Graphics software

[translateltd]

Well, I've just tried Photoscape and I like!  Gives me a better result than my combination of old programs, for one thing.

[Salvete]

Paintshop has circular and multi-sided (i.e. a series of short straight lines added click by click) by which any shape can be cut out and moved to a new 'canvas' and that's what I use co 'cut out' and move odd shaped coin images without their shadows.

Salvete

[FosseWay]

I'm confused. (I know, it doesn't take much.) I recently ranted posted in this thread, and wanted to upload a picture of what I was fulminating about. As it happens, I have uploaded it, but only by mistake. While composing the thread I attached it, but because the file size was apparently more than 65 kb, I had intended to remove the attachment before posting, but forgot.

The file that's actually there claims to be about 119 kb on my computer, yet on WoC it says it's 37 kb. I could in fact have kept some of the resolution I've lost, as I've only used 60-ish per cent of the available size. Is there a foolproof way of knowing in advance what the file size is going to be before uploading? Even better, is there some way of saving a file by size, so rather than saying you want it to be x by y millimetres or pixels, you can tell it to resize the image such that it's less than x kb?

[chrisild]

Two issues here, I think. First, the size of a file on your computer (or rather, the space that it takes) will usually depend on the total size of the hard drive or partition. If you copy your 119K file to a 256K USB stick for example, it will probably be "smaller".

What you want to achieve (target size = x KB) is basically possible, but probably depends on the software you use. On the Mac I use Graphic Converter for most of my (limited) image editing. Here I can move a "quality" slider from, say, 100 percent (full quality) to, for example 40 percent, and further below see the original size plus the resulting size if I save the image at that 40% quality. I am sure some other software, including Windows and Linux, will do that too ...

Christian

[andyg]

In windows one easy way is to reduce the size in paint.  Go to image then resize/skew, this is the results of 50%

[UK Decimal +]

Ah, the perennial problem.

As I noted on 11th March, the method that I use is to scan and then use 'MS Office Picture Manager' for editing, in place of where Andy uses 'Paint'.

Here are the three versions of a coin that I scanned earlier today.   Being a small coin, I am (hopefully!) able to show all three versions of the scans; 1st the original, 2nd after cropping for sending to KM, and 3rd after reduction to 60% which is usually just right for illustrating large coins such as crowns in WoC.   Even with small coins such as this, I keep to the 60% for consistency.

It is all done by experience.   Now that I've got used to doing the various stages, each scan takes only a couple of minutes including all editing.

Bill.

[capnbirdseye]

A simple easy way to quickly resize & crop your coin photo's so they don't exceed the size allowed

I've used Resizr countless times, it's free & easy to use

http://www.resizr.com/

[capnbirdseye]

I use  Resizr, it's as easy as you can get, just drag the top slider to decrease the size

http://www.resizr.com/

[UK Decimal +]

I use  Resizr, it's as easy as you can get, just drag the top slider to decrease the size

http://www.resizr.com/

If it works for you, that's great.   However, I'm trying to avoid downloading anything from other than Microsoft plus any other well known applications.   One download recently tried to take over the complete registry on my laptop and I had to have everything re-installed, including Windows 7, so I had to start again as though I had a new machine.  Fortunately, my individual files were well backed-up so I have had no problem there.   Replacing my personal settings for things like Excel will take some time, as will finding my "chosen sites".   My laptop is highly personalised and I have buttons for several sites, including World of Coins, across the top of the screen.

For me, existing methods work and others have their own methods.   If "resizr" works OK for you, then that's the one for you to use.   Thanks, however, for telling us about "resizr" as others might wish to try it.

Bill.

[Abhay]

Dear Amit,

I notice that the image size that you have posted is 1010 X 500 pixels, but the image size is still just 52.73KB. And the best part is that the image is absolutely sharp and clear.

Can you please share that at what resolution you take the photographs? Normally, at 65 KB, all I can manage at the most is about 325 X 325 pixels.

Abhay

[asm]

Image was scanned at 1200 dpi and 100% size. Then I used a free software ACDCee to edit the image. The image was aprox 1100 x 2100 and I reduced the size to what it is and finally reduced the compression to about 8%. That did the trick.

Amit

[mrbrklyn]

I need something that will crop out backgrounds and give me a circular finished image - for coins, at least!  None of the free image programs that come with later versions of Windows will do this, so I keep copying an old version of Photo Editor from computer to computer as I upgrade.  I fear the day will come when it will no longer be compatible with my OS (Windows 7 may be problematic, I don't know) but for the moment it works.  I use the Photoshop 5.0 LE that came bundled with PageMaker many years ago for basic image manipulation, then PhotoEd for final cropping if needed.

If any of the free programs that our colleagues have mentioned in this thread will do circular/oval cropping, I'd love to hear about it!

the gimp does it and I do it all the time.  In fact, there is little that the gimp doesn't do....

http://www.gimp.org

[mrbrklyn]

BTW - if it is not GNU, it is not for you.

[Donnydave]

A simple easy way to quickly resize & crop your coin photo's so they don't exceed the size allowed

I've used Resizr countless times, it's free & easy to use

http://www.resizr.com/

Great link which is the largest size on here that will be accepted by the forum? This 65kb as me confused this resizer is measured in pixels?

[capnbirdseye]

Great link which is the largest size on here that will be accepted by the forum? This 65kb as me confused this resizer is measured in pixels?

I don't use resizer since I discovered amazingly free Photoscape, here you can see a slider showing size in kb & you adjust accordingly by reducing quality & size until it comes in at 64.9 or less,  the forum says 65kb maximum but in practice it's actually 64.9