What size images best for online galleries?

[boxofrocks]

I understand that the most common screen res is 1024x768. What size do most people find is best for showing their "large" images in an online gallery (72 ppi, X pixels X Y pixels )?

I'm just trying to figure out if there is a "standard".

Thanks!

[gpbusa316]

I usually use 800 pixels (72 ppi, saved as level 10 jpeg in CS2) for the longest side... Mainly because it's the cutoff between the "large" and "original" image sizes on Pbase. And, to my eye, it's a good compromise between file size and maintaining detail in the image.

[boxofrocks]

Originally Posted by gpbusa316

I usually use 800 pixels (72 ppi, saved as level 10 jpeg in CS2) for the longest side... Mainly because it's the cutoff between the "large" and "original" image sizes on Pbase. And, to my eye, it's a good compromise between file size and maintaining detail in the image.

The only issue I see there is if you have someone with a 1024x768 monitor res, they have to do a great deal of scrolling, especially when you factor in the header in the page and the browser controls at the top of the window. At that res, I have to go down to 500 px tall to get the image in comfortably, and as you said, you lose a lot of detail.

I'm spoiled at 1600 x 1200 native, so it's hard for me to judge until I change my monitor resolution.

I referring to a page with thumbnails on it, so that takes up some real estate, too.

[gpbusa316]

Maybe I'm wrong, but with the proliferation of LCD's these days, I'm guessing there are fewer and fewer people with small LCD's or CRT's (15"-17") running at 1024 x 768.

But even with a monitor running at 1024 x 768, the scrolling problem would really only affect images with a "portrait" orientation. Any "landscape" oriented photos shouldn't have a problem.

[sebbomar]

I run with 450 on my long size of the image.

[Clayton Wallace]

Maybe I'm wrong, but with the proliferation of LCD's these days, I'm guessing there are fewer and fewer people with small LCD's or CRT's (15"-17") running at 1024 x 768.

65% of my traffic in the last 3-4 months has been at 1024x768. 800x600 is steadily declining.

It matters what the people coming to your site are using. Plus, there is always the consideration of reducing the # of people able to copy/steal your your photos. The larger it is, the more likely it will be ripped off. I try to be big enough to have a 'significant' impact. I will specifically crop something different for the web than for print for that reason. My very first shot on my site is of a wedding in a beautiful church in Galveston. I actually have a better one, but it is vertical and just loses its punch when I keep my photos to an 800-decent and 1024-friendly dimension (including the navigation, browser space, slideshow navigation). There really aren't that many pixels to work with when you get down to it.

[LadyShutterBug]

i think mine are like 450 x 650 or thereabout. it's been a while since i updated galleries... so i don't remember specifically.