Blogging Tip: How to Center Your Images & Pictures

Ever notice that your images aren't spaced well in your sidebars? Want them to be centered? Would you prefer a different size that Blogger automatically formats?

This is easy. In Blogger, people tend to choose "Add Picture" from the "Choose a New Element" pop up page. Don't! Blogger floats all images left. If you want your graphics centered, it's a multi-step but easy process. (I promise!)

1. Resize your image. Most digital cameras come with photo-editing software. But if you don't have one I have two I can recommend. I usually recommend Irfanview. It's free, downloadable and easy to use! You can remove red eye, crop and resize your photos. But last week, the creators of Photoshop have released an online version of Photoshop called Photoshop Express. You don't even have to download it - it's all online! It's free but you have to register. You can make your photos black and white, fix the lighting/exposure, remove red eye, crop, resize, etc. Free!

For sidebars, you'll want your images and graphics to be 175 or 200 pixels wide. For your main body, you'll want your pictures around 400-600 pixels wide. You'll have to experiment to see what works best with your template.

2. Upload your file to Photobucket, Flickr, Snapfish or some other hosting service. Flickr doesn't allow images to link anywhere but Flickr, so I use Photobucket. You can use whichever program you like. They are all free to start.

3. Get the code for your image. You will have a code that looks like a URL link. Your photo will look like:

http://www.URL of your image.com

4. On Blogger, backstage on your sidebar choose "Add html/Javascript" instead of "Add Picture". In the space, enter the code for your picture. If you want it in a post, just insert the code in your post.

<center><img src="http://www.URL of your image.com/"></center>

Replace the words "URL of your image" with the code Photobucket gave you for your image. Save and viola'! You now have a resized and centered image.