What size to post images on your website?

[lance70]

Hello, just curious what's the best size to post images on your website? I know you want it small enough to keep people from just copying your image but also want it large enough to give nice detail of your work? Thanks

 

[tirediron]

800px longest edge

 

[lance70]

Thanks!

 

[Overread]

I'd say between 720 and 1000 pixels on the longest side. Less (8-900 upper limit) for portrait aspect shots (since computer screens are wider than they are tall). Any bigger really isn't needed for most online displays.

 

[Vtec44]

Mine are 1000px on the long edge

 

[lance70]

Do you use a file resizing program or is it better to use Lightroom and keep the DPI at a certain setting before uploading?

 

[Overread]

DPI doesn't do anything to digital display - that's purely a command for the printer and only tells the printer how many dots per inch, it won't affect image quality in the least (though setting it low is a trick many use to make prints appear poor to those who casually print what htye find online).

As for resizing I'd always do it yourself. That way you can sharpen - resize - and then sharpen again to restore the sharpness you've lost during resizing and it means you're not having to use an online resizer that might not apply any sharpening or might apply a default value that isn't suitable to all photos (some need more and some less).

 

[lance70]

ahhhh okay, thank you

 

[KmH]

And in LR, if you look closely - it is PPI, not DPI.

The 2 terms, PPI and DPI, are not the same thing and they are not interchangeable.

 

[AceCo55]

1200px on long side, save for web (30 I think - its in my action). So file size is under 100kB ...oh, and my watermark slap bang in the centre!

 

[DBA]

For my personal site I do 1500px long side and save at 70% quality.

 

[Buckster]

850 px tall, as long as it doesn't exceed 1200 px wide, in which case I go with 1200 px wide.

 

[KmH]

As mentioned PPI is print resolution and has no effect on photo size for electronic display.
PPI and image resolution (xxxx px by xxxx px) determine print size.

1500 px / 100 pixels per inch = 15 inches.
1200 px / 100 ppi = 12 inches.
Many people are satisfied with the quality of prints made at 100 ppi, and 100 ppi is around the minimum print resolution most online print labs are willing to print at.

As print resolution increases, print size decreases.
1500 px / 200 ppi = 7.5 inches.
1200 px / 200 ppi = 6 inches.

The quality setting affects the file size, but not the image resolution.

Anyone copying your photo off the Internet can change the print resolution value.
If you reduce the image resolution before putting a photo online anyone copying your photo off the Internet can increase the image resolution. There are some software applications specifically for that, but increasing image resolution can be done with most image editing applications. There are limits to how much image resolution can be increased using software.

 

[Buckster]

And in LR, if you look closely - it is PPI, not DPI.

The 2 terms, PPI and DPI, are not the same thing and they are not interchangeable.

...EXCEPT to most people who aren't KMH and therefore aren't hung up on pointing out the minutiae like that, and understand that they actually are interchangeable in general day-to-day commonplace explanations of both monitors and printers:

Dots per inch - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

 

[lance70]

Thanks for the help!