How to Reduce a Picture' s File Size

A screen shot of Microsoft Paint

Over the last several years, the resolution capability of digital cameras has significantly improved to the point that even the lowest-end camera is capable of extremely high resolution photography! Although this increased capability has helped spread the proliferation of digital cameras throughout all spectrums of use, it does create a need for the average consumer to be able to reduce file sizes of pictures after they have been taken. Although serious photographers will already have picture editing software to conduct such tasks, the average person does not. They do have the capability to shrink a pictures file size from high resolution 8 x 10 images to a size more friendly for email and printing 4 x 6 pictures through the use of Microsoft Paint.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Paint or equivalent picture editing software.

1. Open the Microsoft Paint application.

2. A sea turtle picture that will be reduced in file size.

   Open the image that needs to have its size reduced.

3. Selecting the Image menu in Microsoft Paint.

   Select the Image menu in Microsoft Paint.

4. The resize/skew menuin Microsoft Paint.

   Select the re-size/skew option on the Image sub-menu in Microsoft Paint.

5. Inputting the change in size difference on a file in Microsoft Paint.

   Change the horizontal and vertical sizing percentages by an equivalent percentage. A good tactic to use is to reduce the size in half to start with for extremely large photographs.

6. The original picture saved to half of its original file size.

   View the re-sized picture in Microsoft Paint.

Tips & Warnings

• When resizing an image always use equivalent percentages to reduce file sizes.

• File sizes greater than 1 MB are normally too high of resolution for most user applications.

• When reducing file sizes do not save the resized file until you are positive that the new size has not lost too much resolution.

Resources

• Lakewood Public LIbrary Microsoft Paint Tutorial
• Books on Graphic Design Solutions
• Books on Using Photoshop Image Software