sending pictures of our kids, dogs, cats and anything else we are proud of.

The following is a common problem and is not meant to hurt any feelings.  It's just something we do and don't think about.

The average size for an email box on your ISP's server is 10mb.  The new digital cameras will take pictures that average 2.5mb per picture if you use the highest resolution setting.  So... what I'm saying is that the average mailbox can only hold 4 of these pictures before it gets full.  After this is when I say it was bombed :)

To put it in simple words, it will take a person on a dialup connection (at the best speed of 52000 and no disconnects) approximately 35 - 45 minutes to download the 10mb (4 pictures).  And believe me, there are not many out there using dialup connections that can sustain these speeds.

If you have DSL/Cable/Broadband capabilities, please realize that the person on the other end may not have the same luxuries.  Try not to bomb someone's email box accidentally.

If a person's email box gets bombed, they have to try over and over to get the pictures downloaded.  This will cause multiple download sessions and cause duplicate emails until the download session is complete.  Sometimes the only way to get the email cleaned up is to use "Webmail" access to delete the files.

These digital cameras are wonderful!  They do take some amazing pictures and the quality is increasing every day.  The pictures we take on our new cameras are usually taken in very high quality (resolution).  The higher the resolution (for example 1704 x 2272) the larger the picture size is when it is saved.  Most cameras have an email setting that will save the pictures in a 640 x 480 resolution.  This size is great for emailing, but if we want to print the picture, the printed picture will be of poor quality.

Here's what I do and recommend.  Take your pictures at the highest resolution you camera will support.  After you've taken your pictures and downloaded them to your computer, use a graphic editing program to resize the pictures.  I use Paint Shop Pro and have been very pleased with it over the years.  There are thousands of things you can do in Paint Shop Pro, so I can't give you a full list of tips.  Here's how to resize:

To resize an image in Paint Shop Pro, click on Image (across the top of screen) and click on Resize (Shift + S)

Remember when you resize your pictures for emailing, use the 640 x 480 setting during resizing.  Also, when you save your resized picture, add something at the end of the filename (image001-01.jpg) so you'll leave your original high resolution picture in tact.  Then if you want to print the picture, you will use the original (image001.jpg) so you'll retain your image quality.

What resolution do I need for high quality pictures?  If you are going to print or take your pictures to have them printed, remember this:

Information form Shutterfly

Image Resolution Maximum print size less than 640 x 480 Only wallet-size prints recommended 640 x 480 Absolute minimum resolution for 4x6 (results will vary) 1024 x 768 Minimum recommended resolution for 4x6 1152 x 864 Minimum recommended resolution for 5x7 1600 x 1200 Minimum recommended resolution for 8x10 or larger

For large-format prints (11×14, 16×20, and 20×30), our recommendations are similar to those for an 8×10, although you may wish to help ensure the best possible print by using an image that is 3 megapixels or larger.

Thanks and Happy Computing!
Trey 

© 2004 Trey Asher / Asher Computer Service