How To Attach Pictures to HomeTalk Posts

It is sometimes helpful to attach a picture to a post to help explain a problem you are having. This is a relatively easy thing to do but can be confusing for people who have never done this before.

To attach a picture to a post directly, the file size of the picture must be less than 100 KB. You should use a compressed file format, such as JPG or PNG, to keep the file size of your picture small. If your picture is still larger than the 100 KB limit, you can resize it or crop it in a "paint" type program such as Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro.

If you are trying to create a picture directly from Home Designer, there are 2 methods that can be used. First, you can use the File>Export>Picture tool to create a picture file from any Home Designer window. Be sure to select the file format such as JPG or PNG when creating the file. By default, the program will create a BMP file which can't be attached to a post. The Export Picture tool will create an image that is the exact same size as the current window. You should check the size of the file to make sure it is less then the 100KB limit before tring to attach it. If the file is too big, you can create a smaller picture by resizing your window to a smaller size.

The second method involves using some built in tools in Windows. If you want to capture anything that is currently on you computer screen (not just what is being drawn in the current Home Designer window), just hit the "Print Scrn" button that you should find somewhere on the upper right of your computer keyboard. This tool will make a copy of your current screen and put it in the Windows clipboard. You can create an image file by first opening a paint type program and use the paste tool (or control-V) to copy the clipboard into a new image. Crop, resize, and then save the image using a compressed file format (such as JPG).

Make sure you know where your picture file is stored on your computer before making your post. When creating a new post or replying to an existing one you should see an option near the bottom called "Go Advanced". When you click on this button, you should now see a new button called "Manage Attachments". When you click on the Manage Attachments button, a new window will open that will let you attach your image file to your post. You should see a box called "Upload File from your Computer" with a "Browse" button to the right. Click on the browse button and find the file that you previously saved on your computer. After this, you need to hit the "Upload" button. Now you can hit the "Close this Window" button to close the Manage Attachments window. The last step is to simply submit your post and, as long as your file is a valid image file type and less then the 100 KB limit, it should then show up in your post.

If you have an image that is larger then 100 KB that you need to show in a post, you can always post the image file on another web site and then provide a link to it in your post. There are many file sharing web sites available that will allow you to post files that are larger than the 100 KB limit on this site. Once you have a file posted somewhere that is publicly accessible you can add the link into your HomeTalk post. There are two ways to do this. The first is to simply paste the web address directly into your post. The second is to use the image insert button ("IMG"), to include the web address. When you click on the IMG button, it will include html "tags" that will tell the HomeTalk forum that this is an image rather then a hyperlink.