RESIZING IMAGES IN PHOTOSHOP
These instructions will show you how to resize images for "digital image" competitions.
The following instructions assume that you have completed the editing of your images.
PLEASE NOTE: This tutorial was prepared Roy Killen on a Macintosh computer running Photoshop CS3 so the screen shots may look a little different from what you will see on your own computer. Don't worry - if you are using any version of Photoshop on a Windows computer all the menu commands should be the same. If you are using Photoshop Elements the menu commands might be slightly different but each step is possible.
IMAGE SIZE AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
The following instructions assume that you are trying to resize your image to meet the following requirements.
1. The maximum image size is 1024 pixels wide (horizontal) and 768 pixels high (vertical) when the image is viewed in its correct orientation.
2. The required file format is JPEG.
3. The maximum file size is 700 kilobytes.
4. Images are required to be in the sRGB colour space.
If the competition you are entering requires something different (such as a file size of 500 KB) you can still follow this procedure - just make the necessary changes at the appropriate step.
To help you keep track of the prepared images and make it easy to copy them to a CD, create a directory on your computer and give it a suitable name such as "COMPETITION". Later you will be saving images to this directory - for now, just remember where it is on your computer.
It does not matter where this image file is located on your computer - just find it and open it. Later you will save the prepared image to your COMPETITION directory.
FLATTEN THE IMAGE
In the LAYERS palette check that you have "flattened" the image so that it has just one layer.
You will not need to flatten the image unless you previously saved it with more than one layer.
If you do flatten the image, you will still have the original (multiple layer) image saved because when you save this resized image it will be given a different name.
IN PHOTOSHOP
1. Select Edit.
2. Select "Convert to Profile".
IN PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
Select Image > Convert colour profile >Apply sRGB profile.
If you are using Elements you can skip the next two steps.
CONVERT TO sRGB - Step 2
In the "Convert to Profile" window check the "Destination Space Profile". If it is already "sRGB" you can skip the next step - if it is not sRGB, click on the blue arrows to the right of the profile name to drop down a list of profiles and go to the next step.
CONVERT TO sRGB - Step 3
From the list of profiles that appears, select sRGB (don't worry about the other numbers there wil be only one sRGB).
Your image is now changed to the sRGB colour space and you are ready to check/change its size.
CHECK THE IMAGE SIZE
1. Select "Image" from the top menu.
2. Select "Image size" from the drop-down menu.
[In Photoshop Elements you will be selecting Resize Image.]
If the image size is greater than 1024x768 pixels (or whatever other size has been specified by the competition you are entering, then proceed to the next step.
ADJUST THE IMAGE SIZE
1. Put a tick in the "Resample Image" check box.
2. Make sure there is a tick in the "Constrain Proportions" box (there always should be unless you want to distort your images).
3. Select "Bicubic Sharper" for the method of resampling.
4. Don't worry about any of the settings in the "Document Size" area because we are not printing the image. [Refer to this tutorial for an explanation of why "resolution" does not alter the size of an image on your computer screen.]
5. Change the largest Pixel Dimension" so that EITHER the width is 1024 pixels OR the height is 768 pixels (refer to information at the beginning of this presentation for clarification). Just alter ONE setting - the other setting will change automatically to preserve the aspect ratio of your image.
6. Click OK
The image you now see on the screen may be smaller than it was before - don't worry about that.
1. Select "File"
2. Select "Save As"
This will enable you to save the file in your "COMPETITION" directory - see notes at the beginning of this presentation.
SAVE THE IMAGE- Step 2
When the "Save As" window appears:
1. Type in the new file name - refer to requirements about file naming for the competition you are entering.
2. Select your "COMPETITION" directory (or whatever directory you want to save the file in).
3. Select the "JPG" format. Note: If "JPG" is not available as an option on the Format drop-down menu you are probably working with a 16-bit image. Cancel the saving process, use Image>Mode to change it to 8-bits/channel, then save.
4. Make sure the "Embed Color Profile" box is checked and that the file is saved with the sRGB profile (see earleir steps about colour profile).
5. Click "Save".
SETTING THE JPEG OPTIONS
1. When the "JPEG Options" window appears it will have the "Quality" set at "12" or at whatever value you used last time you saved a JPEG image. If it is not on "12" then change it to "12".
2. Check the file size - the small number under the word "Preview". If it is 700 KB or less than you don't need to change anything. If it is greater than 700 KB (or whatever maximum is specified for the competition you are entering) you will need to reduce the "quality" by typing in a smaller number (or by using the slider) so that you reduce the image size to no more than 700 KB.
NOTE: If you are doing this on a Windows computer you should find that there is a "SIZE" box beneath the format options. Use that to check the approximate size of the file.
3. When the image size is 700 KB or less click on OK.
Your file should now be saved in your COMPETITION directory.
Repeat the above steps with the other images you are preparing for the competition so that you have all the images in your COMPETITION directory.
BURN IMAGES TO CD
Once you have saved all your images to your COMPETITION directory, burn then to a CD or do whatever else is required to submit them for your competition.
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