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A
question that arises quite frequently is that in which people
report that the images they use in their listings appear to
be blurred or distorted (but the original image was clear).
There are a number of possible causes for this circumstance,
each of which will be described below:
Are
You Using AOL's Web Browser?
In
order to reduce traffic on AOL's own network, they enable
an image-compression device of the official AOL browser. In
effect, this makes pages appear to load faster for the user
- while at the same time it actually re-compresses every image
into a smaller file size which drastically decreases the quality.
If you notice that every image you view while in AOL's browser
is blurred or spotty, then you have the image compression
turned on. Unfortunately, AOL makes no effort to provide their
own instructions for disabling this option and even changes
its configuration location with almost every release of the
software. I will provide general instructions for disabling
this option in the most popular AOL versions below:
| Using
AOL 9.0
1.)
Click on the 'Settings' button
at the top of the browser.
2.)
Under the 'Essentials' tab,
click on the 'Internet [Web] Options'
link.
3.)
Click on the 'AOL Browser'
tab.
4.) Check the option which reads, 'Never
Compress Graphics'.
5.)
Click 'OK' to save the settings
and exit the preferences. It is now a good
idea to clear your temporary
Internet files. |
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Using
AOL 6.0 - 7.0
1.)
Click on the 'Preferences'
option under the 'Settings'
button.
2.)
Click on the 'Web Graphics'
option located under the 'Internet Properties'
section (left-side).
3.)
Check the box which reads, 'Never Compress
Graphics'.
4.)
Click on the 'OK' button to
exit the preferences and save the settings.
It is now a good idea to clear
your temporary Internet files.
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| Using
AOL 5.0 or Below
1.)
From within the browser, click on 'Preferences'
option under the 'My AOL'
icon.
2.)
When the new window opens, click on the 'WWW'
button.
3.)
Now, click on the tab titled, 'Web
Graphics'.
4.)
UN-Check the box titled, 'Use Compressed
Graphics'.
5.)
Click on the 'OK' button
to exit the preferences and save the settings.
It is now a good idea to clear
your temporary Internet files. |
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| Clearing
Temporary Internet Files
If you are using AOL
9.0:
1.)
Click on the 'Settings' button
at the top of the browser.
2.)
Under the 'Essentials' tab,
click on the 'Internet [Web] Options'
link.
3.)
Click on the 'Delete Files'
button within the 'General'
tab.
4.)
Check the box which reads, 'Delete
all offline content'.
5.)
Click the 'OK' button, and
then click the 'OK' button
once more to exit the preferences.
If you are using any other version
of AOL, the instructions will vary. Please
visit this
page for further instructions. Even more details
can be found here.
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NOTE: Even if you are subscribed
to AOL's Internet service, you do NOT need to use the custom
AOL browser. In fact, many AOL users will get more out of
the Internet when they use one of the major browsers such
as Mozilla
or Internet
Explorer. Simply connect as usual, then minimize the
AOL browser and launch any other browser and it should work
without problems. There are no 'image compression' settings
needed to be configured if you use a standard browser.
Are
You Using CompuServe's Web Browser (CS2000)?
Similar
to AOL's Internet service, CompuServe may also compress images
when you use their customized browser. To get around this,
follow the instructions below. Depending on the version of
browser you use, the instructions below may or may not be
accurate.
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Using
CompuServe
1.)
Click on the 'Preferences'
option located under the 'Access'
menu.
2.)
Click on the 'WWW' tab or
section.
3.)
Under the 'Web Graphics'
section, you will find the option to disable
image compression.
4.)
Click 'OK' to save the preferences and return
to the main browser window.
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Although America Online and CompuServe
are the two most famous Internet Services to use this image
compression technology, there are most-likely other
providers who perform similar operations. If pictures are
still coming up blurry and you don't use CompuServe or AOL,
you may wish to consult your ISP support team for further
instructions.
Are
You Using eBay's Image Hosting Service?
When
you use eBay's service to upload images for each listing,
you must take into consideration that no matter what resolution
the original image is, it will be re-compressed and resized
to 400 x 300 pixels. Generally speaking, digital camera images
are taken at a higher resolution than what eBay resizes them
to and thus when the pictures are reduced there will be a
certain degree of quality-loss. Depending on the level of
detail your original image has, when it is reduced you may
notice a substantial amount of lost detail - which could lead
to a fuzzy-looking image.
Although
eBay's algorithm for image compression is fairly efficient,
you will usually find that if you manually resize your images
to the appropriate dimensions (400 x 300) in a third party
image utility such as Irfanview
or Photoshop
before uploading them to eBay's site, the quality will be
slightly greater than if you were to go directly through eBay's
site. Depending on the software you use, there may be several
resizing algorithms available. If possible, select either
Smart Size or Bicubic for the algorithm
to ensure the greatest quality when reduced.
Below
you will see the results of a typical digital camera image
being processed through eBay's compression utility. The original
image is already compressed, but has dimensions of 640 x 480.
After being resized by eBay's utility, it is then only 400
x 300 and you will notice some quality loss or blurriness
- primarily around sharp edges. The image used was taken from
MorgueFile's
free stock-photo collection.
Standard
digital camera image
Image after eBay resizes and
re-compresses it
So,
if you find that the image size eBay uses is unacceptable
and would like to keep the original image dimensions and quality,
what options do you have? For starters, there is a good number
of free
image hosts on the net which do not alter your images
in any way. What is especially nice with some free image hosting
services is that they allow you to upload hundreds of images
and you can use as many as you want in each auction listing
without ever being charged a cent. EBay on the other hand
limits you to a maximum of six images per listing and charges
extra after the initial image (even though they are all still
resized). A favorite free service of many is PhotoBucket.COM
- signup is fast and free and they offer a lot of storage
space for no money. You will need to obtain the exact image
path of each image and then use simple HTML coding to insert
the picture(s) into your listings, as is described in the
Uploading
Images and HTML tutorials
available from within this site.
You
might also wish to seek out an FTP-based image service (many
Internet Service Providers include personal FTP space for
all paying customers). FTP services offer a number of benefits
and drawbacks in comparison to web (HTTP) based solutions.
You will need a third party program to access your account
and transfer or manage your images, and it is sometimes more
tricky to obtain the exact image path through such a service.
On the other hand, they have the benefits of generally being
faster than website services and you can use the FTP service
in many auction programs such as Dominant
Ad Creator to make the implementation of pictures in your
listings much simpler.
Are
Your Display Settings To Low?
Although
this is rarely the case, it is still worth mentioning. Typically,
photographs (digital or not) consist of thousands and millions
of color variations. In some cases, your display settings
may be set to only display a maximum of 256 colors - in which
case you would get pictures that appear either blurred or
warped more than they should be. To check your display settings
and correct them if necessary, follow the instructions below:
| Checking
Your Display Settings
1.)
From your main desktop screen, right-click
on a blank area (on the wallpaper).
2.)
Click on the 'Properties' option
that appears near the bottom of the menu.
3.)
From the Display Properties, click
on the 'Settings' tab.
4.)
You will then see a section titled similar to
'Color Quality'. Ensure this says 16-Bit,
24-Bit, or 32-Bit.
If not, see if that option is available from
the list presented. If you are only able to
see either 16 or 256 colors, then you will need
to consult a computer technician or obtain a
new video card.
5.)
Once the setting is activated, click 'OK'.
You may be asked to restart your computer. |
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If you find any errors or new material that
you feel should be added to this page, please do not hesitate
to contact me.
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