Resize Photos for Web or Email

Using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements

Open the photo you want to resize in either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements' Full Edit (v. 5 and 6) or Standard Editor (v. 3 and 4) workspace (in versions 1 and 2, the program will automatically open to this workspace).

Go to IMAGE > RESIZE > IMAGE SIZE. A window similar to the illustration below will open. (You can follow these instructions for Photoshop, versions 5.5 and higher, as well. The only difference is the beginning menu, which is IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE.)

1. Make sure the three options shown above, Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions, and Resample Image are all checked. By default, the resample type is Bicubic; if your Image Size window shows a different option, click the drop-down arrow and choose Bicubic.
2. Type either the width or height you desire into either the Width or Height fields shown above.
3. Click OK.

TIP: Keeping the width of a photo to 580 pixels or less, and the height to 420 pixels or less, generally ensures a photo whose dimensions and file size are acceptable to the largest number of folks.

OPTIONAL: Since resizing a photo almost always reduces its clarity a bit, it's a good idea to use the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen it a bit. Go to FILTER > SHARPEN > UNSHARP MASK to get the dialog window below.

I often start with the values show above: an Amount of 59%; a Radius of 0.9 pixels; a Threshold of 1 levels. (Be aware that you can definitely overdo the sharpening process; if you start to see white lines (halos) around objects in your photo, you know you've gone way too far.)

CRITICAL: Now go to FILE > SAVE FOR WEB (in newer versions of Photoshop, this could say SAVE FOR WEB AND DEVICES -- it's the same thing). On the right-hand side of the Save for Web dialog window, you'll see something like the illustration to the right.

1. Click the dropdown arrow, if neccessary, to choose JPEG.
2. Click the dropdown arrow, if necessary, to choose Medium.
3. Click OK.

You'll be prompted to save your newly-resized photo. (If you have trouble finding files on your computer, just save the new file to your Desktop.)

IMPORTANT! After you do all this, your resized photo will still be open in Photoshop Elements. Click the X at the upper right of the photo to close it. When Photoshop Elements asks you if you want to save changes, say NO. You've already saved your changes in another file; you don't want to also save them to your original photo.