Siggie Size question [Archive]

buckner

03-12-2005, 11:46 AM

I'm not even on dial-up (I'm on a cable modem) and I still have trouble viewing many threads because of the time it takes to load all of the signatures. I think people should only be allowed ONE signature, and a small blinkie. Most of the blinkies are HUGE in file size, causing me not load them. It's nerve racking; I don't want to see the signatures, I want to see the posts!

But yes, it's 25K, but like Valerie said.. many people use 2-3 at a time. I've seen 5 at a time, WITH blinkies! Aggh.

Uabassoon

03-12-2005, 11:47 AM

But yes, it's 25K, but like Valerie said.. many people use 2-3 at a time.

I don't think they are supposed to be 25K each, it should be 25K total. So if there is more than one sig they all need to add up to 25K.

buckner

03-12-2005, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by Uabassoon
I don't think they are supposed to be 25K each, it should be 25K total. So if there is more than one sig they all need to add up to 25K.

That's what I was referring to. :) Meaning, people use about 80K total for their "signature graphics".. not even including their blinkies. It annoys me.

Kfamr

03-12-2005, 12:02 PM

My signature was over the limit for a bit because I didn't think anyone really cared anymore (it didn't seem like it because there's a bajillion graphics in some people's sigs!)

However, even 1 or 2 signature graphics can go faarrr over the signature size limit - buckner's as an example (no offense) Her's is small and nice, but it's over the limit. I think 25KB is far too small to make a really nice signature. It makes it very low quality and choppy when reduced too much, even when specifically saved for the internet (an Adobe option)..

That said, i've NEVER had a problem with loading signatures, however, scrolling over a zillion pixels can get quite annoying when trying to read replies. I always try to remember to turn off my signature (By un-checking the box next to "Show signature" under where you type a reply.) so it doesn't show up a ton of times in one thread.

wolfsoul

03-12-2005, 12:22 PM

Originally posted by buckner
I don't want to see the signatures, I want to see the posts!

For those who don't care to look at signatures, if you go to user cp, edit options, thread view options. It will ask you if you want to see signatures in the posts. :)

I like to see the sigs, but I agree that sometimes it is too much. I have cable but it's still a fairly slow connection. Sometimes I will sit there trying to read a post, and the post will keep moving up and down because sigs are loading and pushing the post all over the page. It's so annoying.

Btw -- is mine over the limit?

Uabassoon

03-12-2005, 12:24 PM

Btw -- is mine over the limit?

Nope yours is good.

wolfsoul

03-12-2005, 12:26 PM

Good, thanks!

luvofallhorses

03-12-2005, 12:29 PM

is mine better buckner? :)

Karen

03-12-2005, 01:07 PM

No, sweetie, both your graphics are way over the size limit apeiece. Try saving them as jpg files, with differeing amounts of compression. Yours are both about 32 or 33k, and together, it makes you over 65K - more than twice the limit.

Folks, the limit IS 25k - TOTAL for all the pieces of your signature combined. I have sent many warnings to folks recently.

This in not an unreasonable limit, and is to be fair to people with slow connections. When someone with a too-large-signaute posts in a thread, it makes it load very slowly, and sometimes not at all. And the person doesn't know, when they click, who exactly has posted in the thread ... so cannot really avoid it.

As an example, I've saved your DaisyMae sig graphic as a jpg and gotten it down to just over 16k -

It's just a matterd of how you save a file.

Karen

03-12-2005, 01:10 PM

And here's Buckner's saved with some compression, so it's down to just under 14k.

buckner

03-12-2005, 01:36 PM

When I open mine up as a webpage on PSP (as a jpeg) it's only 18K - meaning it's below the limit. I wasn't aware we had to get it even smaller than that. However, when I view the properties on the graphic in a post it's a little over 43000bytes, meaning it's 43K. Which one do I go by? It doesn't look like there's *that* much to it, so it's hard to believe that it's SERIOUSLY 43k, imo.

Edit: I'm just going to use Karen's compressed one, and be done with it. Thanks.

luvofallhorses

03-12-2005, 02:12 PM

thanks Karen:)

Karen

03-12-2005, 02:30 PM

Originally posted by buckner
When I open mine up as a webpage on PSP (as a jpeg) it's only 18K - meaning it's below the limit. I wasn't aware we had to get it even smaller than that. However, when I view the properties on the graphic in a post it's a little over 43000bytes, meaning it's 43K. Which one do I go by? It doesn't look like there's *that* much to it, so it's hard to believe that it's SERIOUSLY 43k, imo.

Edit: I'm just going to use Karen's compressed one, and be done with it. Thanks.

You go by what it shows up as here. Some places people use to upload their signature images to the web change the size of graphics. It's always tricky!

joanofark

03-12-2005, 03:07 PM

How do you 'Save them with some compression'?:confused:

How do you tell how big they are?

Is mine over the limit?

vinjashira

03-12-2005, 05:06 PM

Joanofark, to know how big they are, just click right on the picture and chose properties. Your current signature (Pattyday.bmp) is 139kb which is way over the limit.

To save a bmp as a jpg (which is one of the compression that Karen mentioned), simply open the picture with a picture viewer such as MS Paint and then Click File and Save as, and then chose the type of compression you want (JPEG/JPG), it will reduce the size of the picture.

I attach your signature as a jpg and it is only about 9 kb now.

popcornbird

03-12-2005, 05:24 PM

I really wish the limit were a little over 25k, as it is HARD making a nice signature under 25k...especially on the new Photoshop. No matter what I do, Photoshop CS will not make the signature under 25k unless I make it so small you can hardly see it. I end up copying and pasting it onto the old photoshop, and then save it, but that kills the quality. I wish it were at least 35k. I do understand people have slower connections....but honestly, with the AMOUNT of signatures in one thread, I would think it wouldn't make such a big difference. I mean, there are some threads with 100s of replies, and 100s of sigs in them. Those threads will take tons of time loading for people with slow connections, even if the signature file sizes are below the 25k limit.

That being said, I do understand and respect the file size rule and have never broken it myself...nor have I ever made 'over-sized siggies' for others, but I must admit, it gets frustrating sometimes...especially when I make people with lots of pets a nice siggy, and end up destroying it when I lower the file size. Just makes me sad to work so hard and be satisfied with a signature, only to ruin it when I resize it to be used on PT. :o:p

catnapper

03-12-2005, 06:13 PM

As a person who had dialup for the longest time, I know firsthand how frustrating siggies can be! Even now with DSL, they smetimes take a bit to load.

I think though, that as a designer, it would be a good challenge to design something within the 25kb perameters. I do it every day trying to place 50 cubicals into a building that really ought to have only 30 cubicals.... sure I'd love for an extra 1,000 square feet to work with to place those cubicals into, but thats what makes my job interesting and fun.... I get a thrill the moment I make the "impossible" possible and end up with a great design that works within the limits I was given. I apply the same thing to when I make my own siggies. I know a lot of detail is lost, so I try to keep them simple and elegant..... or I have fun with them and be silly

wolf_Q

03-13-2005, 12:55 AM

Karen I'm glad that you have been sending pm's about it I was beginning to wonder if it wasn't the rule anymore...seeing how many people on here had ridiculously large sigs or like 5 sigs at a time.

I'll admit that I was annoyed when I was first pm'd about my sig size (quite a long time ago). Not really because mine was over the limit more because everyone else was over the limit too....some WAY over the limit. I just think that the rule should apply to all.

Maybe I'm the loner here but I don't really care if my sig is slightly blurry, it's just a sig...I haven't found it that difficult to make it 25k (or close to it...ok so my current one is 26k)...some image quality was lost of course, but does a sig really *need* to be gigantic and a perfectly crisp image? That's what picture threads are for. I wouldn't care if the sig limit was made 35k but no more than that. Just remember we all don't have DSL I have 56k here. ;)

shais_mom

03-13-2005, 01:06 AM

I think it's important for all to remember that if you do get a pm about it, that it isn't personal. Karen is just trying to help everyone those that have dial up and everyone.
:)

joanofark

03-13-2005, 03:56 AM

Originally posted by vinjashira
Joanofark, to know how big they are, just click right on the picture and chose properties. Your current signature (Pattyday.bmp) is 139kb which is way over the limit.

To save a bmp as a jpg (which is one of the compression that Karen mentioned), simply open the picture with a picture viewer such as MS Paint and then Click File and Save as, and then chose the type of compression you want (JPEG/JPG), it will reduce the size of the picture.

I attach your signature as a jpg and it is only about 9 kb now.

Oh, thanks, I know exsactly what you mean. Thanks:)

dukedogsmom

03-13-2005, 05:52 AM

I have a question. When I right click on properties I get it like this: 142922 bytes(JoanofArk's) How am I supposed to figure out how big that is?

Cincy'sMom

03-13-2005, 06:14 AM

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
I have a question. When I right click on properties I get it like this: 142922 bytes(JoanofArk's) How am I supposed to figure out how big that is?

Bascially "K" represents 1000. The sig limit of 25k wouldbe seen in that number as 25000. JoanofArk's as it is now, is 149K. So if you look at your sigs...the big picture of Duke is about 15K, the smaller picture of him is 25K and the ticker is 25K.

dukedogsmom

03-13-2005, 06:18 AM

Well shoot! I shrunk that one sig so I could have the ticker. Now I don't know what to do. Guess I could resize the ticker when I get home.......I just thought it was neat that you could have a pic with the ticker.

Cataholic

03-13-2005, 07:50 AM

Hmmm..seems I might be in violation here. So, Kay, will you shrink me? I am thinking it might mean deleting one of my siggies. Poor Jonah, he might have to get the BOOT!

micki76

03-13-2005, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by Cincy'sMom
Bascially "K" represents 1000. The sig limit of 25k wouldbe seen in that number as 25000. JoanofArk's as it is now, is 149K. So if you look at your sigs...the big picture of Duke is about 15K, the smaller picture of him is 25K and the ticker is 25K.

Actually the small pic is part of the ticker.

Suki Wingy

03-13-2005, 03:24 PM

Karen, thanks for informing me about all my sigs! Am I under the limit now?

Lexi_Lover

03-13-2005, 03:35 PM

I think your siggy is bigger then limit, its around 42k.

dogs_4_me

03-13-2005, 06:11 PM

Can someone tell me if my two are over the limit?

jazzcat

03-13-2005, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by dogs_4_me
Can someone tell me if my two are over the limit?
Your top one is a little over 20K and your bottom is a little over 17K so combined they are 37K which is over. I compressed them to around 12K each for you so they shoud be okay.

I'll have to attach them in two posts.

Here's one.

jazzcat

03-13-2005, 06:51 PM

Here's the other.

dogs_4_me

03-13-2005, 07:30 PM

Thank you so much jazzcat :)

flamepony12

03-13-2005, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by popcornbird
No matter what I do, Photoshop CS will not make the signature under 25k unless I make it so small you can hardly see it.

Ditto... :\ On mine, the only way a sig can be less than 25k is if it's only about 80x80 pixels. :(

I was told that my Merlin sig was too big, but I couldn't resize it. If my current sig is too big, will someone please resize it for me? I'm not sure how to compress it without changing its size...

Lexi_Lover

03-13-2005, 07:56 PM

I resized it, if its too small I can make it bigger. Because yours was 40k.

Suki Wingy

03-13-2005, 08:02 PM

can someone tell me please how big my sig is now? I rightclicked, but nothing saying properties came up.

Lexi_Lover

03-13-2005, 08:09 PM

Your blinkie was fine...your sig is still 42 k

flamepony12

03-13-2005, 08:11 PM

Originally posted by Lexi_Lover
I resized it, if its too small I can make it bigger. Because yours was 40k.

thank you!

Lexi_Lover

03-13-2005, 08:12 PM

Did you want it a bit bigger? If you click it then properties, you'll find the size...;)

Suki Wingy

03-13-2005, 08:30 PM

Oh! I didn't know! Cansomeone please compress it for me?

manda_moo87

03-13-2005, 09:09 PM

Here you go.

It's now 17k. :)

(Sorry I made it so big, I wasn't aware of the limit at the time) :o

Karen

03-13-2005, 09:44 PM

All the compressing I have done for people I have done in Photoshop CS! Do "Save for web" then change the amount of compression - do it in the 4-up view, and you can see different options. It's certainly not impossible, nor does it mean the images are illegible or too small to see.