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Unable to change incorrect image orientation when inserting in message

  • 2 cavab
  • 1 has this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by pmcabinet

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Since Thunderbird updated to version 68, my much used add-on 'Image resize' no longer works. I am reluctant to revert to an earlier version of TB in case it messes up my inbox and/or settings, so I have resorted to the rather laborious 'Insert...Image' route.

But now I can find no way to reorient an image that insists on placing itself in landscape format instead of portrait. The image is shown correctly in Windows Explorer, and in Picasa too (and yes, I know that's not supported any longer but it's still a good program).

I have tried changing the orientation in Explorer but it makes no difference to the imported image.

Most of the image properties can be changed in TB, but the one missing is image rotation. Have I missed something?

And is there an image resizer add-on compatible with TB 68?

Would be grateful for any help here.

Since Thunderbird updated to version 68, my much used add-on 'Image resize' no longer works. I am reluctant to revert to an earlier version of TB in case it messes up my inbox and/or settings, so I have resorted to the rather laborious 'Insert...Image' route. But now I can find no way to reorient an image that insists on placing itself in landscape format instead of portrait. The image is shown correctly in Windows Explorer, and in Picasa too (and yes, I know that's not supported any longer but it's still a good program). I have tried changing the orientation in Explorer but it makes no difference to the imported image. Most of the image properties can be changed in TB, but the one missing is image rotation. Have I missed something? And is there an image resizer add-on compatible with TB 68? Would be grateful for any help here.

All Replies (2)

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I have received emails with image that are on their sides. In all instances the sender was creating the images with an apple phone which did not include data to understand the orientation. I had to save it and use Irfanview to get orientation properly fixed.

However, I suggest you read the info at the following link as 'Zenos' offers an excellent explanation. Basically, the data of the image does not contain info on height and width which would define the orientation. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1172599

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Thanks for your response Toad-Hall.

I take your point, and have read the 'Zenos' posting you suggested, although I do not use an Apple phone.

I could not understand his comment about 're-saving pictures so that their native orientation matches the orientation stored in the EXIF data'.

What is the 'native' orientation if not that as in the camera's recorded EXIF? The full data (as viewed e.g. in Lightroom, Photoshop etc) clearly show width and height dimensions (I can't upload the screenshot here for some reason); if the height recorded is greater than the width then it has to be portrait, surely?

And, most relevant, I'm wondering why TB's Image Properties>Advanced Property Editor allows you to edit just about everything - but not rotation!

Do you know what TB actually 'sees' when inserting an image? Where is this 'native' orientation located/stored?

True, I can get TB to display correctly if I open the image in an editor and export again, then drag the exported image into the message body. But that's a pain when it used to take a few seconds with Image Resize. What information is being added that TB can't see in the existing stored image file?

Sorry to go on, but I really do need to understand the process. Presumably I have missed something essential in Zenos's post?