Making Images For Blogs

After my blogs about saving images for uploading to websites and how to install “Save for Web” function to free GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), I will now describe how I make images for my blogs on this site using the software. Having image in my blog on this site is a must because the Mimbo theme that I am using shows boxed excerpts which would not look nice without an image. It is therefore mandatory for me to look for and make an image even before I start writing the content of my blog. I mean that right after I have conceptualize the topic that I will write, I must first make the image or else I have to postpone writing the blog if I cannot find a suitable image for it. In this blog, I will describe the steps I do in preparing the image before I post them on this site. I am doing this especially for café owners who may go blogging as pastime.

Taking photos using ordinary digital camera (sometime camera phone) if I am writing about a local scene or event is my usual way of having images for my blogs. Yes, ordinary digital camera (not the one in the photo ) and cellphone cameras should do for blog images except if you are doing photoblogs.

The Internet is the other usual source of images for my blogs. If, for example, I am blogging about a software installation procedure and I need to show some images on the steps of doing it, taking screenshots and cropping the image using GIMP is the method I use in having the images for those blogs. Another way of getting images from the web is to do searches using Google Advanced Image Search where the Usage Rights option must be set to “labeled for reuse” to avoid violating any image copyright.

After getting or choosing images for blogs using any of the above method, in most cases, you may need to crop, adjust the color and/or resize the image in order to fit the thumbnail size that your blog theme requires. Cropping. adjusting the color and resizing an image can be done easily using GIMP with Save for Web feature as follows:

• Open the image for editing using GIMP with Save for Web.

• If there are portions in the image that you do not want to be included, select the part that you want using “Rectangle Select Tool” then “Crop To Selection”

• Adjust colors of the image by clicking “Colors” then “Levels” then “Auto”. If you are not yet satisfied with the resulting colors of the image, you may adjust “Input” and “Output” Levels manually.

• Resize the image to fit the space where you will put it by clicking “Image” then “Scale Image”. Put the Image Size that you need then click “Scale”

• If you are already satisfied with the result of the above steps, click “File” then “Save for Web”. Enter the name that you want for the image then click “Save” and you are done.

The above procedure will make you an image with the smallest file size possible. When uploaded to your blog, you will have a fast opening page on your site.