Avatars
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:17 pm
Why are they so limited in size?
Avatars are limited to 80 x 80 pixels and 6144 bytes (6K) file size. It's the phpBB software default to minimize database overload. We could increase the file size number a bit. How close are you getting?
It can be hard to get down to the 6144 byte size if you don't know the secret. If your graphics program has a "Save for Web" or similar menu choice, it's the one that will do it. (First reduce to 80x80 pixels or less.) It should give you the option to save as a JPG file or GIF file. For JPG you can reduce the quality setting to get the smaller file size. For GIFs you choose fewer colors: 256, 128, 64, 32, etc. to make a smaller file.
I'd also be happy to do the conversion to create an avatar and install it for anyone who is having trouble. Just send the photo you want to use to webmaster@nwaas.com along with a note mentioning your forum username. (Preferably, you should reduce the photo to 80 x 80 pixels or less before sending it to me, as extra large files may not fit in the mailbox!)
P.S. For those who don't know what an avatar is: it's the little picture icon that displays next to your user name. (Mine is a photo of a dried piranha at 60 x 60 pixels.)