Re: [OT] ideal file size of a jpeg or gif image

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

Alan Shaw wrote:
> 
> I take a similar approach to that of John Dennis. On my web site currently
> being developed, I wanted to present my images in a consistent manner. I
> scan and then re-size all my images so that they are either 575 pixels wide
> of 450 pixels high, depending on whether they are horizontal or vertical
> format. At a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, this gives a good sized
> image on the screen plus leaving me room for a short caption. I then
> compress the images to get a file size less than about 35kb. This gives me
> what I think is an acceptable balance of images size and quality.

35kb is extremely low quality and they are useless for anything other
than viewing on the screen. Try stretching those to a Windoze
background. You would have a blurry image at 800x600 and don't even
think about it at 1024x748!

If you have a decent connection (56k dial-up or higher) you won't have
any significant problems downloading a 300kb or less image. Unless there
is significant congestion, approximately 2 minutes is a worst case
scenario and 1 minute or less is the average.

> 
> Personally (and I stress personally!) I find it very frustrating when very
> large images are posted on the web when it is not necessary. It also
> ineveitably means that I have to scroll around the image which I find very
> weird - when you view a photo in a book you can see the whole thing at once
> so why should web users be expected to accept seeing only part of an image
> at any one time? Still, whatever turns you on I guess.

What do you define as unnecessary? I am trying to provide high quality
images as I am frustrated by the lack of them on other sites. If you
don't want to scroll around the image, there is a very simple solution.
The photos on my site are around 900x600. If you open the photos in a
new window* and change your desktop resolution to 1024x768, they just
fit into the browser window without having to scroll. Any modern
computer should be able to change resolutions without having to restart
it.

*On Netscape, simply right click on the thumbnail and choose the "Open
in new window" option.
  
> 
> Incidentally, Vincent Flanders on his Web Pages That Suck site (see
> http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com ) suggests that the only two types of images
> that people are prepared to wait indefinitely to download are of corpses and
> porno!
> 
> Alan
>


-- 
- James Brook -

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