Many times when I create the thumbnail, and send it through the JPEG optimizer to lower the kb so they can be posted, they turn out really horrid. Horrid enough to make most people pass them by. :( I tend to look at the ones with the horrible thumbnails because I always suspect that the big pic will be wonderful, and it usually is... but I don't believe anyone will look at my work when it's a horrid little presentation. LOL Any tips on how to get around the thumbnail ickys would be greatly appreciated. Miriah

Attached Link: http://www.irfanview.com/

I have irfan view,and psp (which I haven't figured out yet), but I do my thumbs in plain ole Windows Paint. It's fast, it's simple, and it's clean as a whistle.

Hi Miriah, I'm like Terry...I use PSP for my work but it makes terrible thumbs. Irfanview thumbs are crystal clear...and it's free. ;o)

I forget this sometimes, but if you optimize your colors before you export your thumb it makes smaller image sizes. I'm not sure how to to that in paint shop pro, but in photoshop its under image>mode. I usually select a 256 color pallete, but like I said I often forget about it.

In Photoshop I just hit sharpen then choose "Save for Web" and then "optimize to File Size". They seem to turn out just fine.

We should all get together and petition for a higher thumbnail limit. The current one is a joke. Not everyone can afford photoshop just to get a thumbnail. Irfanview doesnt't always work either. Good tips mentioned though. I'll have to try some of them. I posted some flowers without thumbs because the file was way too big, so this will come in handy. :) Jeff

The thing you have to remember is that jpeg compression works by dividing an image into 8 x 8 pixel squares and applies a formula to remember how to generate each 8 x 8 square's geometry and color. The more detail you have in your image and the more colors, the larger the file size. Try saving a jpg of a circle, make it as large as possible and see what the file size is.

Personally, I find it easier to just crop what I feel is an interesting bit of the image, and label it as "Detail." I can usually get it down to the limit by resizing and cropping. I don't think I've ever had to do a compression. ^_^

In ps.. (and should apply to psp too).. i find part of the image i like.... make a square/rectangular selection.. of fixed proportions say 200x200.. copy the selection.. then open a new image.. which should open the new image at the size of the area you have copied.. and then just paste it in... this i then flatten.. and usually when i check file size is no need for further compression or cropping..

these are all great ideas, and one's I hadn't thought of. I did discover that if I created a solid/black fractal (a non-fractal) in FE, then used the JEPG image as texture at 100%, then saved the image and check thumbnail in FE, it comes out great. It's also a lot of extra steps, especially when the image I want on the background decideds to tile. LOL I'll try these other ideas instead. Thank you! Miriah

I use PSP for post work, but for thumbnails I use Thumbs Plus. I import the full-sized jpg, then resize it to 200x200. The Save As dialog shows the file size before I save, so if necessary I can compress as much as I need to before I save. I find it a lot easier than saving in PSP, then checking what size file I got, then doing it all again. Dennis