HOW TO: avatars and your sanity

[30roadster]

Avatars are funny.... not ha ha funny...

requirements:

1. they must be a perfect square 80X80 pixels
2. They must be 7kb ( killobytes )or less...thats 7000 bits

For photoshop elements I get the big picture that i want to make an avatar from and down size it so that the width is 80 pixels. The height will normally be less than 80 pixels because we are talking about car pictures.....and most cars are wider than they are tall :) . Now that i have a picture that has one side 80 pixels i will do a filter ( pull down menu) called sharpen. Then I will open ( create) a new blank photo that is exactly 80X80 pixels. Now I go back to my original picture...select all ( pull down menu)... copy ( under the edit menu).. then go back to my blank picture and paste (under the edit menu).. my original into my new photo.

I now have space above and below my car. You can keep it transparent but I usually fill the empty space with a black color.
At this point....the picture is still too big to post as an avatar but i do somthing easy and wonderful about elements. I go to "save for the web" which is right under "save" or "save as". I'll play with the quality slide bar until it is 7kb. save it and you are ready to go.

If you don't have a perfectly square picture for your avatar it will get distorted. Ryans server will stretch your picture until it is a perfect square.

Now go to your "user cp" pull down menu on the HAMb and click on edit avatar. click on the gray browse button. find your avatar that is 7kb or less and a perfect square and upload it. if it's not perfect and pretty try again. If it says it won't work it's too big.... make it smaller.

good luck - if you run into trouble let me know. if you have some good suggestions doing it better post away! - Kyle

[KnuckleDragger]

Testing avatar

[racer5c]

test

[racer5c]

test2

[rbroadster]

test

[JohnJoyo]

Test

[Punchy]

test

[the "eliterate"redneck]

Test

[chicken coupe cook]

test

[Murphbar]

test

[rustywrench]

........test

[RedHeadSled]

feels like years,but my wife finaly got my avatar on.Thanks for all your info and help to some(me) computer dummies.

[hotrod396]

test
I grew up in Kentucky & moved off ay the age 17 & i recall hearing that many times...what part of Ky are you in? I still visit every year or every other...Now i am in Oklahoma the just OK state they call it.& it doesn't get any better then that :-)

[kratebike]

Test

[suicidal-element]

test

[Dustyoldbodyman]

I just changed mine - want to see if it worked - got a message that it didn't

[Dustyoldbodyman]

Yup, and it's too small - going back...

[Dustyoldbodyman]

That's better.....

[FritzTownFord]

Okay I'm supposed to know this stuff. But I cannot get any image down to 7kb when it's 80 x 80 pixs!!!

My image is 72dpi jpeg about 7" x 7" RGB
reduced down to 80 x 80 pixs
= 28k no matter WHAT i do.

Help! via PM or here - I can take it.

[FritzTownFord]

This is just a test...

[FritzTownFord]

[QUOTE=30roadster;1036619]Avatars are funny.... not ha ha funny...

...the picture is still too big to post as an avatar but i do somthing easy and wonderful about elements. I go to "save for the web" which is right under "save" or "save as". I'll play with the quality slide bar until it is 7kb. save it and you are ready to go.

Much thanks. Seems the old Photoshop I use doesn't have the slide bar, but we did it. Only took 8 hours - what a moron :-/

[Brian W]

test

[Brian W]

one more try

[stepsideclyde]

test

[jones]

let's see here...

[don colaps]

Late night test...

[Weaverville Studios]

I'm new here, but I found this link on the web that is really helpful for creating avatars the size we need here...This site is especially helpful to many out there who may not have any image-manipulation software or are simply not well-versed in pixels, dpi, crop etc. This site makes it super easy in just three steps.

You just load the picture from your PC...
Then just tell the site what your max dimension is...
Then pick what kind of crop you'd like to download...Center, Right Corner, Left Corner etc...Then it will download your newly sized Avatar to your desktop...at least it did for me.

Suggestion: It will work better for you if you can pre-crop your image into a square shape.

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/

Webmaster...As I am new here, please don't kill me if I'm not supposed to post links...please just remove my post.

[El Guapo Nuevo]

testes

[SpeedKing]

A new guy trying this out

[Danimal]

Pissed away an hour. How'd it work? Test!

[Cajun Kenny]

looks like it worked..

[autobilly]

Ware shi bakuzo!

[Roman1]

test

[Nvr2Fast]

Test

[dgang26]

Ok -- this is a test

[nailhead54]

test...

[autobodyed]

test

[bigdaddy55]

Can you use a PDF file?

[a50merc]

http://www.webusers.warwick.net/~u1051948/hemidog.jpg Test

[a50merc]

Test

[a50merc]

Thank You Much! Dom.

[Sprcheese]

Test

[Rossi]

test nr. 1 :)

[Grumpy]

I must be a real dumbass.
I cannot figure out how to do it.
I tried and it's so tiny, it barely shows up.

Anyone care to help me?

[30roadster]

I must be a real dumbass.
I cannot figure out how to do it.
I tried and it's so tiny, it barely shows up.

Anyone care to help me?

Email me the biggest picture you have of what you want...i will email you back your avatar :) vick_dds@hotmail.com

[V4]

test

[Docco]

test

[boogie-86]

test

[drbuck62]

Hope this worked - It's harder than an engine swap...

[bgas56]

test

[James Boys]

test......excellent

[sunbum32]

Test Avatar

[2345.coupe]

I use Windows Vista,so I use Photobucket...I have two windows open at the same time ,Photobucket and H.A.M.B.'s avatars page.I size my avatar to 134X100 using the resize option on Photobucket ,copy the photo,left click on the "Direct Link" under the photo which highlights it ,right click to get menu ,right click on copy,left click on the H.A.M.B. window avatar page,right click to open menu,and finally,right click on paste your avatar picture ..then click "submit change" on bottom of H.A.M.B. avatar page....
Don't be impressed ,I know just enough to get us both in a lot of trouble......FNG....

[dragass]

testing

[dragass]

testing again

[_The_ Derek_]

:) test test

[Weaverville Studios]

Whenever I try it, it looks REAL grainy to me...I have PShop CS 3 and my original art was done at 300 dpi....when I take it down to 80pix and 72 dpi it looks terrible...when I do as suggested at the top of the thread, it looks badly pixelated; also on CS3 I do not see any slider bars on Save For Web to adjust sizing?!?!? Am I missing something? Is it under another tab?

If I use an online service, it looks 'OK' but not nearly as good as most shown here.... http://www.shrinkpictures.com/resize.php

Any suggestions ?:confused:

[2345.coupe]

Try Photobucket, they have many resizing options.......

[hotrd32]

test just changed mine, did it in Photoshop seems to work fine

[Pitbullgoingpostal]

Hope this worked - It's harder than an engine swap...
It is frustrating. I can pull a motor faster... It worked after the seventeenth try.

[Church Key]

test

[jakesbackyard]

test

[kami-cozzi]

test

[Meyer]

test

[StickShiftTudor]

test

[tommycarpunk]

Test

[tryin2hook]

Testing.....1,2,3

[INXS]

test

[INXS]

test bigger size

[slider's house of kustoms]

test

[iowacouple]

Testing

[hotrod3355]

test

[disorderlysaint]

test

[EDGEFIND]

Test

[DcHolliday59]

Avatar test

[Flatheadguy]

And....test

[60 ford]

test

[JoeB]

test

[JoeB]

test 2

[FittyFive]

Testing

[Joe-Racer]

Duh, Where is my "user cp"?

[53 Ford f100]

Avatar test.

A Heading.

1372820


A caption.

[52RAM108]

***test***

[60rftc]

test

[KandN Kustoms]

just a check to see if i got it.

[KandN Kustoms]

uno mas

[KandN Kustoms]

well piss!

[KandN Kustoms]

ok ok ok!

[KandN Kustoms]

now?

[KandN Kustoms]

mother f#$@&#$@%!

[Deuces]

I can't do it! :( Not with my MSNTV 2 web box.. Can someone help????


This is the pic I want for my avatar...

[48James]

Test

[48James]

Test 2

[LazyBird]

test

[LazyBird]

I dont wanna be a fng!!!!!!!!!!!! Accept that..hahaha

[fiftee6effie]

testing

[fullthrottle53]

This is a test of the emergency broadcast system!! Just joking!!

[Cool-View]

Test the look

[telecustom]

got it?

[31ford429]

test