Working(with((in(Blackboard( As#a#general#rule,#the#smaller#the#graphics#size#the#better.#Smaller#graphics#are# quicker#to#load.#Graphic#size#in#this#contest#does#not#refer#to#horizontal#and#vertical# measurements.#The#important#measurement#is#the#number#of##the#graphic# contains.#As#an#example,#a#2@inch#square#graphic#at#300#pixels#per#inch#is#larger#in# file#size#than#a#5@inch#square#graphic#at#100#pixels#per#inch#(1.5#m#compared#to# 732K)#.# ( Jpeg(or(Gif((or(.PNG)?( You#should#use#Jpeg#(.jpg)#for#photographs#or#images#using#a#large#amount#of# different#colors.#Jpg#files#do#not#support#.# The#GIF#format#(.)#is#used#when#there#are#large#areas#of#uniform#color#and#the# total#number#of#colors#is#smaller#than#256.## The#Png#format#also#works#well#with#graphics#and#is#“lossless”#i.e.#it#is#a# compression#method#that,#unlike#Jpeg,#shows#no#loss#in#picture#quality.# # Suggested(Image(Sizes( Blackboard#Banners:##600x60#pixels# Avatars:##150x150#pixels# ( Adding(and(Resizing(an(Image(on(a(Content(Area( ( 1. From#your#content#area,#hover#over#the#Build#Content#button#and#select# Image#from#the#dropdown#menu.# (

( ( 2. On#the#Create#Image#page,#find#the#file#you#wish#to#add#by#clicking#one#of#the# three#browse#buttons.# # # # 3. In#Section#2,#Image#Options,#select#the#image#size#(original#or#custom).# If#custom#size#is#chosen,#two#boxes#will#appear#allowing#you#to#change#the# size#of#the#image#in#pixels.##It#is#important#that#you#maintain#the#correct# height#to#width#ratio.##For#instance#if#a#graphic#is#400x300#and#you#want#it# half#the#size#enter#200#x#150#in#the#boxes,#quarter@size:#100x75#etc.# # If#the#image#is#too#big#for#the#page,#use#the#Launch#in#New#Window#option#to# open#the#image#outside#of#the#page.#Using#the#original#image#size#and# launching#the#image#in#a#new#window#will#solve#most#problems#with#images# not#displaying#correctly.#Add#a#border#to#the#image.#The#image#border#will#be# black#and#can#be#from#1##to#4#pixels#wide.# # 4. Click#Submit#when#finished.# ( ( Image(Editing(Software( # Picasa#(http://picasa.google.com)##and#GIMP#(http://www.gimp.org)#are#good# choices#and#are#both#freely#distributed.#GIMP#and#is#very#similar#to#Photoshop#so#is# more#complex#and#has#a#larger#learning#curve.#GIMP,#as#opposed#to#Picasa,#allows# you#to##your#optimized#image#and#get#an#approximation#regarding#the#final# file#size.# # If#budget#allows#and#you#have#an#interest#in#working#with#more#a#more#professional# set#of#image#tools#Adobe#Photoshop#or#Photoshop#Elements#are#great#choices.# Although#there#is#a#learning#curve.# # # # ( ( #