Sizing Your Photos for Posting
Before you post photos onto the message board, you need to make sure you are sizing them to fit the guidelines for this group. The guidelines for this group are as follows: Photos must be 500 pixels or less on the longest side and the file size should be kept to 65kbs or less. These must be saved as a JPEG. Now, if you go a little over the 65kb limit, I don't think anyone is going to jump all over you for it, but once you start going way over that, then I'm sure someone will say something to you. The following are instructions on how to size your photos using Photoshop or Elements 2. If you do not have either one of these programs and do not have an editing program that will size photos for you, there are also directions on how to resize your photos by placing them into an album first. If you use a different kind of editing program and are not sure whether or not you can size photos in it, or are unsure how to size photos in it, you might try posting a message on the General Message board and ask if anyone knows how to use that program.
Photoshop or Elements 2
After you take a photo into Photoshop or Elements 2, the first thing you need to do is click on Image and then Image Size. The following window will pop up.
Make sure that under Pixel Dimensions it says pixels, also make sure the bottom two boxes are checked. Also, next to Resolution, make sure you have that set to 72. Next to Width and Height, you will see the size of your photo in pixels. Change the largest of the two numbers to 500 and the other will change by itself. After you click okay, you photo is now the correct physical size for posting on the message board. After you have done this, you can now make any other changes you would like to make to the photo. When you are done with your photo, it is now time to save it. Click on File and then Save As. A new window will pop up. Now you can choose which file on your computer you want to save it in next to Save In. You can also rename your photo next to File Name. Make sure next to Format, it says JPEG. Click on Save and now the following window will pop up.
Under Image Options, choose 5. At the bottom of the window where it says Size, it will give you the approximate size your photo is going to be when it is saved. The actual file size may be a little smaller or larger then this. As long as it is around 65kbs, then it should be okay. If it is still way over the 65kbs, then you may need to resize your photos by placing them into an album first.
Album Method for Resizing Photos
If you don't have an editing program to resize your photos or you can't seem to get them around the 65kb size, then you will need to resize them by putting them into an album first. The first thing you need to do is click on Pictures on the left hand side of the screen. Right above the first album, you should see a blue star and next to that it says create a new album, click on that. Now you need to give your album a name and can add a brief description of your album if you like. Right below that you need to choose the second option, Members may add, edot, and delete their own photos. Then click on Create Album. Now you need to add your photos. Click on Add Photos and on the left hand side of the screen, you will see the files on your computer. Choose the file that your photos are in and now you should see them on the right hand side of the screen. In the upper left hand corner of each photo you will see a small box. Click that box on the photos that you want to put in your album. After you have chosen your photos and before you click on Upload Now, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and you will see Optional:Resixe Photo. Click on that and you will want to choose the second Option, Small Size. That should make it the right physical size as well as file size for posting on the message board. Click on Upload Photos and your photos will load into the album. Now you are ready to post your photos onto the message board. When you are posting them from an album, if you belong to more then one group you should see all the groups you belong to on the left hand side of the Web Page Dialong Window. Clck on the group the album is in and then find your album and click on it. Now, you should see the photos that are in that album on the right hand side of the window. Find the photo you want to post and click on it and then click on Add Photos. When posting photos onto the message board, make sure that after you type your message in, and before you add your first photo that you hit the enter key. This will put a space between your message and your photo. If you are putting more then one photo into the message, you need to add them one at a time. After you load the first one in, place the curser by the lower right hand corner of the first photo and hit the enter key before you add the second one. For each additional photo, make sure you are placing the curser by the lower right hand corner of the last photo that you put into the message. Doing it this way will load your photos one under the other instead of side by side. Tazzy
