Resize Photos in Irfanview

Dear Computer Lady,

A friend introduced me to your site…I love it and I thank you. 

How would I reduce a JPG photo that was taken by some else and downloaded on a CD for me? I have reduced it but I can not download the reduce one that I copied to my document folder.

Arax in Boca Raton, FL USA

Dear Arax,

How you reduce a jpg photo in size depends on the software program you are using to work with your pictures. Since my favorite photo program Irfanview, is free, I will give you directions using that program.

If you don’t have Irfanview installed on your computer, you can read about it, and download it on their website at Irfanview.com

When you have Irfanview installed on your computer, open your picture in Irfanview. You can do this using the “File” and “Open” commands in the menu bar.

When you have the picture open, click on “Image” in the menu bar, and then click on “Resize/Resample”. This will bring up a small window with some options to chose from.

In the Resize/Resample image window, you will be able to chose from several options. You can set a new size by typing in the pixel size, make the new picture a percentage of the original, or select some standard sizes.

I usually like to use the button on the upper right hand side of the window that says “Half” You can click on that button once or twice and get the picture as small as you would like. Once done, click the “OK” button at the bottom of the window and you will see your image in its new size.

If you like the size of your new image, you can save it. Don’t forget this step, because if you close the image without saving, you will revert back to the original large size image. Just click on “File” and “Save”.

I always give the smaller image a new file name so that I don’t lose the original.
Elizabeth