The Official ActiveRain Guide

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Unofficial Tech Support ~ Adding photos and wrapping the text...

Noah the FiremanAS the unofficial tech support person, I occasionally have the pleasure of being asked to help explain various "how to stuff" on AR.  The following is an email I received awhile back...hope you find my response helpful.

"Hope all is going well for you. I was reading your blog on adding photos -- It is excellent. If you have a moment, I am having trouble finding out how to get the text to near or wrap around the photo. Can you point me in the right direction. Every time I upload a photo there is a lot of space and I don't know who to get the text next to or around the photo. Thanks and I look forward to reading more of your blogs."

Funny, I see blogs where the photo is surrounded by white space and the text doesn't wrap.  I suspect the reason for that is in the way the photos are added.  I've never tried to add photos that way, so I really don't know how or why that happens.

I know how I add photos and it looks OK, so I'll share my method.

First I write the blog, from start to finish, then I go back and add the photos.  Take the cursor and place it where the photo where it should go.

word wrap demo

The next step is one I have found is frequently forgotten.  Many people haven't noticed there are actually TWO tabs on top of the photo insertion box.  Both of these tabs need to be opened.  NOT ALL of the settings are necessary, but some are:

  • Alignment & dimensions are both critical
  • Vertical and horizontal space are optional
  • Border can be used if you want a border around your photo
  • Class & Style are not features I use.  In fact someone else will need to explain what they are.  I haven't got a clue!

 

word wrap 2

It is not necessary to set the vertical/horizontal space.

word wrap 3

Setting the Alignment is very important.  If it is not set the photo doesn't know where to go.

Playing around with the vertical/horizontal settings here is easy to do.  As you change the  number the example to the right will reflect the setting you use.  This is great for people like me who get vertical and horizontal mixed up.  :)

Word wrap demo picture  

Once you have configured the settings in both tabs of the box you can input the photo.  If it doesn't look right, you can "right click" on it  and "cut" to remove it.  Then start over.  The biggest mistake I make is not setting the "alignment" for right or left.

When adding mulitple photos, I tend to look at the text and judge how much space (text) is needed for the photo to look good.  Usually a paragraph or two will consume the area around a 300-400 pixel photo,  Try it out and see how you like it.  If it doesn't look good, cut the photo out and do it again.

Like most things this takes a little bit of practice.  After a few tries you will be placing photos like a pro!

 Kristal Kraft's Active Rain Toots

If you are having trouble with the various aspects of Active Rain Blogging I have written other tutorials.  Perhaps you can find the answer you are looking for here;

The Active Rain Dummies Guide for Boosting your Points

The Official Unofficial Guide to Creating a Blog

How to Create a Link

How to Add Pictures to Your Blog

Who is your audience?

So You want to be a blogger?

Blogging for fun or profit?  How about both?

Getting started on the active Rain Community

My First Time

Think About the Future...ADD VALUE

Hello Seattle someone has me confused with Tech Support (or how to add clip art)

DISCLAIMER~  I am not assoicated with the OFFICIAL ACTIVE RAIN Tech Support.  I provide this information as a public service, occasionally I am rewarded by Active Rain via Genuis Bonus Points...points we all know are redeemable for ......

 

Colorado Licensed Broker
ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative
CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist
CRS - Certified Residential Specialist
The Berkshire Group Realtors
3801 E. Florida Ave. Suite 400
Denver, Colorado, 80210
USA
Mobile: 303-589-2022
Fax: 303-953-5362
kristal@tbgdenver.com
Selling Denver and the 'burbs

Kristal Kraft

Broker Associate, ABR, CIPS, CRS, GRI, ePRO, PMN, PNG
TheBerkshire Group, REALTORS
3801 E. Florida Ave., Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80210
303-589-2022 ~ direct     303-953-5362 ~ fax

Selling Colorado Since 1984, Serving the Following Areas:

How to Add Pictures in Your Blog

A picture is worth a thousand words and it certainly enhances a blog.  Pictures get attention and help illustrate a point.  Sometimes pictures have no point, but then some blogs are pointless too!  :)

Before adding a picture, you need to know if it is protected by copyright.  If it doesn't belong to you, you can but the rights to use it, or you can use your own photo.  Using a photo that does not belong to you is stealing, plain and simple. 

Where can you find pictures to purchase? 

Doing a Google search for "royalty free photos" will yield many sources for photos. Please note, just because the photo is "royalty free" doesn't mean it is free.  You will need to pay for the photo.  You can buy a catalog of real estate photos, or a single photo.  I like using

IStockphoto

Stock.xching

Corbis

Most of the time, I prefer to use my own photos of sites in and around Denver, Colorado.  I take tons of photos and have a collection of pictures from many places. So when possible I use my own stock.  You can do the same.

Instructions for uploading Photos

 I keep my photos on my hard drive in a folder called, "MY Pictures"  Within that folder I have additional subfolders named after what ever the photo is about. When I use a photo in my Blog, I keep that photo in a folder named "blog pics" just so I can easily find it. 

Once you have written your blog, you can add a photo. While in the blog composition box, you click on the tool bar at the top.

After clicking on the "picture of a tree" another dialog box will appear. It looks like this:

demonstrating the process for adding a photo

The red arrow above shows where you need to click, It will bring up a "search box" that looks like this:

dialogue box to surf for photos

The next step; click on the "Browse" button. Now you need to know where the photo is on your computer.  Surf to the proper file.

My photo file looks like this:

sample blog photos

 

When you find your photo, click on it.  The file will then load into the "File Name" box.  Click "open"

The picture file is then loaded into the "Upload box" that looks like this:

picture upload dialogue box

 

 

Once you click on the "Upload Photo" box, the next box you will see will be one that requires you to adjust the photo's attributes for positioning on the page.  You will also give the photo a description (to aid impaired viewers & a title)  Be sure to pay attention to BOTH tabs at the top.  See the illustration below.

process for adding a photo

The Appearance tab looks like this:

setting horizontal space demonstration

The second tab is very important for placing your photo on the page.  If you don't give the proper instructions, you end up with a mess.

Once this section is complete, click INSERT.  In a few seconds (be patient) your photo will appear on your blog.  If it doesn't work, keep practicing.  Usually if it fails it's a user error.  I know about that, trust me!  :)

 

Colorado Licensed Broker
ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative
CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist
CRS - Certified Residential Specialist
The Berkshire Group Realtors
3801 E. Florida Ave. Suite 400
Denver, Colorado, 80210
USA
Mobile: 303-589-2022
Fax: 303-953-5362
kristal@tbgdenver.com
Selling Denver and the 'burbs

Kristal Kraft

Broker Associate, ABR, CIPS, CRS, GRI, ePRO, PMN, PNG
TheBerkshire Group, REALTORS
3801 E. Florida Ave., Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80210
303-589-2022 ~ direct     303-953-5362 ~ fax

Selling Colorado Since 1984, Serving the Following Areas: