tmb said:
I'm going to be putting up a web site for a friend with about 20-25 photo's
What is the best size in bytes for easy downloading by both highspeed and
56k dial-up ?
I would like for the pic's to be about 1/4 screen size...
I will probably will do thumbnails they can click to get the 1/4 screen
size.
The best size is the size that makes the photos appear with acceptable
quality. There really is no "images should be X in size" rule of thumb.
Because you are providing photos, you actually have some leeway in file size
where page decoration elements do not. People _expect_ images to take
longer to download. Add in the fact that you are going to use thumbnails
and you're already on your way to providing a _polite_ experience for your
visitors. They will appreciate being able to select which large files they
wish to download.
One thing to keep in mind is that 1/4 screen size is not a very relevant
guideline. 1/4 screen size at 800x600 is 200x150. In many situations,
that's thumbnail sized already! At the most common other end of the
spectrum, 1600x1200 (but there are larger resolutions!) 1/4 screen size is
400x300.
I don't think I'd spend a LOT of time worrying about the full photo file
sizes. Make sure that they're acceptable; 100 to 200 KB (or less if
appropriate) rather than the original 1 or 2 MB, but don't try to squeeze
them down so small you lose image quality. Any graphic editor worth it's
price tag will have image optimization utilties. I'd recommend looking at
Adobe Photoshop Elements or similar products. I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro a
_lot_ but I think the Adobe product has better image optimization tools.
I've never worked with a photography site, so I can't recommend a thumbnail
generating tool. FrontPage has one built-in that may be adequate to the
task but if that doesn't work for you, you should be able to find something
out there via Google.
Take a look at
www.eleanorstravels.com for an idea of what works. Eleanor
is actually a regular around here and I'm sure she would answer any
questions you might have. She's pretty passionate about photography, in
case you can't tell. I just think she uses it as the excuse to get out and
see the world.
Good luck!
