Forums > Help! > photo editing for a new avatar

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Sambo_FluxGOLD Member
Introverted
833 posts
Location: Norf London, United Kingdom


Posted:
I'm fed up with my "Silent Bob" avatar. When I first signed up to HoP, I chose it cause I couldn't find anything better, and I'm fairly quiet, but I don't think it really represents me anymore.

Now, I've got a photo my Dad took on Christmas day of me doing fire poi, and i'd like to use it as an avatar. If you're interested, it's the antispin flowers piccy in my gallery, here.

What I want to know is, how do I shrink it down/compress it enough to use as an avatar, and what format is best to use for this? I have Photoshop and the other bit for doing internet-ready stuff (can't remember what it's called), but I'm not exactly familiar with using them. confused

I'd maybe like to do something a bit different with it as well, as a standard fire photo as an avatar has been done to death. I'd really like to animate some text over it, any advice as to how I could do that as well would be muchly appreciated! Any suggestions peeps?

Fank yoo! biggrin

My Mind is a Ship
Emotions become the Waves
Soul is the Ocean

If a quizz is quizzical, what is a test?


-sandy-BRONZE Member
old hand
716 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
in photoshop you can shrink the image to whatever size you like by going:
Image > resize image

then enter whatever size you want. After that you will want to compress it so it uploads easily go
File > save image for web

mess about with settings till your happy.

in terms of animating in image ready, its been ages since ive done it so ask someone else or look at the help file built in to it. They usually have basic tutorials in there too.

"Don't do it naked!"


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
free apps you can try that support just about any raster image format you'll come accross:



gimpshop (modified version of 'the gimp' (most popular open source (free) image editor), to make it more photoshop user friendly (easier for anyone imo, the gimp itself is horrid) win32/mac/linux)



Serif PhotoPlus (win32) have to fill in some anoying forms but it's otherwise totally free and quite capable, good replacement for Paint Shop Pro if you don't want to purchase anything.



cheep commercial stuff :



Paint Shop Pro (win32) is superb for the price, 30 day trial is available, it used to work but give popus after 30 days, but now coral bought it it might stop dead, I don't know I use photoshop



---------------------



Photoshop (win32/mac) is the daddy however.



In general for things like avatars, or other fiddly downsizing, it's better to create a blank image the size that you want, then copy your orriginal fullsize picture and paste it into that new image, and then use layer-transform-size option, and hold shift to maintain aspect while resizing.



that way you can perfectly fit whatever part of your image your after into the size container you need, without screwing the aspect ratio, and see exactly how it will look, bordered or or cropped or whatever as you tweek it.

Blinded by Hyperlights, please donate generously grin


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
for animation paint shop pro used to have an outstanding little app for such things called AnimationShop, that had plugins that could do animated text and things for you too.

but I don't think it comes with the current version of PsP sadly.

I'm not sure what I'd use to do such things now, I'd have to do a bit of googling to find something good...

Blinded by Hyperlights, please donate generously grin


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
oh forgot to mention Paint .Net win32/.net app thats really become VERY impressive now it's hit version 3.

Blinded by Hyperlights, please donate generously grin


Sambo_FluxGOLD Member
Introverted
833 posts
Location: Norf London, United Kingdom


Posted:
Wow, cheers dude, loads of stuff to play with there!

hug

My Mind is a Ship
Emotions become the Waves
Soul is the Ocean

If a quizz is quizzical, what is a test?


YakumoSILVER Member
veteran
1,237 posts
Location: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
after 20 mins reading, a little for animated gifs -

flash can export to animated gif, though i'd expect its tools for loading & editing animated gifs to be non existant.



ulead gif animator would definately be worth a look, i might try it some time. It has filters etc already and can use photoshop filters also.

Blinded by Hyperlights, please donate generously grin


Sambo_FluxGOLD Member
Introverted
833 posts
Location: Norf London, United Kingdom


Posted:
Coolio, done. Thanks everyone, and let me know what you think of the new one!

I am Silent Bob no longer! Wooooo!

My Mind is a Ship
Emotions become the Waves
Soul is the Ocean

If a quizz is quizzical, what is a test?



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