Design & Publishing . / . WEB . / . PixelSmith . / . Photo-Mail . . . . . . . . . Have you had your web site reviewed yet? ...from the letters department: How NOT to send photos in email (continued) Now, in version #3 (bottom, at right) we've really optimized, sized and cropped the file. It's now nearly 1/3 of the #2 image, and even though it doesn't quite show as much detail, the recipient can actually see the file within 7 seconds of download -- a much more rewarding experience! Here's how the file looked in the final example of our exercise. (Open in a separate window) All the essentials are there, and they appear almost instantly. At this point, if the viewer wants to see a bigger, more detailed photo -- they can ask for it. (The sender could even offer that option!) The whole process of optimization took but a few moments. If you know your target size, you can re-sample the image to that size and have little loss of image quality. With Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, PaintShop Pro, Deneba Canvas, Adobe Illustrator, Painter or any of the other first class painting programs you can realize this kind of efficiency quickly and easily. Well, almost. For this exercise we wanted to show the extremes so we relied on our favorite JPG production software, the little known but high powered ProJPEG plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, from BoxTop Software, Inc., Starkville, MS. ProJPEG still works as well in Photoshop 6, as it did in Photoshop 3.5 ... a tribute to Boxtop programmers! I've included the actual ProJPEG window here so that you can actually see the photo conversion in action. The nice thing about the interface is you get instant information about the file, how long to download, and other essential detail -- and you can adjust the image to visually see how much loss in detail takes place by using the slider. (Click to see that screen in a new browser window.) WOW... an 81 to 1 compression ratio. Now the file fully displays in 6 seconds flat. The moral of this story is: if you send photos directly out of the camera, then you're showing a lack of care and respect for your viewer. By cropping and optimizing the image, you instantly change the complexion of the email from one of irritating hassle to one of instant recognition. The viewer is not aware of the download, nor of the bandwidth -- but rather the sharing of your experience. ___ Even if we don't particularly have an interest in the 'new' computer -- you've got to admit it is an interesting computer, and a friendly photo. A much better service to your reader and his bandwidth. To find our more about ProJPEG visit http://www.boxtopsoft.com or contact them at info@boxtopsoft.com And, there you have it. Mr. Pixelsmith Page 1, top of the article Page 2, describes an intermediate solution Diagram comparing the relative sizes before and after Diagram using ProJPEG Email version #1: the original image Email version #2: somewhat optimized, a better solution Email version #3: highly optimized, the best solution Share and learn. . . We invite you to send in your comments on this article, tips, tricks or your questions about Web Design: http://www.graphic-design.com/contact.html Discuss it. . . If you would like to discuss web design with your peer web designers, then join us in the WebDesign & Review email discussion list. Visit: http://www.graphic-design.com/subscribe.html or simply send an email to: webdesign-on@lists.graphic-design.net Have you had your web site reviewed yet? Design & Publishing . / . WEB . / . Pixelsmith If you've got a tip or trick you'd like to share, or if you'd like Mr. Pixelsmith to answer some of your questions, feel free to contact us!

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