Template

[Derek D]

Hi,
I created and downloaded an image in gif format,to use as a background and have it saved in Bluevoda. When I open it, it covers the whole page.
I want the background to be about 50mm wide on the top portion of my page(200pxl?) as a background to my logo and to the left side about the same width, running down the page from top to bottom.
1.How do I "cut out" and delete the portion that I do not need?
2.Is a gif format ok or should I rather consider another format like png?(the gif image looks quite good on the Bluevoda page)
Best regards,
Derek
Bidblu.com

[germansin]

Re: Template

Hi Derek:

The images added as "background" using Page Properties - Formatting - Background are always displayed covering the full screen, eventually as a tiled image.

To have your image covering just a part of the screen, you have first to resize it to the desired dimensions and then insert it the correct location using Insert - Image (or clicking on the image icon).

To resize the image and making its file as small as possible, without losing quality when viewed on screen, you may use the free software PixResizer. To trim the undesired parts of the image, you may use then Paint.NET, another free software. Both are recommended by VodaHost.

The image may be either .jpg .pdf or .gif.


German

www.alfil-sa.com

[Derek D]

Re: Template

Hi Germansin,
Egg on my face!!!!
I now realise that I'm a total novice at this game, but I reckon, with Voda's brilliant tutorials I'll surely be able to make it once I've passed the stage of setting my template and Logo.
Would you be so generous as to give me a simple step-by-step rundown of how I should go to work on the problem, previously described?

Best Regards,
Derek D
Bidblu.com

[Derek D]

Re: Template

P.S. Have Pixresizer and paint.net downloaded

[germansin]

Re: Template

OK Derek, let's go

To prepare your image for being inserted in the page:

Decide first the size of the rectangle which will contain the picture in your page (in pixels). Calculate the ratio height to width of this area (Aspect ratio).

- Open Paint.NET

- Open the image file.

- Using the Rectangle tool (the icon with a dashed rectangle), select the area you wish to keep.

- In the Image menu, click on Crop To Selection. This will remove all undesired parts around the selected area.

- Ideally, the selected area has the desired aspect ratio. If not, you can choose among: a) undoing the crop and select and crop a new area, b) distorting the image up to the desired ratio, or c) resizing the canvas, adding some white or colored area(s) around the image. (More on this later)

- Save the edited image, renaming it as desired, in .jpg or .gif format, with the default parameters (I prefer to use .jpg, leaving .gif only for transparent or animated images, my choice not a command).

- Close the image.

- Open PIXresizer.

- Under Work with one file, click on Load Picture and open the edited image file.

- Check the radio button Custom size. The actual size of the picture will be shown in pixels as width x height.

- Uncheck Maintain aspect ratio and enter the size you wish. The image will be resized to that dimensions, distorting it if necessary.

OR...

- Keep Maintain aspect ratio checked and enter the most important dimension for your project. The image will be automatically resized to this dimension, adjusting the other one to whatever be necessary to keep the aspect ratio. If the aspect ratio of the croped image was different to the aspect ratio of the area in the page reserved for this picture, the resized image will have now one of its dimensions smaller than desired. This will leave some blank space below or to the right of the image. This gap will need to be filled by either inserting a shape in the page or enlarging the canvas of the picture.

- Save the resized image. You will notice that the size of the file, in KB, was dramatically reduced. It can now be inserted in the page.

- If you prefer to enlarge the canvas so the image has exactly the same size of the area reserved for it, go back to Paint.NET.

- Open the resized image.

- Select the color of the canvas to be added, as Secundary, in the Colors screen.

- Click on Image - Canvas size....

- In the Canvas Size screen, select By absolute size and leave Maintain aspect ratio unchecked.

- The Pixel size boxes will show the actual dimensions of the image.

- Enter the dimension you want to modify, to fit in the reserved page area.

- Under Anchor, select where to place the additional canvas, above or below or to the left or to the right of the image. If you wish to insert the additonal canvas in several parts around the image, the process can be done in several, separate steps, as necessary.

- Save the image. It will have now the exact size you wished and can be inserted in the page.

Remember that this image is not a background but an added element to the page. The background has to be defined and inserted separately.

[Derek D]

Re: Template

Hi Germansin,
As I've mentioned before, I do have the image in Bluevoda, covering the whole page. The file's name is Bidblu.wwb but I simply can't get it to transfer to Paint.Net to be able to resize it. If I try to access it from another location, it opens in the same small tile image that I mentioned before.
Is there a way that I can transfer the image from Bluevoda to Paint.Net?
Regards,
Derek
Bidblu.com

[germansin]

Re: Template

Hi Drek

Can you email the picture to me, so I can see what I can do about?