How to Reduce Photo Images

You can reduce photo sizes using Windows 7's Paint program.

Photo sizes can be quite large, especially if the pictures were shot at the maximum resolution on a modern camera. Large photos can be difficult to transmit via e-mail or to use on a website. They also take up more space in your archives than lower resolution photos. If you do not require the image resolution to be so large, consider resizing them. Windows 7's Paint program can do this for you without the need for additional software.

Instructions

1. Open Paint by clicking "Start," "All Programs," "Accessories," then "Paint."

2. Press "Ctrl" and "O" simultaneously to open the "Open" dialog box. Navigate to the photo you want to resize and double-click it. This will open it in Paint.

3. Click "Resize" in the "Image" section on the "Home" tab.

4. Verify that there is a check mark by "Maintain aspect ratio." If there is not, click the box to check it. Click the circle next to "Percentage" and enter a value lower than 100 in either of the fields by "Horizontal" or "Vertical." The number you enter is a percentage of the original size. Typing "25" would reduce the photo size to 25 percent of the original size, reducing a 2000 by 2000 pixel image to a 500 by 500 pixel image, for example. You can also click the circle next to "Pixels" and enter absolute values in either field, such as entering "500" next to "Horizontal" to convert both dimensions. Click "OK" to reduce the size.

5. Press "Ctrl" and "S" simultaneously to save the file. This will overwrite the original file. If you wish to save it as a different name, click the blue document icon, located at the top-right corner of the screen above "Paste," and click "Save as." Enter a new name and press "Enter" to save the resized image while keeping the original.

References

• Microsoft: Resize a Picture Using Paint