Getting album art down to size

General Discussion
1

To the best of my memory, 20 KB is the sweet spot.

Make album art too large, and some devices will not display it. And by too large, I mean the actual file size on disc.

What affects files size? Number of pixels, dots per inch resolution, file type, and the application creating the file.

I've used two graphics programs for a very long time: CorelDRAW and GIMP.

With CorelDRAW, I can take an image from the Internet, resample it to 200 × 200 pixels and 72 DPI, and get a file of 40 KB.

With GIMP, I can take the same file and resample to the same size and resolution, and get a file of 20 KB.

I've wondered why for many years.

Does CorelDRAW wrap extra digital information around the file, something you wouldn't notice, unless you're dealing with very small files?

Does GIMP compress files behind the scenes?

========> ANYONE WHO KNOWS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN! <================

I feel I've asked this once before, many years ago. Not sure.

I can install GIMP, again. It would solve a problem, but it won't help my understanding of the situation.

I really want to know why this happens.

Obviously, I like to find my own source of album art and get my hands dirty, as it were, so no suggestions regarding freedb, automatic downloads, and the like. Please.

2

Sounds like the two image editors were using different compression settings (independent of the resolution and DPI). If a JPEG is compressed using identical compression settings it should come out the same size.

In Photoshop the compression settings looks like this when saving a JPEG:

This is assuming you are referring to JPEGs, if PNGs then the difference may be additional metadata (though I doubt twice the size).

3

Yes, JPG. Always JPG. SHould have specified.

Is GIMP hiding compression or quality settings? I'll have to look.

4

Since we're being all specific here, I'm actually using Corel PHOTO-PAINT out of the old CorelDRAW 11 suite. I kind keep my media stuff on an old PC.

Anyway, I returned JPG exporting to the default of 12% compression and 12% smoothing, which knocks the file size down to what I want. But I wouldn't be surprised to learn the program wraps JPGs with some sort of metadata or watermark.

Still curious if anyone out there is a GIMP expert and knows how much it compresses by default.

I think I'll reinstall it, later.

5

For prepairing cover pictures (in TAG or as file in folder) i use the batch mode of Irfanview by irfan skiljan (http://www.irfanview.net/). You just once specify the reuired pixel size (width or height) and in the save dialog the quality of JPEG compression.

Helmut

6

Hello guys.

With photoshop I create images and use mp3tag sucessfully for add them as covers on my music files. I don't know why but I cant see those covers on windows explorer when I browse among my mp3 files.
Does anybody know what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.
Marcelo

7

I think you either have to set the Explorer view options so that you do not only see the symbol instead of the miniature. Also, I think, you have to assign the file type to an application.

8

Hello ohrenkino
As you can see in the pic, I alread assigned the mp3 file type to winamp player.
Also on the same pic, you can see that there are 2 files that windows shows the cover art Those were not made by me. I mean, windows is ok to show it. My art not. So I ask again, what am I doing wrong?
Thanks.

Marcelo Neri

9

Load these files into Mp3tag and enter the filter
%_covers% MISSING

If you now see any files then these files have no embedded cover art. You would have to embed it.

Also, sometimes files have errors. Check (and if necessary repair) these files with mp3val.

10

Hello ohrenkino

I have used the filter you told, and it shows only the few files I didnt make cover art yet, I mean, It seems ok. I don't think mp3val will help. But thanks anyway!

11

I am not sure why you think that mp3val will not help. Following various threads in this forum, using mp3val for some inexplicable reason made the Windows Explorer show the pictures.
Also check that you do not have V2.4 tags. They cannot be read by windows at all.