Having Trouble With Image Optimizer.

It's been a while since I've been on this site, I'm sad to see not everyone's still here.
This is a first time issue I'm having, some of the images I'm trying to add to a post are too large and the free image optimizer doesn't seem to want to work with me, Any suggestions?

Thanks

I use IrfanView and never had any problems reducing file sizes.

In Irfanview, when you go to "Save As," a window pops up in the upper right. One of the selections is "set file size (see image below). Set it to 300, then save your image and you'll be golden to upload here.

It's been working fine for me. What is your specific problem?

I've loaded the images in the free image optimizer it's saying there are saved sized, but each time I try to load them on a post it says files are too big.
before I would just upload, no other action needed.

It sounds like your file is still too big and you have to reduce it a little more. I wrote a short primer some time ago on this topic. It is located at https://stampsmarter.org/Learning/SCF/help1.html

However, please be aware that the maximum file size has now changed to a maximum of 300kb. Quite easy to get, actually. Just reduce the width or the image quality, and you should have no problem.

Thanks partime,
I'll have to keep trying,
On the free image optimizer it says they're around 170-230kb already.

Fella worst case Irfanview is shareware/try first.

Hey shermae,
Thank you, I will take a look into that.

If you do use Irfanview, use Parttime's advice about cropping out superfluous areas around the image. That alone can save a ton off the file size while also increasing the level of detail.

I'd Like to keep as much detail as possible,
Most had already been cropped pretty close before loading them in.

It doesn't look like I can use irfanvirw with an iphone.

I also get some distortions sometimes with the Free Image Optimizer

Here is an example reduced by the Free Image Optimizer.
Notice the background which appears as some sort of weird screening.



Here is the same SS I captured on Print screen and cropped.



Image above is the way the sheet looks by eye.

This only happens with FIO infrequently and only scanning offset litho or
photogravure stamps/sheets, never engraved.

Below see the difference side by side

Try to use jpg compression, not file size limiting. As this stamp is basically blue, you can probably increase jpg compression to 50% or even more without visibly losing details.

Thanks.I have no idea what that means.

This distortion hasn't occurred often in uploading
thousands of stamp images on this site.
That's what puzzles me.
Why doesn't it happen more often or why at all?

If you use "Save as" in IrfanVIew, you see this:

Save quality 100 means no compression losses.
With images having a limited color spread, you can slide it down to maybe 40 and see no change in quality, while greatly reducing the file size, but not the resolution.