Avatars and Adobe Photoshop

[nerudite]

Avatars and photoshop

Okay... does anyone have any tips for making avatars with photoshop? I just can't seem to get my pics to be within the acceptable avatar size, and when I do they end up looking cruddy. How do you get the file size small without making the pics look grainy?

 

[NHPlanner]

Avatar limits...Photoshop frustration

I'm trying to get a nice halloween avatar, and have a couple of my favorite images selected

or

My problem: getting it down to the limits on avatar size without making the image so low quality that it's too blurry to see it....

Any photoshop suggestions from the other "pros" out there?

 

[el Guapo]

Re: Avatar limits...Photoshop frustration

Creative cropping. Save the detail - meet the size requirements.

 

[OhioPlanner]

I have the same problem. See how small mine is right now. Crappy.

 

[Dan]

Live from Kansas City

The second icon would reduce nicely.

1) If it's a GIF or 8-bit PNG, convert the image from indexed color to RGB. This is a must if you don't want the reduced image have a pixellated appearance.

2) Reduce the size; maximum of 80 pixels in any direction.

3) Don't just save; do a "save for Web." A new large window will pop up. There, you can preview in real time what the saved image will look like as a 30% quality JPG, 60% quality JPG, 32 color GIF, 64 color PNG, or any other setting. You'll also get the final file size. Remember to keep it under 3K! Most of the stock Cyburbia avatars are under 2.5K.

 

[NHPlanner]

Well...works good enough for me...still a bit pixelated...but better than before. Thanks Dan.

 

[nerudite]

I have an old version of photoshop, and I can't find that save for web feature... so maybe that's why this is so difficult. Thanks for the tips though Dan.

 

[Jen]

Old version here too I guess.
What about emailing my pic to an administrator? What say ye Dan? El Guapo?

 

[el Guapo]

Mail that puppy!

 

[edacaf]

just wanna say thank you for providing the info on how to make a "successful avatar"

i was getting frustrated until i found this forum!!! yay... thanks a lot Dan

 

[Doohickie]

Dumb question.... I looke around in the control pannel and couldn't find where to change/set avatars. Where the heck is it?

 

[Dan]

Dumb question.... I looke around in the control pannel and couldn't find where to change/set avatars. Where the heck is it?

Sorry, Doohickie, but you'll have to wait until you've got 25 posts under your belt.

 

[Doohickie]

Nevermind.... I just saw another thread that says you need 25 posts. Excuse me while I post whore my way to 25.

Dan... did you get my email in response to your mass emailing? I sent it yesterday.