I kind of feel bad starting new topic...

[Mugs-n-such]

I kind of feel a little bad starting a new topic, but I don't want to "parasite" off anyone else's thread, and I do need the practice posting pics, though I'm not sure this subject deserves a new thread. My old Miata top was vandalized, someone cut it and stole about $20 worth of junk from my car. So they ruined a $700 top to steal about $20 worth (a flashlight, a cane, and I don't know what all). The new top was more expensive, cost me $1000. Anyway, I think the practice of posting will do me good!
Well, after messing around for about 30 minutes, I think maybe I've got it:
This is the Miata with the old top:

(If I did it right) and this is the Miata with the new top:

Well, crossing my fingers, now I'm going to submit this post....
eta: Yay, I did it! Now I have no excuse not to post more pics of me and my kilts/skirts, lol.

[Kirbstone]

Very smart, Gary. Can you claim some of the cost back on insurance?

Tom.

[skirtingtoday]

Good work and a nice car too! I have yet to find out how to post pics directly from my PC.

When I post them, I upload to Photobucket first and then copy the link to/from there.

[Big and Bashful]

Posting from the PC is easy, hmmm, but only if you squash the piccies enough.
I tried to upload one of a cat making the most of me in a nice warm nightshirt. Too big, as always, and so is the file! Can I be bothered shrinking it? no. So that's that then, it's easy posting from a pc, but only if you indulge in a fair amount of shrinkery.
Just finished a 12 hour day at work, feeling so tired I can't even muster the enthusiasm to assemble food for my tea.

The joys!

[Mugs-n-such]

Very smart, Gary. Can you claim some of the cost back on insurance?

Tom.

Thanks. Well I haven't talked to my insurance agent yet, I should, but I'm afraid it might drive the premiums up! I just need to talk to the insurance company, I guess, and find out...

[Mugs-n-such]

Good work and a nice car too! I have yet to find out how to post pics directly from my PC.

When I post them, I upload to Photobucket first and then copy the link to/from there.

Thank you. That's how I do it too, except I upload to ImageShack...about the same thing as Photobucket, I believe. I didn't know you could post directly from the PC, is that even possible? I hope some of the computer wizards on this forum can tell us how to do it!

[Mugs-n-such]

Posting from the PC is easy, hmmm, but only if you squash the piccies enough.
I tried to upload one of a cat making the most of me in a nice warm nightshirt. Too big, as always, and so is the file! Can I be bothered shrinking it? no. So that's that then, it's easy posting from a pc, but only if you indulge in a fair amount of shrinkery.
Just finished a 12 hour day at work, feeling so tired I can't even muster the enthusiasm to assemble food for my tea.

The joys!

Thanks for the info on that, if it's not too much trouble, could you explain how to do it some time? I guess a 12 hour shift could take a lot out of you, I hope you are rested up now! Sounds like you're a cat lover, so am I!

[Jack Williams]

I use Xnview, which is easy I find to resize, crop etc. You could try that out.
Depending on content I find about 1200 pixels will fit on this site.
Here's a shot I took recently: 1200 pixels.

[Big and Bashful]

Hi,
Right, I tend to use Photoshop Elements to re-size my pictures, however mine must have come with a camera because I have just priced it and it isn't a cheap option. A 2 minute gurgle search has found several free tweakers, The Gimp is well established, very powerful, free but according to reviews it is a bit complex, so I will try out one of them now,
Here is a link to the review page I used:
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/ ... ry-1135489

I downloaded and installed Irfanview, loaded the picture I wanted to use, which was too big for the forum. In the File menu I chose to batch convert files, selected the one file I wanted to shrink and told the programme where to shove it.
I then chose the JPG-JPG/JPEG format for the tweaked image and clicked on Options. I accepted the default options and it all worked.

I did try to set a maximum file size but it told me another plug-in was needed for that. However the default settings seemed to work really well.

Oops, forgot the next step - uploading, when writing a post, look towards the bottom of the window, under the Upload file bar there is a "choose file" button. Click it and choose the file which is your picture, type in a caption and click on "Add the file". Wait while the upload happens and hopefully you will succeed. If not, then you didn't.

[Mugs-n-such]

I use Xnview, which is easy I find to resize, crop etc. You could try that out.
Depending on content I find about 1200 pixels will fit on this site.
Here's a shot I took recently: 1200 pixels.

That's a nice picture, too! How cool is that! Is that a Morgan? That's what it reminds me of anyway!

[Mugs-n-such]

Hi,
Right, I tend to use Photoshop Elements to re-size my pictures, however mine must have come with a camera because I have just priced it and it isn't a cheap option. A 2 minute gurgle search has found several free tweakers, The Gimp is well established, very powerful, free but according to reviews it is a bit complex, so I will try out one of them now,
Here is a link to the review page I used:
http://www.techradar.com/news/software/ ... ry-1135489

I downloaded and installed Irfanview, loaded the picture I wanted to use, which was too big for the forum. In the File menu I chose to batch convert files, selected the one file I wanted to shrink and told the programme where to shove it.
I then chose the JPG-JPG/JPEG format for the tweaked image and clicked on Options. I accepted the default options and it all worked.

I did try to set a maximum file size but it told me another plug-in was needed for that. However the default settings seemed to work really well.

Oops, forgot the next step - uploading, when writing a post, look towards the bottom of the window, under the Upload file bar there is a "choose file" button. Click it and choose the file which is your picture, type in a caption and click on "Add the file". Wait while the upload happens and hopefully you will succeed. If not, then you didn't.

OK, Big, I read your post and I cordially thank you for trying to help, but most of what you wrote is Greek to me. You would scarcely believe I took computer programming years ago (back in 1973) but things have changed so much since then I feel like a complete novice almost when it comes to computers. I'm glad at least that the Qwerty keyboard is still qwerty, or I probably wouldn't even be able to type! Seriously though, if I understand you: So to load directly from a phone into the computer you have to have Gimp or Irfanview, or a similar program installed? What means to batch convert files? Another plug-in? Is a plug-in like a download? I know you are trying to help but you'll probably have to pretend you are explaining it to a 5 year old (or maybe a 3 year old lol). I thought I was doing pretty well when I finally learned how to use ImageShack! I may have to read your post 5 or 6 times and that will help some, but most of the terminology is going way over my head. But as I said, I thank you anyway for trying to help an ignoramus like me, lol.
eta: I forgot to mention the most important part: I LOVE the cat! He (or she) looks like a really fine cat...almost makes me wish I had a cat again, but with my health problems, it's a little hard to care for a cat, though I do cat-sit for my friend Sue when she''s away.

[Big and Bashful]

Round 2:

Step 1; You have to get your pictures onto the computer, your camera may have come with a programme (and a cable) to help you, if not then depending on your computer operating system there should be a way to see the folders in your camera when it is connected to the computer.

Step 2: Choose a picture you want to send to the forum, try to attach it to a post and see if it works, my last post describes how to do this. If you find that it doesn't work after a minute or so and tells you the file is too big then you have to make the file smaller.

Step 3: What if the picture is too big and won't upload? You will have to make it smaller. There are three ways to make it smaller, you can "crop" the picture, this means cutting off the bits you don't want, just leaving the bit you really want to post, just like taking a printed picture and attacking it with scissors. OR
save the picture in a different, compressed format. Using one of those free programmes I mentioned, load the picture into the programme and then you can click onto the File menu, (hopefully) choose Save As, and try to save as a JPG file. This 'scrunches' up the picture into a smaller size without losing too much detail. You can then try uploading it again. OR
You can reduce the resolution of the picture, a picture is stored as several millions of dots, each one is a different colour. If you reduce the number of dots in the picture you reduce the size of the file. Again, this means using a programme to save the file at a lower resolution, or possibly "Export" the picture in a different resolution.

Because there are so many different programmes out there and they all have their own different menus I am afraid I don't know how to give precise and simple instructions on how to shrink pictures which will work on everything.

Another approach, for new pictures, which I used when taking all the photos of my skirts, is to use a camera which can save photos in small enough files for the forum to accept. Try using your camera in the lowest quality mode and upload that picture. Then if that works, try the next size up, until you get a picture that is good enough quality without being too big.

Finally, if you want to watch somebody adjusting the size of an image, have a look on YouTube, there is bound to be a video for doing it, there are videos on doing just about everything else!

Even more finally-er, just plug camera into computer and see what happens, let us know and then we can see what needs doing next.

[Mugs-n-such]

Thanks you B&B, that last post was really helpful, and I actually understood most of it! I wonder...I have a T-Mobile one touch phone, and I was looking for a port on it that I could use to attach it to the computer. As far as I can tell, it actually doesn't seem to have one. Although it does have a camera, the only port I notice is the one it has for charging the battery. I may have to look at it again to see if I'm missing something. So the way I have been getting photos onto the computer is by e-mailing them to myself, and then from there to my Pictures, my photo file, and from there to ImageShack and thence to skirtcafe! It's kind of a round-about way, I know, but it does seem to work! Thanks again.
Yeah, I had to crop my avatar photo to get it to take, because the original was way too big...so I think I understand what you mean by regulating the size/resolution of the photo! Thanks!

[Uncle Al]

Gary,

Does your phone charging cable have a USB plug into an adapter that
plugs into the wall outlet

My Samsung Galaxy S-III uses this type of 'cable/charger'. I use
the same cable, unplugged from the charger adapter, to down-load
pic's from my cell phone to my computer. The 'cable' has a standard
USB plug which is plugged into the charger/adapter or computer, and
the other end has the mini-USB plug which goes into the phone.
I can charge my phone using the 'charger' or from my computer.
(Ummmm....I hope this makes sense )

Uncle Al

[Mugs-n-such]

I hadn't thought of that, Uncle Al, iirc, the charger does have a cable that not only must plug into the phone, but also at the other end into the "wall wart" (or whatever you call the big chunky thing). Anyway, I thought it odd at the time that it was designed that way, but maybe it's because of what you just mentioned. So I'm going to check on that right now. Should report back in a few minutes!
eta: You're right, Uncle Al, the cable that charges can also be unplugged from the "wall wart" and go into my computer. I'm using it now, but having technical difficulties..as usual...for one thing, I don't recall that the phone came with software for computer use (or if it did I misplaced it) so I'm sort of experimenting now, trying to get it to work...well, I just got a message, "the computer cannot detect the scanner or camera. Please insure the camera is turned on and properly connected to the computer" or something like that...back to the drawing board *sigh*