How to send a PM and resize & post a pic on HGTV

Here are some great instructions on how to post and resize pictures from Lady Texas that may help and below that I'll post a couple of links for free resizing sites:

HOW TO POST PX:
When you click REPLY to someone, there is an ADD ATTACHMENT at the bottom of this page.
1.Scan or take a px of your block. When you do that, save it somewhere on your computer that you know where it is.
2. Click that ADD Attachment mentioned above.
3. It will open a new box that says FILE SOURCE & next to it is BROWSE. CLICK BROWSE. (It also has File Description, I do not mess with it!)
4.The BROWSE button will let you look around in places until you find where your px is saved. Once you find it, click the picture itself that you have saved & the name of where it was should show on that empty box that is File Source.
5. Below , on the bottom of the page, is a POST NOW, click that. That should load it onto your post.Be aware that there are file size limits. If you get a box that says "Your upload has exceeded the limits", re-size it in Paint or in some other editing program on your computer.:

HOW TO RESIZE IN PAINT:
ALL Microsoft programs have PAINT!(I do not know on MACS!!!) There are many ways to re-size your photos...this is but one!
1. Open PAINT
2. Go up to FILE & click OPEN.
3. Find the px you want to re-size from where ever you saved it on your computer & click OPEN
4. Go back up to the tools & open IMAGE
5. Look for STRETCH & SKEW
6. On Horizontal & Vertical STRETCH, they both will be default to 100%. Put your mouse on each & change BOTH to the same number. Remember, the smaller the number (for example: 10 % on both) will make the px VERY small. The higher the number, the larger the picture will remain. (As a general rule, about 40% to 60% on both will do...this is a guess on my part because it will depend on the size of your original px! You MIGHT have to do this with various numbers!)

LEAVE SKEW ALONE! LEAVE SKEW ALONE!!!! Did I mention: LEAVE SKEW ALONE!!!!

IF you goof on the size, go to EDIT & tell it to UNDO & it will be back to the starting size.
7. Go back up to the tool bar & tell it to SAVE AS to where ever you save your px to. (There is a toggle bar up there to change where to save ...like Pictures or Documents or where ever...choose)
8. This box also contains a place at the bottom for FILE NAME. Name your file. (You can not name it the same as it was when you opened it unless you over ride the original file. For example, it it's name was Jane Doe, name the new one Jane Doe 2. This safe keeps your original file.)
9. PAINT generally saves default as Bitmap files. On the very bottom of this same "save box" (& just under the FILE NAME is a toggle bar that you can open & it will give you a choice ) SAVE AS: Generally, you will choose JPEG.

That is all there is to PAINT. Hope this helps!
L~T

IMAGE RESIZER:
Those of you who know me realize that I am not one for downloading a lot of "stuff" to my computer from the internet, believing you soon get rid of your "memory" with useless products. I always think that it is best to use the resources that are already on your computer. However, I found a tool that is an absolute must if you have trouble with resizing in PAINT, your camera software, percentages, or for any reason. It does NOT get any more simple than this one! Please note that it uses 2.5 MB of space when you download, it is for Windows 2000, XP, or Vista. Earlier versions of Windows are not compatible! The price is FREE. If you can RIGHT click & point your mouse, you can use it. It will put a link on your mouse, if you choose to do so! Put you mouse over a px, rt click, choose the image resizer, select the size you wish, click, & it is done!(Don't know anything about pixels? That is OK , you really don't have to. ON HGTV, the 640 X 480 is a good size to start out with. (Of course, depends on colors in your px to begin with! Size does not translate to pixels, BTW, they are totally different things!!)If the 640 X 480 is still too big (pixels, remember!) then the 320 X 200 WILL definitely work!! I did choose to put a shortcut on my desktop when prompted.
More Resize picture links, thanks Joy!

http://www.picresize.com/

* This one you have to download on your computer, but lots of people here use it, it's a free download:
http://www.download.com/IrfanView/3000-2192_4-10021962.html

I have not tried the two below, but a couple of our members posted these and said they are the easiest ones they have ever used:
http://www.shrinkpictures.com/
http://quickthumbnail.com/

Another great picture posting lesson from megansmomma:

When I first came on and mentioned that I didn't know how to post, Megansmomma sent me a pm with these instructions (I'm copying her words)

FIRST: Take your pic and download to your computer. Do whatever kind of adjusting to color, brightness, etc. that you need to do (I am NOT good at this....but, I do try!). Once you are satisfied, do a "Save As", label your pic with a name and put it in "My Documents".

SECOND: Go to "My Documents" and find your pic as you labeled it. Right click on the title and you will have a menu come up. Click on "Edit".

THIRD: Now you will have a big pic on the screen. Look at the top and you will see "Image". Click on that and you will have a drop-down menu with several choices. Choose "stretch/skew".

FOURTH: In the "stretch" box you will see two boxes. Type 50 in EACH box and then click "O.K.". Don't bother with the "skew" box. This will reduce your picture once. Now, go back to "Image", type 50 in each percentage box and click "O.K." again.
Now your picture is reduced twice and it is small enough to post on the board!!!!

FIFTH: Now you are ready to post.... Start a new discussion and type in your message. When you are finished, look at the bottom of the box and you will see "Add Attachment". Click on that and a box will come up. that says "File Source". Click on the gray "browse" button. A box will come up that says "Choose File". Click on "My Documents".

SIXTH: Now you see all the "stuff" you have saved in My Documents. Scroll over until you find the name of your pic. Click on it and then click "Open". The green dialog box that you have been typing in will immediately come back up on HGTV and you will see the file name in the box.

Click POST NOW and, tada........... YOU DID IT!!!!
Don't worry about messing up. When it comes up for you to view you can always make changes by clicking on the pencil eraser at the bottom of the box. You can even delete the message entirely and no one will ever know!!!!! When I first started posting, I messed up all the time --- LOL! I still do occasionally, but heck, I just hit the "delete this message" choice and start all over again. I hope this helps you. I am sure there is an easier way, but this has always, ALWAYS worked for me. Just remember to reduce your pic's two times in the "stretch and skew" box to make them fit on the board.


To Send A Private Message (PM)
Above your message there are several buttons, click on the GO button move your cursor down to the Personal Zone, now move over and down to Private Messaging and click on it. A new screen will come up, click on the New Private Message button. You should now be looking at a screen with 2 boxes on it click on the My Contacts box and type in the person's name, then click on the add button (between the 2 boxes), that name should've move over to the Invited Members box. Click on the Invite Members Botton (under the Invited Members box), now type your topic/subject (you type in whatever you are contacting them about), now click in the Message box and type your message or question. then click post now button, and the next time she comes on the boards she'll have a lighted box on the top of her screen (to the right of the GO,NEW,Find, etc.. Buttons) telling her she has a PM. It's easier to PM someone from a post the person you want to PM has written, to do that you just click on their name (at the top lefthand side of the post that SHE wrote), go down and click on the Invite ___ to a Private Message.Type in your subject and the message. Then click the post now button.To Check PM's Sent to YouAt the top of the message board you will see a lighted button to the right of the GO, New, Find, etc.. buttons.You just click on that lighted box and it will take you to your private messages, then just click on the message to read it. Or you can click on the Go button and move your cursor down to the personal zone, then move over and down and click Private messaging to view your PM's anytime you wish.
Joy