Constraining proportions so the image is not distorted

J
Posted By
jal
Jul 19, 2006
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1010
Replies
6
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Closed
I am trying to save a JPEG of a retangular image. The issue is that the server we are uploading to distorts the image by smashing it into a square. The web service customer support person (at the company we are uploading the images to) says all I have to do is save it in MS Picture It and check the box that says "Constrain Proportions". He tells me that this will cause the image to display on their website as a rectangle, with white border accross the top or bottom.

I do not have MS Picture It and cannot find a copy of it. I would like to see if Photoshop will help me be able to lock the image as a rectangle, even when I upload it.

In summary, how does one save an image in photoshop so the image proportions do not change or become distorted?

If I cannot do this Photoshop, does anyone have any ideas on what program will let me do this?

I have spent several hours trying everything in Photoshop and searched the topics on this forum before I wrote this post. I appreciate any help here!

Thanks,

JAL

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NS
Nicholas Sherlock
Jul 19, 2006
jal wrote:
I do not have MS Picture It and cannot find a copy of it. I would like to see if Photoshop will help me be able to lock the image as a rectangle, even when I upload it.

If your images show correctly when opened in other programs (Say, internet explorer), there’s nothing wrong with them. If their server is resizing images to a square, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Cheers,
Nicholas Sherlock


http://www.sherlocksoftware.org
AM
Andrew Morton
Jul 19, 2006
jal wrote:
I am trying to save a JPEG of a retangular image. The issue is that the server we are uploading to distorts the image by smashing it into a square.

Sounds rather unlikely.

The web service customer support person (at the company we are uploading the images to) says all I have to do is save it in MS Picture It and check the box that says "Constrain Proportions". He tells me that this will cause the image to display on their website as a rectangle, with white border accross the top or bottom.

Look at the source of the web page where the image is shown – does the <IMG> tag happen to have WIDTH="x" HEIGHT="y" where x and y are equal? That will make the browser resize it.

Or maybe he’s trying to say to put the image onto a white square.

Andrew
JS
John Stafford
Jul 19, 2006
"jal" wrote in message
I am trying to save a JPEG of a retangular image. The issue is that the server we are uploading to distorts the image by smashing it into a square.

It seems more likely that their web service displays your pictures at a particular size and shape regardless of what you send them. So find out how many pixels wide/tall they need and constrain the pictures to that size using Automate – Fit Image.
J
jal
Jul 20, 2006
Andrew:

I think you are on to something. How do I put the image into a white square?

Thanks,

JAL

Andrew Morton wrote:
jal wrote:
I am trying to save a JPEG of a retangular image. The issue is that the server we are uploading to distorts the image by smashing it into a square.

Sounds rather unlikely.

The web service customer support person (at the company we are uploading the images to) says all I have to do is save it in MS Picture It and check the box that says "Constrain Proportions". He tells me that this will cause the image to display on their website as a rectangle, with white border accross the top or bottom.

Look at the source of the web page where the image is shown – does the <IMG> tag happen to have WIDTH="x" HEIGHT="y" where x and y are equal? That will make the browser resize it.

Or maybe he’s trying to say to put the image onto a white square.
Andrew
JS
John Stafford
Jul 20, 2006
"jal" wrote in message
Andrew:

I think you are on to something. How do I put the image into a white square?

I think there is a misunderstanding. I can’t imagine a successful provider who would trouble their clients with such mucking about. What he probably means is for you to submit an image that would fit into their maximum size.

For that use Automate – Fit Image

Type in the maximum number of pixels – the longest dimension they will allow to the longest side, in this case a square, so the same number in each box.

Fit Image will reduce the image so that the picture’s longer side fits the square the ISP dweeb was talking about.

Try it. It works. Batch it (or make a droplet) to do as many as you want at once.
AM
Andrew Morton
Jul 20, 2006
jal wrote:
I think you are on to something. How do I put the image into a white square?

Make the image the desired size, then increase the canvas size to be a square.

Did you look at the HTML source? Or if you provide a URL I might look for you. As "john j" wrote, it does seem strange that someone would make it so fiddly to do.

Andrew

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