Preparation:(1) You can use photos in the
.jpg format for this section of the Forum.
(2) Photo size - (a) no wider than 660 pixels, otherwise you get a horizontal scrollbar which isn't pretty.
(b) 125kb or less.
(3) George has created a module in IG Pro that will resize your photos to the correct dimension and file size ideal for the Forum. Look under the Tools tab on IG Pro menu and you will find the Resize Program - GA051. By using the program GA051 in Ideas Genie Pro, with a setting of 600, the program makes the image a more "friendly" size for the forum, so no scrolling is necessary. It also resizes the images to less than 125kb.
GA051 preserves the image width to height ratio, so the copies made are resized yet do not lose their aspect ratio and are not distorted.
(4) If you have any graphics software such as
Photoshop,
Photoshop Elements,
Paint Shop Pro, you could use these to do any photo enhancements first; e.g. adjust lighting, sharpness, etc., then save your results and go into IG Pro to resize it. If you prefer to use your graphics program to do everything, then by all means do so (but give IG Pro a try.)
If you have
Photoshop or
Photoshop Elements they have a 'Save for Web' option where you get a side-by-side preview of your original photo and one showing the adjustments you make using the quality 'slider' to get the kb size needed.
Posting the photo:(1) Save your photo on your computer; for the sake of argument in a folder called 'images', but it can be anything you prefer.
(2) Compose your posting with whatever text you want, then when you get to the point where you want your photo to appear click
Attachments and other options situated beneath the text box. This will open a sub-menu with a box called
Attach. To the right of that box click on the Browse button and locate the photo you saved in your images folder.
That will fill in the Attach field.
Using this method, you are uploading a copy of your photo to George's server space, which he kindly allocates (at his own expense) to our members, who don't have access to any other web server.
(3) At this point you won't see any coding for the attached photo showing in your draft posting, and you won't yet be able to see what your posting will look like using the PREVIEW button. The photo needs to be sent to George's server first using the POST button.
(3) Carry on with the rest of your posting, adding more photos along the way (up to a maximum of 4 using this method). You can still use the Preview button to check it's looking ok, but you won't see your photos yet. If you're happy with it click the 'Post' button as normal.
(4)
If you have your own Domain name which is hosted independently of George's server space, then the process is slightly different.
Say for example you have bought a Domain name called "my-space-on-the-web.com" and it is hosted by a company called "another-hosting-company.com" (all fictitious of course for purposes of this example).
(a) Save your photo on your computer in a folder called 'images' (same as Step 1 above) - calling it, for example, "flower1.jpg".
(b) You should have the same folder structure set up on your hosting company as you have on your computer, so you just upload via FTP the photos/s you want to post on the Forum into the 'images' folder online.
(c) When you've added some text in your draft Forum posting and you want to insert your photo, this is the process:
Press the "
Insert Image" icon which places two coding tags - (
img)(
/img). [The tags will actually display SQUARE brackets
[ and
], not curved ones, but I had to change them to make them show up in this example]. Between the middle brackets -
] [ - you put the link to your online photo as follows -
http://www.my-space-on-the-web.com/images/flower1.jpg (this example link is not active.)
(d) Carry on adding additional text and/or more photos (no max. limit of 4 photos at a time now), and keep using the Preview button to check your layout.
(5) There are also some free online web sites that allow you to upload your photos, if you are unable to purchase your own web space for whatever reason. One thing you need to be aware of with some of these companies is that the condition for allowing free web space to you is that they claim the right to use your photos for their own purposes.
I personally don't use this method of online photo storage, so maybe one of our other members can contribute to this topic for what's involved.
That's all there is to it, so have fun and share your best photos with everyone.
Laurie.
P.S. Toby asked me to mention George's excellent 'How To' section covering Files and Folders (with screenshots) which Toby uses extensively.
Here is that
link.
