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Resizing Gallery Images with The GIMP
Submitted by Kyelek ( )

Resizing Images with The GIMP

Every now and then, someone wants to post an image on MAIL, but can't get it down to the right size. A lot of people will use MS Paint to size it down, which works quite well, if you want a thumbnail-sized image. The people on top will use Photoshop to hit a perfect balance between image size, quality, and file size. Unfortunatly, PS is pricey, and not worth buying if you're simply resizing images.

The GIMP is the next best thing. It's free, relatively easy to use, and a heck of a lot better than MS Paint. However, it does take a bit of work to get it set up.

Step 1: Download

-Go to http://www2.arnes.si/~sopjsimo/gimp/stable.html

-Download GTK+ 2 for Windows (Use the HTTP option)

-Download The GIMP for Windows (Use the HTTP option)

Step 2: Install

-Unzip and install gtk+-2.4.3-setup.zip as you would a standard program (requires up to 18mb)

-Unzip and install file gimp-2.0.2-i586-setup-1.zip as you would a standard program (requires up to 34mb)

Step 3: Open and Resize

-Open The GIMP from where ever you installed it. This may take a while, as The GIMP must sort through its complete list of plug-ins.

-Close the pop-up tip of the day.

-Using the main The GIMP box, select File > Open

-Open the file you want. This may be the hardest step in the process.

-In the new pop-up window, select Image > Scale Image

-Make sure the drop down box is set to 'px,' and then set the width to 640. This will give you an image that is suitabley large to show details while allowing the image to fit into most peoples' screens. Hit 'Ok.

-Staying in the popup, select File > Save as... In the new pop-up menu, where it says "Determine File Type,' select 'JPEG.' (For most photos, JPEG is better than gif. Your milage may vary.)

-Name the image something unique. yourname_001 is good.

-Hit 'Ok.'

-In the new pop-up box, check the 'Preview in image window' button, then select the 'Quality' slider. Keeping your eye on the 'Image Preview' size display, lower the quality of your image until you've reached a suitable size (under 100kB)

-Hit 'Ok'

Step 4: Upload to MAIL

-Go into 'My MAIL' or the gallery, use the 'submit' button to send in the photo, making sure to include the wire type, wire gauge, ring ID, and weaves used.

And that's it! If you've got any questions, feel free to send me an email, drop a pm, or start some random topic in the Gallery forum.

--Kyelek
www.TheMailleSmith.tk
kyelek@gmail.com


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