Resizing images for webforum signatures?

Hello, so I was wondering how people re-size images so they can put them into their forum signatures? In the past I have used paint and sometimes the imagine comes out all screwed up. For example say the pixel rules for the signature are 500x100 but the photo I have was taken with a 12 megapixel camera so the picture is several thousand pixels wide in both directions. So how do I shrink the photo to keep it still readable without squashing the photo into something unrecognizable?

It seems like everyone has these photo's now a days and they look professional so I would think it cannot be too hard, maybe some freeware can do the job?

Thanks.

I always used GIMP for something like that
http://www.gimp.org/

Goto Microsoft.com. Query Powertoys and look for image resizer.
Large, medium and small.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the links.

Edit: I went to the Microsoft website and couldn't find the image resizer, however I am seeing it on other websites. Are they the same thing?

I am using Windows 7 BTW.

NyxCharon said:

I always used GIMP for something like that
http://www.gimp.org/

Click to expand...

+1.

Another GIMP enthusiast here. Great free art / image manipulation application that'll do exactly what you need.

I had problems finding the Microsoft software found in the first post so I am going to try the second option presented to me. I ended up downloading software that I thought was freeware but it put a watermark across the image so I uninstalled it.

I couldn't find it either. Im using it though. windows 7 Pro 64 bit. The author is brice lambson. its a beta.

I tired out the GIMP software and it gets the job done, good suggestion thanks. At first it looked very complicated but I found the proper tool and it resized my image properly without any hassle. It looks great too.

Plus this software has some other cool features I might try on the resized image.

tremmor said:

I couldn't find it either. Im using it though. windows 7 Pro 64 bit. The author is brice lambson. its a beta.

Click to expand...

Yeah sometimes freeware just comes and goes, thanks for the suggestion though.

Paint, resise, by pixels, free and done.

Or, use photoshop trial.

Powertoys has been around for years and supported by Microsoft. At least for the other operating systems. They just didn't follow up with 7 for some reason. And yes there are quite a few utility's associated with powertoys. Its pick and choose the ones ya want.

Resizing images? Heck Windows 7 Paint will do it. But I'm a GIMP supporter as well, though I recently bought Photoshop.