[Sabrina]

How would I do this without special software? I have photos of Amy that I would love to have as my avatar but naturally they are too big.

I have photoshop but don't have the slightest clue how to use it.

I use Tinypic it is very easy to use.

http://tinypic.com/

[Sabrina]

Thanks, I am going to try it.

If you get stuck give me a shout

[krisakira]

Here is how to change the size of an image in Photoshop:

1. Open photoshop.
2. File > Open. A box pops up, where you can find your image and select it. Press OK and the image will now be opened in Photoshop.



3. Go to Image > Image Size.... A window pops up where you can edit the height and width of the image. Make sure "Constrain Proportions" is checked at the bottom of the window.

4. Under "Pixel Dimensions" is the width and height you will be changing. Make sure "pixels" is selected next to both the width and height. The maximum height and width for your avatar cannot exceed 85 by 85 pixels. Therefore, you need to put 85 in the width. Notice the height will also change accordingly to the proportions. **If the height comes to a number above 85, this means you need to put 85 as the height and the width will have to be less**



5. Once both width and height under "Pixel Dimensions" (don't mess with document size) are at or below 85, press OK. Save your file and now you can use it as your avatar.

[FooZe]

Krisakira seems to have a newer Photoshop than mine (and an Apple-flavored one besides). The appearance is different but the questions themselves are quite familiar.

When I go to save a file after resizing the image, I prefer to use the "Save as..." function. That way I can save the new version as a copy instead of overwriting the original. If I don't like the result for some reason, I might want to go back to the first version and try again.

Photoshop may ask you what to save it as. It usually works best to stay with the same file type as the original (.jpg, .gif, etc.) Don't choose .psd for an image you're planning to upload to a website because only Photoshop can read that.

If you're saving your image as a .jpg file, Photoshop will probably ask you what quality level (1 to 10) you want to save it as. The higher the quality the larger the file size, and my Photoshop (at least) doesn't tell me ahead of time what file size to expect. For an avatar I'd probably start with medium quality, around a 5. If the filesize turned out to be too big (over 29.3 KB), I'd go back and try saving as a 4, a 3, or whatever it took. If you have to go that route, do go back to the original each time. Each time you reopen and re-save a .jpg, you lose some information and picture quality.

If you're saving your image as a .gif file, Photoshop will ask you a completely different set of questions. I don't know the best answers to any of them but accepting the defaults usually works for me.

Good luck, Sabrina! It's actually quite easy once you get past the initial unfamiliarity.

[krisakira]

Yes, I have CS5, however these kind of editing is very similar in any version of photoshop, and I am trying to be as simple as possible. You do need to look at file size, but making the photo resolution 72, in the image size dialog box, will pretty much keep you safe from having too large a file size, no matter what quality 1-10 you save it as a jpg.

[Gus1234U]

Windows Picture Editor will resize, it is standard on all PCs. if you make pictures smaller they keep their resolution, generally, but if you try to make them bigger, they smear, often, i've found. good question, tho,, best wishes,, Gus

[Sabrina]

I ended up using Microsoft Editor on my computer, and it worked. Thanks all.