On Thu, May 06, 2004 at 09:06:30PM +0200, Alf C Stockton wrote:

I cannot find a way in Gimp 2.0.1 to decrease the file size of an image so that I can load it as a background in an HTML file and have acceptable load times.

If the image is a photograph choose File | Save As... and save the image as a JPEG (jpg extension) with a different name than the original (you probably don't want to overwrite it). The Save As JPEG dialog will be displayed. Make sure that the Preview (in image window) option is turned on. This both displays the size the file will be and updates the image window to show what the resulting image will look like. Then use the Quality slider to achieve a balance between the file size and the image quality.

If it is not a photograph you can use Image | Mode | Indexed... to convert the image into an indexed file. Choosing fewer colours will make the file smaller but there is a trade-off with quality. Play around with the number of colours and type of dithering, saving the file as GIF or PNG, until you are happy with the size and quality.

If the image is a pattern you could also make it a small, tile-able image that will tile to fill the browser window.

Dear Gimpers,

Since Steve already showed the way, I'll just mention that I was used to Photoshop's Save for Web feature when I started using Gimp. These days, I actually prefer the Gimp method. I'm sure its faster. But there is more: With the Gimp, you can access any window that you might want to for reference, even with the Save as window open. Try that with Photoshop! Just one of the ways that the Gimp is different :-) The more I use both of these excellent but dissimilar programs, the more I feel that direct comparisons between them are futile. How do you compare a slick but powerful luxury sedan to a rough and tough, go anywhere 4x4? (I think that would be a truck in the States?) I'll leave you to work out the analogy ;-)

As an off-topic aside: Loved you Clarens photo's on your site, Alf. Especially "DSCF1546.JPG". It's been awhile since I've been there :-)

regards/groetnis

Jaco

Alf C Stockton wrote:

I cannot find a way in Gimp 2.0.1 to decrease the file size of an image so that I can load it as a background in an HTML file and have acceptable load times.

Apparently this can be done in Photoshop under File and save as web page(or similar).Not being a Photoshop or Windows user I am going on hearsay.

South Africa does not have broadband and making a user spend large amounts of time downloading is not good and if I can I would like to avoid same but the background does look pretty so I would like to incorporate it on the page I am building.

Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.

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Regards, Alf Stockton www.stockton.co.za

Your life would be very empty if you had nothing to regret.

Depending on the JPEG quality threshold you specify, you might not see any change in the image itself even though the file size WILL be smaller. This is a GOOD thing to me. :)

Crank the image quality down to 10% and see if you see any quality degredation. :) If you're specify quality in the 80 - 100% range, you might not readily see any differences in image quality unless you look very carefully.

Good luck!

Peace....

Tom

Alf C Stockton To Sent by: Steve Crane gimp-user-bounces cc @lists.xcf.berkel gimp-user@lists.xcf.berkeley.edu ey.edu Subject Re: [Gimp-user] Web background 05/07/2004 10:37 AM Please respond to Alf C Stockton

On Thu, 6 May 2004, Steve Crane wrote:

On Thu, May 06, 2004 at 09:06:30PM +0200, Alf C Stockton wrote:

I cannot find a way in Gimp 2.0.1 to decrease the file size of an image

so that

I can load it as a background in an HTML file and have acceptable load

times.

If the image is a photograph choose File | Save As... and save the image as a JPEG (jpg extension) with a different name than the original (you probably don't want to overwrite it). The Save As JPEG dialog will be displayed. Make sure that the Preview (in image window) option is turned on. This both displays the size the file will be and updates the image window to show what the resulting image will look like. Then use the Quality slider to achieve a balance between the file size and the image quality.

snip....
....snip end

Steve Crane,
Thanks for the tip. I have snipped the rest of your message for it is a photograph.
I did not know about the Preview option in the save window. A point however is
that with Gimp-2.0.1 I see the file size changing but nothing seems to change in
the image. Is this old eyes or am I being thick again?

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Regards, Alf Stockton www.stockton.co.za

This is the ____LAST time I take travel suggestions from Ray Bradbury!