Image Guidelines

Image Resolution

This site will accept images with a maximum resolution of 1600 pixels. If images are larger than the desired size, they are automatically scaled to fit. A few things you should be aware of:

• The image-scaling functions built into the website are good, not great. You'll probably get better image quality if you manually scale the image to a smaller size.
• The larger the image, the easier it is for someone to steal it and use it elsewhere (such as for a print advertisement). Plus, images at a full 1600 pixel resolution will probably not be entirely visible (when viewed full-sized) on most site visitors' monitors.

I recommend scaling your images to about 800 pixels maximum resolution; this size offers a good tradeoff between "too large" and "too small." Images less than 500 pixels may be difficult to see on large monitors.

Image Type

JPEG images are recommended, though the site also supports GIF and PNG. GIF images have a limited color palette, so will not usually look good for photographs (GIFs are better for simple graphics and animations). PNG is an open-source alternative, but file sizes are usually larger (i.e., they take longer to download) and older browsers may not display them properly.

Image Privacy

Um, you realize that this is a website, right? And it's on the Internet? If you post something here, you're publishing it for the world to see. If you want to keep your image private, then don't put it here.

Images of People

You should always be careful when posting images containing recognizable people. Under US law, photos taken in a public place are usually ok; if you take photos inside someone's house, for example, you may not be able to publish them without permission. In addition, in some jurisdictions (Europe, for example), you cannot legally publish the image of a minor child without the written permission of the child's parent or guardian. I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice, but you should be aware of the legal issues surrounding privacy and your images.