While the Editor allows you to resize photos and other images that you include on your site, it is best to resize them before uploading them using separate image editing software. This software can be professional quality such as Adobe Photoshop or less powerful but effective software such as Microsoft Office Picture Manager which is available to most Office users.

For best results and optimal end user performance, resize the image to the standard web resolution of 72 dpi (dots per inch) and the height and width you wish to use on your site.

Why is this a better approach than using the Editor's resizing options? It is better for two main reasons:

The Editor resizes how the large the image is displayed - not how large the image file actually is

The larger the image, both in terms of higher resolution and greater height and width, the longer it takes for your end user's browser to download and display the image. Resizing the image outside Soapbox an uploading only the size you need will make for more efficient download speeds and fast overall user experience.

This is especially relevant when including photos shot with high resolution digital SLR cameras. These image files are quite large and should definitely be converted to 72 dpi and resized to the appropriate height and width prior to uploading them to Soapbox.

The more a photo is shrunk in the Editor, the greater the chance you won't like the results

The site works to render a photo to a smaller size you've resized in the Editor each time an end user visits the page with that photo. For the most part, the fact that the site has resized the image won't be noticable. With larger photos that have been made significantly smaller, this rendering can produce an undesirable pixelated effect.