How to Post Images

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HOW TO POST IMAGES




TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. INTRODUCTION

• Third-Party Image Hosts


2. HOW TO USE POSTIMAGE


3. HOW TO USE IMGUR


4. HOW TO ADD IMAGES TO A POST


5. HOW TO USE ATTACHMENTS

• Posting images larger than 1 MB

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INTRODUCTION


Since the Forum is not an image host, a third-party host is required. But this is very easy to do, and once you know how to add images it’ll be fast and like second nature. Just upload your image to the hosting site (see below for a list of hosts), and copy the image’s direct URL. The image’s direct URL will end with the file format of the image (.jpg, .png, .gif, etc). Usually, you can locate the direct URL of an image from the share option when viewing the image on the hosting service.




THIRD-PARTY IMAGE HOSTS

There are many third-party image hosts, but most are not reliable. These image hosts come and go over time, like everything else. Some have changed their services, no longer provide a direct link to the image so it can be used in forums, delete images from their servers after a period of time, switched from free to paid, or are frequently broken. And others just shut down and disappear into the night. Every couple of years, I check these sites to be sure they’re still running and test new ones that pop up. If you find a reliable third-party image host that you prefer, please let me know, and I’ll add it to the list of image hosts.

Currently, the best free third-party image host is Postimage by a mile. Instructions on how to use Postimages and their benefits are discussed in the following post. Imgur is one of the largest and most popular image-sharing sites. It is against their Terms of Service to use them as an image host; however, this has not dissuaded many of their members. As a result, instructions for Imgur are also provided in the following posts since they have been around for so long and will likely remain.

• Postimage
• Imgur

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HOW TO USE POSTIMAGE


It appears an account is not required to use Postimage, which is highly unusual and attractive for those who don’t want to sign up for anything. However, there are benefits to registering. All your images will be preserved on your account so you can organise them into galleries/photo albums and easily search for them. This can save time if you need to review or repost an image and it’s now lost on your device after years of additional photos. And you don’t have to upload the picture again. Just copy the URL and post it.



POSTIMAGE (no account)

1. On the homepage, click Choose images. A pop-up with Photo Library, Take Photo, and Choose File will appear. If the image is on your device, select Photo Library, and your photos will show. Select the image you want to upload.


(All screenshots are from an iPad Pro. Image and text may vary depending on your device or PC.)




2. Once your image is uploaded, you’ll see several links and embed codes. Click the copy icon for the Direct link.




3. To insert the image in your post, please see the How To Add Images to a Post section below (starting with step #3).




POSTIMAGE (account)

As mentioned above, having an account is very advantageous and will save time and eliminate frustration. To create an account, click Sign Up in the upper right corner of the site. Provide an email address, click the Sign up button, and you’re done. A password will be sent to your email. On the Postimage site, in the upper right corner, click Log in. Enter your email and password and click the Log in button. In the upper right corner, you’ll see your account icon with your email address. Click it to change your password and provide a nickname for your account.


1. To post images from your account, click on the word Empty to open the photo gallery




2. You will see the same upload screen from the homepage. Click on Choose images to upload your picture.




3. After your image is uploaded, you’ll see the links and embed codes. Click the copy icon for Direct link. To insert the image in your post, follow the instructions in this post starting with step #3.




4. After you have at least one uploaded image, you can simply press the Upload button at the top of the page to upload more images.




Link to Postimages: postimages.org

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HOW TO USE IMGUR


Imgur is an extremely popular image site, but it is against their Terms of Service to use them as an image host. However, many people still use Imgur for this purpose because it has its own community, it’s user-friendly, and it has an app. For those reasons, I’ve included Imgur if members are still interested in the site (at their own risk).

The instructions for Imgur’s app and website are slightly different, so I’ve included both. Occasionally, Imgur updates the app and site, but as of July 2024, these are the directions. The following instructions and images are from an iPad Pro.

An account is required. Click Sign up in the upper right corner of the website or the Imgur app, and provide a username, email address, and password to register and create your profile.




IMGUR APP


1. Open the app and in the bottom right corner, tap Profile.

2. From your profile, tap on the '+' in the upper right corner. The app will access the photos on your device. Choose the image you would like to upload. (There are also buttons for Camera and File in the upper left if you prefer to take a photo or use an image in your files.)

3. After selecting the image, tap Next in the upper right corner, and then Upload.

4. When your image has finished uploading, tap View Post and the uploaded image will show.

5. Long press on the image (do not tap the image and open it), and a pop-up will show with various options. Select Copy Post Link, this is the direct URL for the image that is needed to post it on the Forum.

(The following screenshot is from an iPad Pro.)




6. To insert the image in your post, follow the instructions in this post starting with step #3.


Link to the Imgur app on iOS and Android.




IMGUR WEBSITE


1. After creating an account, click on your profile icon in the upper right corner and select Posts to open your profile.

2. On your profile, click the New Posts button in the centre of the screen.

3. The upload window will appear. Drag and drop an image, paste an image URL, or if the image is on your computer/device, click Choose Photo/Video, and you will be able to select Photo Library, Take Photo or Video, or Choose File.




4. Select the image and the Upload Complete! message will show when it’s done.

5. Tap the image if you’re on a mobile device or hover over it if you’re on a computer, and three dots will appear in the upper right corner. Click the dots and select Get share links.




6. The Share Options will open. Click the Copy Link button for BBCode (Forums). This link has the BBCode, so you can skip some of the steps in adding the image to your Forum post.




7. To insert the image in your post, on the Forum, click the Reply button at the top of the thread you’re responding to, or the Quote button on the post you’re quoting. The posting page will open.

8. Click the BBCode tab at the bottom of the posting box and paste the image link into the message. You can add your text above and/or below the image.

9. Switch to the Preview tab at the bottom of the posting box to see what the image looks like in your post.

10. Click the Create Post button to publish your post.


Link to Imgur: imgur.com

[adlerist]

HOW TO ADD IMAGES TO A POST


Since the Forum is not an image host, a third-party host is required. But this very easy to do, and once you know how to add images it’ll be fast and like second nature. Just upload your image to the hosting site, and copy the image’s direct URL.


1. Upload your image to an image host like Postimage or Imgur (see the previous posts for instructions).

2. Copy the image’s direct URL. The image’s direct URL will end with the file format of the image (.jpg, .png, .gif, etc). Usually, you can locate the direct URL of an image from the share option when viewing the image on the hosting service.

3. On the Forum, click the Reply button at the top of the thread you’re respond to, or the Quote button if you’re quoting a post. Create Post will open.




A. Click the BBCode tab at the bottom of the posting box.

B. Click the picture icon in the toolbar at the top of the posting box.

C. The Insert Image window will open. Paste the image’s direct link in the Image URL field. Be sure to delete or paste over the automated 'http://'. (The text entered in the Alt Text field will display in your post any time the image is unable to load, either because the reader has images disabled in their web browser, or the image hosting provider is having technical issues and is unable to load the image.)

D. Click the Insert Image button. You will now see a reference/BBCode for the image in your post. You can type your message above and/or below the code.

E. Switch to the Preview tab at the bottom of the posting box to see how the image looks in your post.

F. Click the Create Post button to publish your post.



PRO TIP

You can skip the above steps by simply typing [ img ] and [ /img ] (without the spaces) before and after the direct image URL. So it looks like this

[img]https://i.imgur.com/7UWW0GP.png[/img]
When manually inserting BBCode, be sure to do this under the BBCode tab on the posting page. If you accidentally type the BBCode on the Preview tab, just click the BBCode tab, then click the Preview tab, then the BBCode tab again, and the code will properly 'take' and appear on the BBCode tab — there is no need to retype the BBCode in the BBCode tab.

[adlerist]

HOW TO USE ATTACHMENTS

The DragonVale Community Forum has a feature called Attachments. However, it has been dormant and inaccessible since the Forum reached the storage capacity for Attachments ten years ago. I’ve increased the storage limit so Forum members can participate in contests like Guess the Dragon and post images on the Forum's threads without using a third-party image host.

Unfortunately, the Attachments feature does have limitations. Images must be less than 1 MB, only one image can be added per post, and the attachment appears as a thumbnail in the message. In addition, if the Forum reaches its image capacity, attachments will be deleted.



Important information about Attachments:

• You must be a Forum member and logged in to use Attachments.

• You will need to use the Desktop version of the Forum. The mobile version removes a significant portion of the Forum's features, including Attachments. To access the Desktop version on a mobile device, at the bottom of every page, simply tap 'Desktop' in the lower right corner.

• All attachments are posted as thumbnails. Click on the thumbnail to expand the image.

• Attachments have a limit of 1 MB. Most screenshots of a park will surpass 1 MB. See Posting images larger than 1 MB at the bottom of this post to compress the image.






How to add images to your posts using Attachments


Click on the thread you want to post on and click the Reply button in the upper right corner of the thread.




The posting page will open. Type your message. When you’re done, click the Add Attachment button.




The Add Attachment window will open. Click the + Add files… button (outlined in blue). If the image is on your device, select Photo Library. Your device’s photos will open. (From your photos, tap on the image and select Add in the upper right corner to add the image. The layout and text may be different for each device’s photos, these instructions are from an iPad Pro.)




The image will upload. When the loading bar turns green, press the Insert button and the image will appear in your post. Click Done to close the Add Attachment window and the Create Post button to publish.







Posting images larger than 1 MB

Attachments have a limit of 1 MB. If your image is more than 1 MB, use imResizer. This is a free online image compressor that will reduce your image to 1 MB or less without affecting the dimension of the image.

If you have any questions about how to use Attachments or imResizer, please contact a Forum administrator or moderator.