Sizing images in slides

[Guest]

I have a large number of images that have been pre-sized to fit a full-screen
slide. For landscape images, they are mostly 1024x768, for portrait, the
height is 768 pixels, with variable width. At their native size, they should
fit the slide exactly. Some do. But some are displayed as eensy weensy tiny
images in the centre of the screen, with a property that is a fraction of an
inch on each side. There is no difference between the images that are
treated differently, as far as I can tell -- they all started out larger and
were resized in a separate applicaton.

I want the images to be placed in the slide, and to take up as much of the
slide as is appropriate, given their aspect ratio. This isn't happening with
some images, and I don't know why or what to do to fix it.

I'm using Powerpoint 2003 and XP

 

[Guest]

I have similiar concern with you, I have some good images want to put into my
slide, I size it according to aspect ratio, some are nice and some can not be
fit into whole page, so I crop it by using the PowerPoint picture toolbar,
the result is excellent! I have documented it down in my website
http://www.powerpoint-slide-show-templates.com/edit-picture.html

 

[Guest]

That's not the issue -- I can size the image appropriately, but some images
are placed differently than others the exact same dimensions -- some fill the
slide appropriately, others are placed as a minute pretty much invisible
micro-picture, that can be resized by dragging, but that's a hassle for a
large number.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

That's not the issue -- I can size the image appropriately, but some images
are placed differently than others the exact same dimensions -- some fill the
slide appropriately, others are placed as a minute pretty much invisible
micro-picture, that can be resized by dragging, but that's a hassle for a
large number.

Have a look at http://starterset.pptools.com

The free Starter Set includes a tool that lets you memorize the size/position of any
selected shape (or of the slide if no shape is selected); and another that lets you
"hammer" another shape (ie, your pictures) TO that memorized size. One click.

 

[Guest]

Steve,

I will have a look, but it doesn't really answer my question which perhaps
hasn't been clear:

I can have two identically sized images, typically, say 512x768 -- with a
height of 768, the image is sized to exactly fit the height of the slide.
I've sized these images myself, to fit the ppt screen. However, when
inserted into a slide, one of these images will do what it's supposed to do,
and be displayed correctly, the other one will be inserted as about a 10
pixel by 15 pixel micropicture.

Why are some images handled differently than others? Even with two images
sized as 1024x768, I can get the same result.

All I want is for the images to be displayed as their actual resolution
relative to the slide size.

R.

 

[Guest]

I've checked out the starterset, and it seems that hammering an image to a
previously selected size is what it does. This won't work. All of my images
are exactly 768 pixels high, but variable width. I don't want them to be
hammered to the same aspect ratio, I just want them to be displayed
accorcding to their actual size. I can do that by dragging the corner to
resize, but I shouldn't have to do that, especially not for some images but
not others.

R.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I will have a look, but it doesn't really answer my question which perhaps
hasn't been clear:

It was clear enough, no problem. Sometimes people want a fish, sometimes they want to
learn how to tie their own flies, pick the best spot, .... etc.

My suggestion was the fish. It fixes the immediate problem of getting images to the size
you want, no matter what size PPT thinks they should be.

I can have two identically sized images, typically, say 512x768 -- with a
height of 768, the image is sized to exactly fit the height of the slide.

Not really. The height of a default slide is 7.5 (somewhat imaginary) inches.
When that slide is viewed in slide show mode on a 1024x768 system, THEN it becomes 768
pixels high.

I've sized these images myself, to fit the ppt screen. However, when
inserted into a slide, one of these images will do what it's supposed to do,
and be displayed correctly, the other one will be inserted as about a 10
pixel by 15 pixel micropicture.

Why are some images handled differently than others? Even with two images
sized as 1024x768, I can get the same result.

It depends on the image format you saved to, whether it supports embedded DPI/size info
and if so, the size it was set to. It's almost impossible to say how this happened
unless we know the application that created/last saved the images, the format saved to
and the exact steps you went through on the way there.

See why the fish is easier? ;-)

Short version of fly-tying, though: Some formats support DPI info, others don't. If the
dpi/size is embedded in the image file, PPT tries to respect it. Otherwise, it imports
the image at an assumed dpi of 72 (but that varies depending on the version of PPT you
use).

All I want is for the images to be displayed as their actual resolution
relative to the slide size.

Understood. Been there. Fought with that. Got the ripped t-shirt.

So long as you make the images 1024x768 and size them to fill the slide, they'll be
1024x768 on a monitor that size.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I've checked out the starterset, and it seems that hammering an image to a
previously selected size is what it does. This won't work. All of my images
are exactly 768 pixels high, but variable width. I don't want them to be
hammered to the same aspect ratio, I just want them to be displayed
accorcding to their actual size.

Ctrl+click the hammer tool; you can set it to allow image distortion or not and several
other options like how it should be centered and so on. Might want to read the instrux
on the site again about this.

I can do that by dragging the corner to

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

The images come from several sources, including my own digital pix and
scans, as well as images from other sources. I hadn't realized there was
embedded original-size info in these images, although I know that this
information is retained in some scanned images. I can't actually see it in
my image applications, although I can see some embedded commentary. Explains
it all. Too bad there isn't a nice straightforward option in ppt to size to
fit slide. Too obvious, I guess.

I will give the fish a try.

R.

 

[Guest]

Just one more conceptual question, Steve.

When I use the hammer to size an image to a remembered dimension, it appears
in the editing window with information that the size is whatever the
dimensions are in the editing window.

When we run the slide show at full screen, does ppt actually make use of all
of the image information contained in the full 1024x768 file? And if I'm
using a projector that only has an 800x600 display capability, how is the
size 'reduction' accomplished?

Hope those questions aren't too stupid.

R.

 

[Kathy J]

Ron, if you don't need the image to move in and out - and you don't care if
it is behind everything else, you can insert the photo as the background.
Right click and select "Background", then click the drop down for the fill
color and select fill effects. Click the Picture Tab, navigate to your
picture. Before you ok your way out, check the Lock Aspect Ratio button.

Want to do this with a number of different pictures? Record a macro or the
process and edit it to prompt you for the picture name and to work for
multiple slides. I did a quick record and it seems to work.

Just another idea for you to consider....

--
Kathryn Jacobs, Microsoft MVP PowerPoint and OneNote
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint - Available now from Holy Macro! Books
Get PowerPoint answers at http://www.powerpointanswers.com
I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[John O]

The images come from several sources, including my own digital pix and

scans, as well as images from other sources. I hadn't realized there was
embedded original-size info in these images, although I know that this
information is retained in some scanned images. I can't actually see it in
my image applications, although I can see some embedded commentary. Explains
it all. Too bad there isn't a nice straightforward option in ppt to size to
fit slide. Too obvious, I guess.

"EXIF" is the spec for that image data. See:
http://www.outbackphoto.com/workflow/wf_64/essay.html

-John O

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Just one more conceptual question, Steve.

When I use the hammer to size an image to a remembered dimension, it appears
in the editing window with information that the size is whatever the
dimensions are in the editing window.

When we run the slide show at full screen, does ppt actually make use of all
of the image information contained in the full 1024x768 file? And if I'm
using a projector that only has an 800x600 display capability, how is the
size 'reduction' accomplished?

Hope those questions aren't too stupid.

Not a bit of it.

PPT antialiases the image a bit no matter what (or in English, make that "Smooths jagged
edges" or "Blurs it" depending on whether you like the effect or not. It's pretty nice for
most things, not very helpful for e.g. screenshots.)

Then at show time, it sizes the contents of the entire slide to the full size of your current
video display. Except in PPT97 and previous, where it leaves a little black border around
the edge. Or in what, 2002 and up, where you can set Slide Show options to have it leave
the display at the current resolution OR have PPT kick it into different resolutions.

But normally, yes, the full 1024x768 file will fill the 1024x768 screen. If the screen's a
different size (ie, 800x600) PPT will still fill the frame with the full slide, so the image
will get scaled to whatever size the screen is.

The projector you use may be able to take a 1024x signal and reduce it to 800x, but you're
better off kicking the computer's display rez down to match the max capability of the
projector.

 

[Guest]

Thank you for explaining why the size of an image imported into PowerPoint
doesn't necessarily match its expected size. I was pulling my hair out
importing a JPG image into PowerPoint and then opening the same JPG image in
Paint (or PhotoEditor or Photoshop) and seeing it displayed at different
sizes.

A few follow-up questions:

1. I've been searching for a list of image formats that specifies whether
or not the format supports embedded DPI/size info but can't find one. Can
you tell me whether BMP, GIF, and JPG formats include embedded info (or point
me to an existing list)?

2. You mentioned that the assumed dpi at which PowerPoint imports an image
varies by PowerPoint version. What dpi does PowerPoint assume in versions
2000, 2002, and 2003? And does this assumption take place only once, upon
import, or is it reinterpreted each time a different version of PowerPoint
opens the file?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

1. I've been searching for a list of image formats that specifies whether

or not the format supports embedded DPI/size info but can't find one. Can
you tell me whether BMP, GIF, and JPG formats include embedded info (or point
me to an existing list)?

Generally BMP and GIF don't, JPG may, but Photoshop seems to have some tricks it plays with
some image formats.

2. You mentioned that the assumed dpi at which PowerPoint imports an image
varies by PowerPoint version. What dpi does PowerPoint assume in versions
2000, 2002, and 2003?

72 in 2000 and 80 in later versions, I think. Easy enough to test:

Create a BMP image of known size (in pixels) and bring it into PPT.
Divide the number of image pixels by the size in inches to get DPI.

And does this assumption take place only once, upon

import, or is it reinterpreted each time a different version of PowerPoint
opens the file?

Once only on import.