How on earth do you get an image file to 3 KBytes and it even be visable?

[usregimechange]

The file size for avatars and such are impossible.

[dubeskin]

1. The best advice is rather than change the size

Actually drop the quality of the image a bit.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. I use IrfanView to shrink them down

I just shrink to the 48 x 48 pixels. :)

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. For an avatar...

...anything beyond 256 colors is wasted, too.

[Wilber_Stool]

4. You may have to boost

the gamma or brightness a little too.

[Fumesucker]

5. Here is what you need..

JPEG optimizer, shrinks JPEG files interactively.

http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=1711

[sendero]

6. Not really..

... it's only a 100x100 pixel image. 3K is plenty.

[Ghost in the Machine]

7. Resize with Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or Animation Shop

Is that what you wanted?

[BlooInBloo]

10. Paint.net ftw!

:P

[alfredo]

11. Or The GIMP. free and open source.

http://www.gimp.org/

[L. Coyote]

8. Saving as JPG allows you to determine the compression rate.

Saving as .gif allows you to control the number of colors.
Saving as web optimized .jpg also reduces the number of colors, and shifts the colors to the web palette.
Try both and compare the images and the size of the file.

The .gif format is often used with logos and test images because there are few colors. GIF compreses by assigning a code to a color. JPEG compresses by a more complex formulation that will shift the color while simplifying.

Yes, resize to the desired use size first.

[BlooInBloo]

9. It's called "image compression", or more generally, "information theory".

[CreekDog]

12. this is one of the great mysteries

:rofl:

[KharmaTrain]

13. Compress It Into A GIF...

Back in the "old days" of slow modems and slow puters, this was the best format to send pics. I use Paint Shop Pro...crop the image and shrink it then save it in the compressed GIF format.