Why is my avatar photo always so small?

**Estrid** · October 24th, 2015, 12:43 AM

Hello, the title says it all: Whatever picture I upload it always end up really small, why is that?

I see people on here with twice the size of my image.

/Margo

**Nuala** · October 24th, 2015, 04:01 AM

I don't know, I have the same problem, I feel that my picture is tiny compared to others.

**Estrid** · October 24th, 2015, 04:35 AM

Feels like I can't have too "zoomed out" images since the details won't show when it is that tiny, it might not even be clear what it is supposed to be at all. A bit sad, if you ask me.

I have thought about it maybe being a post-related thing? but that seems weird, why should avatar size be linked to your post count?

/Margo

**Anje** · October 24th, 2015, 09:27 AM

What are the dimensions on the image you're uploading?

**Estrid** · October 24th, 2015, 09:32 AM

The one I currently have is 641 x 415 pixels and 104 kb. I have tried multiple different sizes and they end up tiny, all of them.

Do I need something that is just under 1 mb? feels like it should be the pixels that needs to be bigger but the picture I have now is huge. It just doesn't show here.

/Margo

**Gumball** · October 24th, 2015, 10:00 AM

While the avatar uploader states "whichever is smaller," the vBulletin software technically sets the all around cap using both dimensions and file size, so the cap is 100x100px and 1mb. If an image exceeds that cap in either dimensions or file size it will either be rejected or the software will autoresize it and reduce the quality of the image.

I've dealt with that in the past with sig pics and album pics, too. The forum's autoresizer isn't kind.

**Estrid** · October 24th, 2015, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Gumball

While the avatar uploader states "whichever is smaller," the vBulletin software technically sets the all around cap using both dimensions and file size, so the cap is 100x100px and 1mb. If an image exceeds that cap in either dimensions or file size it will either be rejected or the software will autoresize it and reduce the quality of the image.

I've dealt with that in the past with sig pics and album pics, too. The forum's autoresizer isn't kind.

But when I make pictures 100 x 100 in paint they go extremely small (or well, the size of every single avatar have become after I've uploaded them here). Do you mean they go bigger when I upload them here with less than 100 x 100 pixel?

If not, how do some get bigger avatars?

/Margo

**Gumball** · October 24th, 2015, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Estrid

But when I make pictures 100 x 100 in paint they go extremely small (or well, the size of every single avatar have become after I've uploaded them here). Do you mean they go bigger when I upload them here with less than 100 x 100 pixel?

If not, how do some get bigger avatars?

/Margo

Hmm. Good question! Would you be able to point me toward an example? The requirement has been around since I joined, so anything atypical would be very interesting.

This is confirming it's the avatar that displays to the left of a post under the username, correct?

**Anje** · October 24th, 2015, 09:18 PM

Some of the pics I see (perhaps cached) are 150 pixels in the larger dimension. Did the dimensions get reduced in one of the upgrades?

**Gumball** · October 24th, 2015, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Anje

Some of the pics I see (perhaps cached) are 150 pixels in the larger dimension. Did the dimensions get reduced in one of the upgrades?

It's always possible! I've seen it before with how the software handled jpgs for a while, and how it determined what qualifies for autoresizing, etc. Much fun, those settings.