The Sewing Place
Reception => Welcome Lounge and Information => Topic started by: Acorn on April 15, 2020, 09:42:33 AM
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I need to ask everyone not to post very large photos. We have a storage limit on our hosting, and we are filling it up at an alarming rate of knots.
To give you some idea, 18 months ago our attachments folder contained 5GB. Today it contains 14.5GB. The total limit for our hosting is 50GB. (The rest of the site is trivial in comparison.)
I am not asking for any compromise in terms of the sharing of pictures - we love pictures and we want to see them.
The maximum width of a picture that can be shown in a post is 900px, and 650px is usually quite big enough to properly show almost anything. If you upload a picture larger than 900px wide, the excess size is completely wasted, but still has to be stored. It also slows down the loading of the page dramatically. This, in fact, is almost as important as the storage issue.
UttaReth's excellent Lunapic tutorial is here (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,9742.0.html#new), enabling you to resize your images very, very easily and then either download them to your own computer (so you can add them as attachments) or link to them (using the img tags).* Other image editing sites will do similar things, and you might prefer the way they function. Be Funky is one that has been recommended to me.
If you are posting directly from your phone there may be settings you can change, or apps that you can download to resize an image before you upload it to the site. I have a free app on my Android phone called Photo & Picture Resizer which does just that. I'm sure there are others available (I really am no phone expert!!)
So, in short, please resize your pictures before adding them as attachments, ideally to 650px wide, but definitely to no more than 900px wide.
I could put in a setting that would block pictures above a certain size, but it would be very inflexible, and I would rather trust to your common sense - however, if we carry on increasing our storage at this rate I will have to do something more drastic!
*Images posted using the [ img ] tags don't take up any space, so no problem there. NB This is the tag that I mean:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
and it only works with images that are somewhere else on the internet - you click on it and then put the url into the box that pops up. It has no function whatsoever with attached images.
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I can't see the img tag pic, only a ? in a blue square. I'm presuming it's the one at the top of the reply box - first icon, second row, that has a teeny tiny pic. of the Mona Lisa in it.
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I usually resize mine if I've sent them to the laptop :angel:
Although I do occasionally send them direct from my phone, I suspect they may be too big, must stop that then.
Does it make any difference if you use the "insert attachment" option to show them in your text? I presume not?
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I upload straight from my iPad ... sometimes I get a message that it won’t load because it’s too big.. does that mean the ones I do post are OK?
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@Flobear I've tweaked the post so you should be able to see it now - but you're absolutely right anyway.
@Bodgeitandscarper No, putting it into the text doesn't make any difference to the storage. However, if the image is large (and especially if there are several large images) putting it/them into the text is likely to slow down the loading of the page.
@Efemera Not necessarily - I'm afraid that just means that the too-large ones are bigger than the server will accept, which is very big indeed! We don't have a site-defined limit in place at the moment.
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Just to clarify ... (like I know anything ) but in Acorns words
if the image is attached, using the + icon at the bottom of the text box you are writing in, the whole image is stored on TSP's server ... taking up storage space.
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Inserting it into the body of the text makes no difference to the storage size, although if there is a very big image in the text it will slow down the loading of that page.
If you click on the image icon, above the text box as you type,
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/myQDzHxpHiKr4bXU9H-5DUoNlUqWwGJeZDdbrSGyfcaXwjMVQ1X23LvLlEkhvhO-4zUlWyou9jL4xQr9K9CVgZZ20P8b2U8_VcSYXaFYNrRjA71CZCBT6KF9wHznYhGYzNXixwFhYOuM9ES3HTXXOaRM4b3XAHxLEh5KmGgbKSVi6cs2z4OZXeTO9YcYlPuS1RKwwUVa2BBAYZ8Lwi5KwRaR9LIf-SrbYgCn6QuaNyoHmKHVIiD4jqT94An9MoXMDAtRI7hhNjqQjGJ-iaBgP1iC7hVKXmJOsbUUlDegfr5vGo1Yad9l0rOkekJcqrV-OPYCjkrteD5hqAXtwaY627TJlY56uYV8rAAvb8aAecWnmCKlas_kd5BKf6XKRTVe2mK-ZLrHC9XFmXqouzPgX4bLIuvVx6WjmMoZfriNkDxvbYW_DcUIxsl8MmJKUp2jksAGnq1MrKcWxNsUqUyrLo9oqDKEgyipV2Mx4T9ySpiauiSrw3OzNPB7ddBIICeZieknaZFZC2moxxVMTzpVWontxJ4yTlOAly6DR5HXog6wuOgCdv7anPfGyMu6AtKVHEGOMJAd5Wj69sxSoeccpb88yqFl56k_Pw9J6ucGgPow-6j7LeXEpPwEl40wFUVOz5h7qJnD-u5BIJE-2PQZ2-j6x9es1XM-QZ8-7qqNumJWvQh1JjnumSuhBnlGJaTS1l-02ea6wp_PjDotqZGh0k5RcuzKlmrIDkkFvFKchH275AKn=w286-h181-no)
you then need to copy the image address and enter it between the bracketed image icon, and this beams it in from whichever site in the ether you have taken the image from, in this case my Google photos ... Therefore the storage is on someone else site, not ours!
Clear as mud???
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OMG @Iminei. That's brilliant! :o :o :o I think I may have had a light bulb moment.
It probably won't help when I try to do it but at least I'll know why it's wrong! 0_0
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I think on the rare occasions I have posted a pic I have been a bad person and used the + attachments way.
Just as well I don't have anything worth showing (actually I had better go back and remove the rubbish I have posted in the past).
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Thank you for the Android resizer. I can never understand why the photos taken on phones/tablets need to be so huge, it's not as if we want to make billboard sized posters......
I often send/share them as an email to myself, and there is a resizer in that email program. I then save them to my computer and then post. Longwinded but it works for the few I need to repost.
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Android phones and tablets have settings on them to reduce the default file size of photos but most people don't even know to look for them. I expect i-ones do as well.
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When you send a pic from an iPhone you are asked it it's to be small, med, large or full size. For most purposes I choose med or large.
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I keep my camera set on the smallest size photos then i know theyre ok.
Another forum I am on uses an image hosting site that provides a url for the picture that you then copy and paste in the 'post an image' bit.
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Don't know about light bulb moment, I've never even noticed +attachments and other options. I suppose you could after a certain length of time delete the lot. Not many us go go back and look at old photos.
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I always use the +Attachments....didn’t know there’s another way.
I have to say if it’s a picture link in people’s posts I never look...me being lazy!
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I'm too lazy to follow links too @Efemera :|
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When you send a pic from an iPhone you are asked it it's to be small, med, large or full size.
Same with Android, except my phone has stopped asking me what size to send. :S If I am going to upload to the forum, I edit in Lunapic (https://www9.lunapic.com/editor/) and use the Imgur link to post.
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I have terrible trouble with pics but I set to this morning after Imi's enlightening post for simple people and used your Lunapic tute @UttaRetch. Worked a treat once I figured out what I was doing. Thanks for that.
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It's my go to editor and works everytime everywhere.
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@Efemera @Lowena The img tags put the picture into the post, they don't give you a link to follow.
The image is elsewhere on the internet, but it's as though we have a window to it directly from the post.
This is an image that is elsewhere on the internet:
(https://mekongquilts.com/images/2019/12/QFISHPA2x1012BU.png)
The image is at https://mekongquilts.com/images/2019/12/QFISHPA2x1012BU.png and I got the image into this post by putting the img tags around that address.
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@wrenkins Brilliant! 0_0
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I get that.. I click on the top left icon under the B...it then asks for a location and to insert it....
How do I get pictures from my iPad?
Just re-read your post @Acorn ... my photos are only on my iPad, I don’t use Google or any other photo storage...is there a solution?
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You can use Lunapic, either to edit your pictures, save them to your ipad and upload them as attachments in the usual way, or to follow UttaRetch's (very simple) tutorial (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,9742.0.html#new) and use the imgur code with the img tags.
That's assuming there isn't a facility on your ipad to take smaller pictures - I've never used one so I can't advise there.
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Pictures I plan to post here I first upload to Flickr. It gives me a URL to post here, which I can copy and paste without messing with any of the buttons and options on this site. It gives me a dozen options for which size I want the picture to appear here, and the Medium size seems good on these pages. Big enough to see easily, but not overwhelming the post. The image is clickable it you want to make it bigger to look at it. This is my last BOM, and the picture, according to Flickr, is "medium- 500 x 281" which I assume is pixel count, but it doesn't specify.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49725011712_b7bdd7ec43.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2iL2FA9)BOM 2020 APR (https://flic.kr/p/2iL2FA9) by CraftymamaMN (https://www.flickr.com/photos/craftymama-mn/), on Flickr
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That's ideal @WendyW! :D
And yes, that is 500 by 281 pixels.
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Is this OK @Acorn
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If you use Imgur, there is a secret trick for making the image appear a good size in your post. When you paste the link (image address) you have copied from imgur (e.g. https://i.imgur.com/6iqknPe.jpg) after clicking the 'image' button, you just add an extra lowercase letter L before the .jpg (i.e. https://i.imgur.com/6iqknPel.jpg)
You can see the difference here:
Standard link (way too big and annoying):
(https://i.imgur.com/6iqknPe.jpg)
With the sneaky extra lowercase letter L:
(https://i.imgur.com/6iqknPel.jpg)
No need for any extra editing.
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@Efemera That image is 2063 pixels wide and 3029 pixels high and takes up 1,951KB.
If I edit it to 650 x 954 pixels it takes up 242KB - an eighth of the space.
This is what the smaller image looks like as an attachment in a post:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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I have a free blog with blogspot. I write posts on there and upload the pictures to blogspot.
http://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/
I then link the pictures from the blog into my posts here on TSP (mostly).
I do occasionally attach but I'll try not to do that anymore.
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@Efemera That image is 2063 pixels wide and 3029 pixels high and takes up 1,951KB.
If I edit it to 650 x 954 pixels it takes up 242KB - an eighth of the space.
This is what the smaller image looks like as an attachment in a post:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Well that didn’t work.. I resized using an app!
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Try again....better @Acorn? [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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I have a free blog with blogspot. I write posts on there and upload the pictures to blogspot.
http://ruthieksews1.blogspot.com/
I then link the pictures from the blog into my posts here on TSP (mostly).
I do occasionally attach but I'll try not to do that anymore.
I stopped blogging when I got my IPad ...just can’t be bothered getting the laptop out. There’s no App for Blogger... there used to be but for some reason they discontinued it.
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I take pictures on my tablet, gmail them to myself and they arrive small, Then I can save them to my desktop and use them where I want.
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@Efemera Excellent!! :D (Must do something about getting a thumbs up smiley...)
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I now have a great excuse not to post photos @Iminei :devil: :devil:
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Don't count your chickens @Lowena - you know that where there's an @Iminei there's a way. :P
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Android phones and tablets have settings on them to reduce the default file size of photos but most people don't even know to look for them. I expect i-ones do as well.
OMG!!! @Flobear ! You mean I'm not the only person on the planet who knows this? Unless people routinely entertain their friends showing their travel photos on a giant screen TV the image size is insane.
Every device has an instruction manual. They're all online if you prefer. Or Peeps can Google how to do it on their specific device.
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I’ve always added photos as an attachment because I can’t work out how to add an image on my ipad. I’ve always selected the small image option but if it’s going to be a problem I’ll just have to stop posting pics.
Iminei Doesn't like this
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@Flobear and @Renegade Sewist, guilty as charged but in my defence the phone is for taking quick snaps. A camera is what you need for serious photography.
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@Ellabella I'm sure that the small option is likely to be fine.
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I take pictures on my tablet, gmail them to myself and they arrive small, Then I can save them to my desktop and use them where I want.
I do the same on tablet and phone.
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I far prefer to use a proper digital camera for photography which is why I know a bit about file sizes etc. I have to say tablets and phones can be very convenient but I was astonished at the huge file sizes I was getting. More so because the size and quality needed for viewing on a small screen - including a laptop - is really quite small. I go for around 600 kb.
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@Flobear and @Renegade Sewist, guilty as charged but in my defence the phone is for taking quick snaps. A camera is what you need for serious photography.
@UttaRetch totally agree. All the more reason to reduce the size of the pictures one is taking with a device.
What I learned a few years ago by taking a multi week digital camera class is that it's how you use the tool that makes the biggest difference. Apparently most people never look at the manual for anything beyond basic operation. Look at how many people say they've never read through the entire manual for their sewing machines. ;) Camera users are the same. Phone users, car owners, etc. The list goes on and on.
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One of my problems (apart from being an old technologically challenged numpty) is that modern gadgets like smartphones don't come with instruction books. Any information is online so you have to try and remember it all or print out reams of paper.
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One of my problems (apart from being an old technologically challenged numpty) is that modern gadgets like smartphones don't come with instruction books. Any information is online so you have to try and remember it all or print out reams of paper.
@Sewingsue not really. You can do that, or just print the one or two pages you need. I just took screenshots of pertinent stuff for my tablet. That is once I read how online.
The easiest way is go to the manufacturer website and look it up or just Google what you need. So far every time someone has done a YouTube video of what I want to do.
It's easier than most of us think. You can do it. :hug:
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@Sewingsue, I downloaded the pdf manual for my phone and it is 113 pages long, so I get what you mean. The manual is kept on my desktop for when I need help.
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I have a folder on my laptop that contains manuals for all sorts of things - household appliances, cameras, phones, printers, anything.
The good thing is that I can search for a term in the manual rather than having to plough through the index. And, where the manual is written in 69 different languages, I can cut to the chase!
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Searchable pdf documents is a great innovation.
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Crickey.
I have only just read this!
I must apologise for sending huge images.
I will try and conform in future.
I was wondering why It took ages to operate.
Duh!!!!
I am not very tech and l load images direct from my android phone.
So to be clear....
I click on the little img box top left and directly under the " Font Face" box,
Then go to Gallery and select the image and click post?
Pl ease be patient as I find this hard work.
Again...
Apologies.
Pete
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Crickey.
I have only just read this!
I must apologise for sending huge images.
I will try and conform in future.
I was wondering why It took ages to operate.
Duh!!!!
I am not very tech and l load images direct from my android phone.
So to be clear....
I click on the little img box top left and directly under the " Font Face" box,
Then go to Gallery and select the image and click post?
Pl ease be patient as I find this hard work.
Again...
Apologies.
Pete
@Sewot I don't know the answer to your question but I know something else. ;) The default settings for phone cameras is usually pretty big. Unless you're going to be showing the images on a large screen TV the next time you have guests over or having posters printed it isn't necessary. You can easily change your camera settings which also takes up less storage space.
You'll still probably need to adjust before posting. Also there are different rules for paid members and others.
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Yes - please don't add pictures directly from your phone unless you know the settings make the pictures considerably smaller than the default.
UttaRetch wrote us an excellent tutorial for using lunapic to resize pictures, which you can see here (https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,9742.0.html#new). It really is very straightforward.