How to post images via Photobucket

[viscount]

Around a year or so ago Photobucket changed its page layout and procedures for uploading images then downloading the link to the forum. The 'how to' was never revised. A number of members swapped over to Flickr, and have in past few weeks found that they too have been subjected to a change of site design.

Time to update the 'How To' on behalf of new and old members wishing to start posting images on nwan forum. I'll kick-off with Photobucket for beginners. Perhaps someone can, in a similar style with basic instructions provide a 'How to' for Flickr. When you do I'll retitle this thread, alter this introduction, and "pin" to the top of the section menu.

[viscount]

Uploading to Photobucket and downloading the link onto nwan forum.

This looks complex, it is actually only very long winded, described in the most basic terms possible for the inexperienced. Certainly don’t be put off, once you have done it a couple of times you will wonder why it took so long to have a go!

PHOTOBUCKET

Open a Photobucket account.

On Photobucket, click on ‘uplift images’. You may need to repeat this on a second page. I use Picasa to edit the photos first and resize them to 1024 (or similar) pixels, sometimes expressed as dimensions with the larger number around 1000 pixels. This has three advantages a) this is the maximum size of image that fits the forum without page distortion b) the number of pixels is reduced, so using less of your ‘free’ storage space and viewing allowance on Photobucket and c) the whole post, even a very heavy photo post, loads quickly on the forum whenever anyone wants to look .

You can bulk upload to Photobucket by arranging your photos in a folder. Click on ‘upload images’. You are given options to find your images in your PC and open the folder. Hold the right mouse and moving across covering all the required images in a blue screen, then clicking on ‘open’ to start the uplift transfer process.

IMPORTANT, SETTING YOUR PC BEFORE YOU START

Open two internet windows. One on Photobucket, find the correct page in your library images, then click (double click?) onto your first photo. This will give you a new page with a single larger image, instruction lines to the right and before/next thumbnails underneath.

Then in the second window, open nwan forum, find correct section, open the appropriate thread then left click ‘reply’, or start a new thread (don’t forget to enter a title). On the compose frame, if you don’t already have the long line of formatting options above the box, left click on the red ‘Reply’ tag top right to get the formatting options. Now you are ready.

DOWNLOAD FROM PHOTOBUCKET

Start with the Photobucket window, to the right of your selected image, left click on the ‘Share Links’ box of code ‘Direct’ (2nd down of the 4 options). Ensure that the box briefly turns yellow to show that the image link code has been copied.

DOWNLOAD ONTO THE FORUM

Now return to the forum. 7th formatting option in from the right, looks like a postcard. If you hover your mouse over, it states ‘Insert images’. Left click over and you get a new box ‘Insert image’ with two boxed lines available. Move mouse to the top line, which already has http:// in place. You can get rid of this manually with ‘backspace’, or simply with the mouse pointer in the top box, RIGHT click your mouse. Around half way down the new menu, left click ‘Paste’, this transfers the image code you have loaded from photobucket and adds further forum code to start and end. Then left click over the lower right ‘Insert image’ box which fades and the code transfers onto your compose screen. Job done. To leave a small gap between photos or photo and caption double click your keyboard ‘enter’ to double down-space the lines. You can add text/caption at this point, then double down space again, then .....

Go back to Photobucket window, select next image and repeat and repeat and repeat until all the images are linked with code added, are on nwan compose window. Use ‘preview’ (lower left) to check if you need to, then hit ‘create post’ lower right. If all is not well, use ‘edit’ top right to return to the compose box and sort out the problem. You cannot get back to ‘edit’ from ‘preview’, but some issues eg spellings, adding further info can be done on the preview screen.

Punch the air and yell ‘yes’ if it works, groan and send me an angry PM if it doesn’t, or preferably try again so my messages box doesn’t fill up!

SUGGESTIONS

First post, try just two or three images. If this works, use ‘edit’ to expand your entry until all your required images are posted. I usually limit a photo post to 10-12 (max 15) images, then a new post on the same thread for the next batch if a big photo thread.

Suggest you either print out these instructions, or get them up on a lap-top or tablet next to your PC, having them on a third window is a lot of backwards and forwards. First post with images will take a long time, but after a while you will speed up and develop a clicking routine of: select image, left on ‘direct’, change window, left on postcard, right on ‘image url’ , left on ‘paste’, left on ‘insert’, twice enter, change window and repeat. Or simply, as you get regularly into the swing of things, a mantra of:

Which becomes a 'mantra' of: Photo, direct, change window, postcard, (top line) RIGHT mouse, paste, insert, down-space, down-space, change window & repeat.

PS. As with many things PC, there are likely other ways of achieving the same result. There is no right or wrong, it is just that this is the way I do it!

[bulldog]

I follow Viscounts way but I believe have found an easier way of doing it. 

Follow previous instructions to upload. Then when uploaded and you have chosen the image to be posted ;

1Click on image
2 Share links box appears
3 Click Bottom box which says IMG by side ( in box starts with URL= etc)
4 Turns yellow and says copied
5 Go back to NWAN window
6 Right click by cursor and paste. 
7 Thats it



Hope between us you have done it