how to make photo files smaller

[camaro]

I'm trying to mail this pic that is 6MB bitmap. I just scanned it. How do I make this file smaller? Less then 1.5MB.

[seti]

Can you not convert it to a high quality jpg?

lots of jpg converters (http://softseek.zdnet.com/Graphics_and_Drawing/Graphics_Conversion_and_Optimization/)

[Dave_H]

Here is my favorite freebie.
IrfanView (http://stud4.tuwien.ac.at/~e9227474/english.htm)
Dave

[sharder8]

The way I shrink the size is to scan, crop, save as a .jpeg.

I don't know if your scan program allows the same procedure, but smaller the picture, the more background that you can crop.

ACDSee Classic and ACDSee3.1are my two favorites for viewing. IBM's Perfect Photo to touching up (almost as good as Adobe's Photoshop, but cost me $4.95 from IBM).

sharder8

[NDC]

If the person that is receiving the image file is going to print it on a printer, you will not want to use programs that optimize image files for the web... images that are at 72DPI will look like total **** when printed. But if this person is going to only view it on the monitor, 72DPI will be just fine since PC monitors are capable of only displaying 72DPI...

[bhess]

I'm with Dave. Infraview is great. I even use it for my website. I just reduce it to 800x600.

[rh71]

NDC is right... depends on what the person is going to do with it. I personally convert bmp to jpg using ACDSee 3.1 and then open the jpg in Photoshop and do a Save for Web to drop the file size down considerably.

[King_Kooba_Fantastique]

Photoshop rules, its the best photo editing program out there i think. really cool.

KKF.

[ablang]

I reduce it to 600 x 450, so those with 640 x 480 resolutions don't have to scroll sideways to see the whole pic.