Photo image size
Photos with a high pixel count will display very large on the computer monitor and will have a very large file size. The large file size will be a problem for sending photos by email and for displaying them on the Internet. Scaling down the pixel count to about 500 pixels on the longer dimension will give a photo that fits on the monitor without scrolling and that downloads quickly on a dial-up modem.
Conversely, if you are going to print a photo, you want the pixel count to be as high as possible for sharp details. Lower pixel counts will make a grainy photo. Minimum pixel counts for non-grainy photo prints are:
- wallet: 640 x 480
- 4 x 6: 1024 x 768
- 5 x 7: 1152 x 864
- 8 x 10: 1250 x 1000
The pixel count on a photo can be reduced, but it cannot be increased once the photo has been taken. The place to increase pixel count is on the camera for digital photos and on the scanner for copying printed photos.
The original of the photo below is 2048 x 1536 dpi, and the file size 1.6 Mb. If it were displayed on a computer monitor, only about 1/4 of it would be visible. Scrolling would be required to see the entire photo. Download time on a dial-up modem would be about 5 minutes.
This resized version is 480 x 360 dpi, and the file size is 53 Kb. Download time on a dial-up modem would be about 10 seconds.
Refer to Scanning basics notes for scanning instructions.
Send photos by email
On the menubar choose Tools, Options, E-Mail. Choose your email program and set the size. The default is 480 for the longer dimension. After the options are set, select the photos in the Library view and click the Send Email button at the bottom of the window.
© 2007 Raymond D. Bland
Created: 4/6/07
Revised: 4/19/07