IMAGE SIZE - More pixels does not automatically 'a better image make'
If you are new to 365, or even an ‘old hand’, this is a question that is often asked.
If you have an Ace membership, your original uploaded images are available for you to you to re-download, however the maximum size for viewing on 365 is currently ‘large’ ( see Sizes/View all/ on the right hand side of you image pages). This is 1024 pixels on the longest side. It does not matter what you upload, that is the file size that is viewed.
To post a good looking image to your 365 album online, you do not need to have as many pixels as you do when you want to print the image. Look at an image in your album and check the exif/ 'View Info' hyper-link on the right of the screen it has your original image info which might be something like:
Image Width: 5120 px
Image Height: 3072 px
If you check the Sizes/View All data for the image, the large size (ie the one viewed as enlarged ), has a maximum size (using the same aspect ratio) of only 1024 x 614! A whole lotta pixels have been spirited away by the 365 Magic Monkeys to save space on the 365 server. (image compression)
@frankhymus found when he uploaded a hefty 13257 by 2935 pixel image (9.98 MB) that the maximum enlarged image was 1024 x 226, and he was unhappy with the loss of contrast and colour depth. Instead of letting the Magic Monkeys have total control over how the image would be compressed / resampled for web viewing, Frank resized the image to 2,000 pixels on the longest side which gave him a 2000 by 443 pixel image of (709 kb)
Look for Image size/Resample/resize command in your photo editing program. The program will use a mathematical algorithm to select which pixels are thrown away. It is suggested that a good resampler algorithm to use (if you have an option in your editing software) is ‘bicubic’ as it minimises the jaggedness that can result from resizing expanded, irregular, or complex images.
Note that different photo sharing websites can use different algorithms and maximum display sizes, and their image dispaly settings can change over time too. If you also post your 365 images to social media such as Facebook, you might like to to choose to resize 2048 pixels on the longest side.Facebook settings
You apply any final (output) sharpening after resizing your image.
PHOTOSHOP
NOTE: you might not want to resize and overwrite your original file! After resizing an image, use 'Save As' so you don't overwrite your original high resolution file.
If you use Lightroom to edit your images and want to export to a file for 365 uploading, you might want to use an export preset to save time. You can download the following Lightroom export preset, and import to your copy of Lightroom. It will rename the image file by adding “_365” to the end of the image name so you know not to print from it! The process should substantially decrease your file size and web upload time and is helpful if you have not been sure how to reduce the file size to easily share & email images without reducing the quality of your photography.
— save the attachment
—right click & copy the file
— open LR
— go to —- LR/preferences/presets/show LR presets folder/
— navigate to ...... / export presets (then single click on) / user presets ....right click and paste the file
Standard screen output sharpening is applied by this preset
a full explanation about installing the export preset is here
to use the export preset
— complete your developing the photo in LR
— right click the photo
— " ....export " & it should be there under "user preset…"
— select your final folder to save the new slimline JPG.
Thanks for putting this together @sandbox365, but guys just keep in mind that in the future we may start using a larger than 1024 wide image, so don't only upload at that size, upload larger if you can.
@frankhymus Hi Frank, you can access original upload size *for your own album images only*....in "view all sizes" the the enlarged size (1024 oixel image) URL has a final letter "L" (for large) - eg -- http://static.365project.org/1/6237746_bchlmort47_l.jpg
A link to the original upload is at the bottom of the size list (but this is only accessible for your own album images and for Ace memberships). It has a different random URL with a final letter "O" (for original) eg http://static.365project.org/1/6237746_bdkmnqu157_o.jpg.
@Scrivna thanks Ross - I have updated the posting. The LR preset exports to 2048 pixels on the longest side, does that sit nicely with currently & future options for 365?
@dibzgreasley No problem Deb. The preset is 91% export quality. If you want to reduce file size further without noticeable loss of onlne image quality, you can change 'export quality setting' to 84% & click "Add" and rename it.
Jeffrey Fiedel's Blog is really an interesting read about export quality http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/jpeg-quality
@ltodd Ah! Thanks Lyn. Not noticed it there at the bottom before after all these years
@Scrivna Sure looking forward to that, but you will still have the down sampling of large images when you display them. Just for fun, I shot a lot of bare trees against a building, brickwork and wooden slates, lots of detail...
First at the original large size (after correcting lens distortion and a little straightening 5800x3900), sharpened for that large (print quality) pixel count and then displayed here with your display algorithms.
And then down sampled myself in Photoshop (for smooth gradients), then sharpened (at least to my taste as always on a separate layer and then blended for this new size). iI seems like dual work and perhaps it is, but I enjoy Photoshop and post-editing as much as the original shooting.
Perhaps I'm being picky, but the first is a bit soft, the second is about right, at least for my taste.
I'm not sure Ross what re sampling algorithms you use, but, for instance Flickr does seem to operate better on larger (full size) images for internet display than this.
So, I'll continue to work as before, doing the re sampling and sharpening optimization myself. I have the original final (large) PSD files tucked away if I ever want to print, and yes, my dual 5 terabyte external drives will eventually fill up. No criticism intended, I hope you understand. Perhaps no one else will notice or bother, but I do. :)
Thanks again for keeping the site going. It must be a lot of work. All the best in the New Year. And keep us up-to-date an any changes and improvements you implement.
Any advice for phone camera shots. Just switched to a new phone today and noticed a big difference in quality when I posted a pic. I tried to save in 2048x1152, the lowest possible size in my Samsung. Still the same. I tried Lightroom (mobile) and can't find the sizing option when saving. I think there's none. Will using a different mobile photo app help?
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Thanks for the LR preset and post, very useful!
A link to the original upload is at the bottom of the size list (but this is only accessible for your own album images and for Ace memberships). It has a different random URL with a final letter "O" (for original) eg http://static.365project.org/1/6237746_bdkmnqu157_o.jpg.
@Scrivna thanks Ross - I have updated the posting. The LR preset exports to 2048 pixels on the longest side, does that sit nicely with currently & future options for 365?
@dibzgreasley No problem Deb. The preset is 91% export quality. If you want to reduce file size further without noticeable loss of onlne image quality, you can change 'export quality setting' to 84% & click "Add" and rename it.
Jeffrey Fiedel's Blog is really an interesting read about export quality http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/jpeg-quality
http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/facebook is a different plug in for automating exporting and uploading to Facebook too.
@Scrivna Sure looking forward to that, but you will still have the down sampling of large images when you display them. Just for fun, I shot a lot of bare trees against a building, brickwork and wooden slates, lots of detail...
First at the original large size (after correcting lens distortion and a little straightening 5800x3900), sharpened for that large (print quality) pixel count and then displayed here with your display algorithms.
http://365project.org/frankhymus/the-fourth-albu/2016-01-01
And then down sampled myself in Photoshop (for smooth gradients), then sharpened (at least to my taste as always on a separate layer and then blended for this new size). iI seems like dual work and perhaps it is, but I enjoy Photoshop and post-editing as much as the original shooting.
http://365project.org/frankhymus/the-fifth-album/2015-12-01
Perhaps I'm being picky, but the first is a bit soft, the second is about right, at least for my taste.
I'm not sure Ross what re sampling algorithms you use, but, for instance Flickr does seem to operate better on larger (full size) images for internet display than this.
So, I'll continue to work as before, doing the re sampling and sharpening optimization myself. I have the original final (large) PSD files tucked away if I ever want to print, and yes, my dual 5 terabyte external drives will eventually fill up. No criticism intended, I hope you understand. Perhaps no one else will notice or bother, but I do. :)
Thanks again for keeping the site going. It must be a lot of work. All the best in the New Year. And keep us up-to-date an any changes and improvements you implement.