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View Full Version : How can I get nice thumbnail images for use on web site?


RickJ
Sep 21, 2006, 07:31 AM
I want small, nice quality thumbnails of screenshots (for web use), like the ones here (http://www.bluelaserdesign.com/portfolio.htm).

My screen shot app gives me images of these dimensions and size:
1002x622, 200kb
and
1002x992, 320kb

I use PhotoshopElements to reduce them and optimize them for web use.

Reducing them down to 370 wide results in some graininess, like here (http://www.thriftysites.com/clients/catholicrecordsociety.html).

Reducing them down even further, like the good ones I like, makes them horrible.

So which do I need
1. Higher quality screen shots to start with? (And if so, how can I get them).
or
2. Another method of reducing them.

Thanks!

colbtech
Sep 21, 2006, 07:54 AM
Pictures on the web are generally low-res, but 72 dpi is more than sufficient for web use.

Use CTRL + PRINT SCREEN to grab the image then paste the image into your picture editor. Save it.

I use FrontPage for creating a website which has an "auto thumbnail".

RickJ
Sep 21, 2006, 09:34 AM
I haven't used FP in quite some time. I use Dreamweaver... but suppose that neither of them has the power of PhotoshopElements.

Are you able to get good looking thumbnails, like those I linked to, using FP?

colbtech
Sep 21, 2006, 01:28 PM
Yes, I think so.

123.jpg is a CONTROL PRINTSCREEN resized in Photoshop CS2, for 200 x 150 (1600 x 1200)/8

124_small is auto-thumbnailed in FP. Again size 200 x 150.

They look as sharp as the ones you linked to?

I vaguely remember reading an article in one of the photo mags about resizing "evenly". e.g I take an image 1600 x 1200 and divide by 8 to get the thumbnail, not too sure how the interpolation software that is used to resize images would try and figure out 1600 x 1200 divided by 4. To get the thumbnails you are after.:confused: I'll muck about at work and see what happens.