Jpegs are already compressed. "Raw" image files are compressed to a degree as
well but the compression is far less than for jpeg so all the original image
data is retained. Jpegs lose a lot of the original image data - and that's why
camera companies call jpeg a lossy picture file format.

The only way to make a jpeg file smaller is to reduce the image size. For
example, if your camera produces images that are 3872x2592 pixels, reducing that
to 1280x858 will considerably reduce the size of the file while retaining an
image that'll look fine on the screen. The reduced image size will make getting
larger printed images problematic.

So, depending on the intended use of the e-mailed images you may or may not want
to reduce the image (and thereby file) size.

Maybe I used the wrong terminology. I just bought a digital camera. Some of the
pix (jpegs) are as large as 2MB. This is good for hi quality pix. However, I'd
like to share some of these on the Internet, either as an email attachment or
maybe on a web site and the 2MB size is just too large. So in some cases I'd
like to have a smaller version of the file.

Windows 7 has a program called Live Photo Gallery which has an option to reduce
file size (I make a copy and then reduce the copied file size). Does anyone know
of a Ubie program that has an option to reduce the jpeg file size?

"resize" is probably the terminology you were looking for. I guess resizing
might be considered compressing photos. I don't know. But Gimp can do this
and comes with the default instalation. Make your copy, then resize each
image. or copy a whole folder of pictures, and resize them all at once from
the command line with imagemagik. look at this page for some commands:

dptnt.com/.../

sudo apt-get instal imagemagickl will download and install the program on
your pc.

that was sudo apt-get install imagemagick (without the "l" at the
end tha I typoed in the previous message)

I use gimp, and save as png.............

The GIMP has Save to Web plugin that works, you can also export the jpeg in
the GIMP and reduce the size/ quality (jpeg is a lossy format). You can also
get an add on for Nautilus to resize from the right click drop down menu.
Both are in the repos.

Just a comment which may or may not mean anything. But on my camara I have
an option
to take the photo in smaller format. So maybe take one in smaller format and
one in larger
format depending on planned future intent. That can be a problem I know
because you may
not know what the intent is later.
Probably not an option but a thought if you know you are going to be sending
the result in
email.

I would not suggest reducing quality while taking pictures. It is kind
of like going hunting with a slingshot. You can always degrade a photo,
but you can't get better quality. With gimp you can crop, change pixel
size, reduce picture size, and best of all save in a non-lossy file
type. Take every photo in the highest quality you can get, you never
know when you will capture the moment.

I think that is a good suggestion. My camera is cheap anyway so I will up
the
quality and see if I get better contrast for my shots of things I am trying
to sell,
then re-size them for email shipment.
I really need to save up and get a better camera for future use.

On the flip side, I find it pretty annoying when people email
4MB photos. Resizing has its place.

I find GIMP to be like smashing flies with a hammer for most
photo manipulation, and the included photo utility in Ubuntu
is next to worthless, so I stick with Irfanview under doze.
If there was a form/fit/function equivalent to that in Linux
I'd jump on it. I use IPTC tagging and to date I don't know
of any Linux programs that support that (in a friendly way).

check digikam/showfoto..............

My vote is for GIMP, whether I'm doing simple things or complex things. One user
interface to learn.

Far simpler to take the pics at full resolution and resize later. Capturing the
pic at full resolution leaves options for what can be done with the pic open.
As mentioned by another poster, batch resizing tools abound.

I believe that it's f-spot in the standard set but i prefer showfoto
from the repositories.

while further compression is possible you may want to resize to 800 px
on the longest size for web or email. another option is to convert to
png as well and make use of the lossless compression of that format.