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Adding images

Many articles benefit from having images, illustrations or pictures in them.

Who is it written for?

• Everyone

But there is a bit more complexity than in entering and manipulating text. It is worth a try - even if you do not have a lot of experience. The main problem is likely to be manipulating the image itself before you use it and the mechanics of uploading it.

Introduction

There is a bit more complexity in inserting a picture than in writing the text. There are distinct stages in getting images to display in articles:-

1. Prepare a suitable image
2. Upload the image to the website
3. Insert it into an article.

You have to prepare the image but the mechanics of upload and insert are done using the editor. The detail depends upon the Web site that you are using.

1. Prepare a suitable image

Your picture is likely to be on your own computer, where you can edit it and give it a suitable name.

Note on editing images: This is a large subject in itself. There are many packages used for editing photographs and various images. If you are doing simple illustrations, a simple editor like Paint is perfectly suitable. If you are experienced using images, you will know enough about image manipulation not to need to be told it here! This is very useful for screen capture and simple editing - http://picpick.wiziple.net/features

• The image should be a file in a standard format - normally jpeg or png
• Give the image a short name without spaces. (The computer-way is to use capitals - eg LondonVisit)

2. Upload the picture

The picture has to be on the web server (where the web site is hosted) in order to be inserted in an article.

• There will be a place for you to put the picture files on the web site you are using and you need to know where this is located in order to insert an image. You will not be able to copy the image file directly to that place, the article editor does this as part of the insert process.
• If you are using the localhost sample data, there is a folder for images.

You can copy the image there but it is good practice to upload it using the editor.

Layout on the screen for images: You may find it easier to get the picture where you want it to be on the page by setting up a table with one row and two columns. The text is entered in one cell and the picture in the other cell.

• Create a table with one row and two columns - and no border.
• Put the picture in one cell and any commentary in the other.

This is frowned upon by purists but it is a convenient way to get a helpful layout.

Upload the picture

Open the Article for editing

Position the cursor where you want the image to start vertically on the page. If you are using a cell in a table, then place the cursor in the cell.

Click on the Image button below the Edit Article screen (not on the icon in the tool bar, which does not let you see images on your own computer)

The dialogue box opens and hovers over the edit screen.
The top part of the screen defines where the pictures will go on the server.

Define where the image file is to go

Click on the folder on the server where you want the picture to go

Find the image on your computer

Click on the Browse button.

This opens the File upload window which lets you find the folder where your image is located.

Find the picture file that you want to use on your computer

Click Open

This puts the location into the Upload box.

To copy it to the server:-

Click the Start Upload button

After upload, the file should show up be amongst the image files at the top section of the screen.

3 Insert the picture to an Article

Highlight the image you want to use

Enter the details for inserting the image

Image URL:This is filledout when you select an image

Image Description: Give the image a description (needed for those who are visually impaired and have the information converted to speech).

Align: This can be set to the left or right of the text.

Image Title: Give it a title.

It is now ready to be inserted

Click the Insert button at the top right of the dialogue box

The picture should be inserted on the page according to your instructions. It may look a little strange in the editor.

Save the article

Check that it looks OK

A common problem is that the picture is the wrong size and sometimes much too large. You can resize it in a number of ways - the most straightforward is to resize it on the screen.

Position the cursor over the small square 'toggle' in one corner and drag it to make it smaller or larger. There is a bit of a knack in doing this!

You can repeat re-sizing again but may need to Save and then Edit again.

You can resize using the Insert/Edit icon on the toolbar.

Alter Dimensions. But be careful because you need to keep the relationship between the height and width of the image. With a very large picture it can be useful to put a decimal place.

You can also resize the original picture and upload it again. Even a simple picture editor allows you to resize pictures. Then delete it from the article, re-import it and insert it again.

It is often necessary to fiddle around to get it the right size and in the right place.

click on the Insert/edit image button (a green box - actually an oak tree - in the tool bar) to make changes.

Remove a picture from an Article

This is much as you might expect

Open the Article for editing

Select (highlight) the picture

Press delete on your keyboard.

The picture remains on the server.

Links to more about adding images

• http://docs.joomla.org/Adding_an_image_to_an_article
• Image file formats is a large subject - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_file_formats

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--Lorna Scammell December 2010