This is a help topic from one of our members on how to splice multiple images into a sort of slide show as SARider explained he did in paint.
This also works well for posting pics to other forums since many only allow one picture per post as this forum does. Also keep in mind we have a limit on the file size you can upload. It is 500KB per image. This is set for multiple reasons to do with web hosting space, bandwidth and more importantly page load time for our forum users still on slower connections.
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Irfanview is freeware available at Multimedia file viewing and clickable links are available for registered members only!! You need to
or
!!
. It is a very popular image editing/handling program. You can do everything in Irfanview. That means re-sizing and stitching. You can even run a slide-show with that program.
I'll list the steps here...by the numbers. Some of the steps are "safe steps" to avoid messing up the "originals". You work with "copies". The settings described here will be retained when you go to do this process the second time. I am approaching these instructions as being a "first time through" type deal.
1. Put copies of the photos you want to stitch into a new separate directory. In that new directory, create another new empty directory called "stitched".
2. Start Irfanview and select "File" then "Batch Conversion/Rename
3. In the "Look in" box, "drill down" to the new directory that has the "copies" of your photos.
4. Highlight the photo/s you want to work with. First step is to resize. Select Add for the one's you've highlighted. If you happen to want them all just select the "Add All" button.
5. Set the "Output Directory" to be the new one you created called "Stitched". Drill down until you get it.
6. Select the Output format to be "jpg-jpeg". Then select "Options". This will give you a new window where you can slide the compression amount bar to around "75" or so. Uncheck the first three check boxes in that window too. Uncheck the bottom two gif options also. Say "OK".
7. Check off the "Use Advanced Options" box. Then click on "Set advanced Options".
8. In the "Resize" area there in the new window, Check resize, Enter a width. 640 is a good size. Check "pixels". Then down a bit lower, make sure "Preserve Aspect ratio" and "Use Resample" are checked.
9. Then go up to the Batch Conversion window again and select "Start". This will process those photos into the new "stitched" directory.
10. Use windows explorer and go to that directory and see how "Big" the processed images you just did are. (File size). Remember that the stitched image to be posted cannot be over 500k file size. So if you have 10 photos each one has to be under 50k. 45k each will allow for the spacers. But it might be that you can only stitch 7 photos because you would be at the 500k limit. Now, this file size result really depends on how big the originals were anyway. My camera is an 8mp one so I have to not only resize down I have to crank up the compression slider to sometimes down to 70 -75. This is a trial and error thing. Once you have done this successfully you'll get a feel for where the compression bar needs to be. If the files are too big (bytes) run the process again using new copies of the originals. Same thing if they are excessively small. Compressing too much takes away some of the image's quality.
11. Now, go to Irfanview and select "Image" then "Create New (empty) image". Then in the Create new image window, select "Black/White".
Then on the left side put in 640 for Image width and 4 for Image Height. DPI of 96 is OK. Background color of Black. Then click on OK.
Then select "Save AS" from the "File Menu". Then name the file/image as "640spacer.jpg" (without the quotes) and save it in that "stitched" directory with those previously processed images.
12. Now, we're ready to create a vertical stitched image. Select "Image" then "Create Panorama Image". The check Vertical. Click "Add images". Drill down to the "stitched" directory. Select the images you want from that directory including the "spacer" image you just created. Add the spacer image the number of times you will need it. The number of spacers required will be one less than the number of pictures. In the window, order the images the way you want. Move the spacer images up or down so they are between the pictures.
13. Then, click on "Create Image" and it will make your image. Then save it to that directory (as a .jpg) and give it a unique file name.
When you go to save it, you will again see the compression window option. Just let it go and then take a look and see how big the resulting image is (file size). If you need to make the file smaller, just open the new stitched image and do a "save as" and then set the compression a bit more. I try to get by with the least amount that I have to because the more you compress the more the quality can suffer. Once you have done this a few times you'll get the feel for what you need to have it set at. Again, it depends on the number of photos you are trying to stitch together.
14. Then post your photo to the forum.
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