We still get emails asking why folks don’t see their happy faces next to their comments here on Indies Unlimited. That would be because you need to get a Gravatar. How do you do that, you ask? Well, Ms. Zoe Lake is going to tell you. Since this tutorial was run just about a year ago, if you notice something doesn’t jive, please let us know. – The Admins.
Are you like me and ever wondered how all those other bloggers, and the like, have their image on their posts? Have you spent hours trawling over a website looking for the magic button that will allow you to upload your image too, only to be disappointed when you just couldn’t find THAT MAGIC BUTTON! and ended up feeling downright frustrated with a headache to boot?
Well wonder no more my friends, because this is how you can have your image on your blog and forum posts too.
Gravatar.com is where you can access this great, free (Yippee!), online program that will allow you to do all of the above! Following is a short tutorial to help get you started.
1. Log on to https://en.gravatar.com/ where you’ll see the above page. Click on the drop down menu and go to Sign up.
2. Once you’re on the Sign up page it will ask you for an email address so that a confirmation email may be sent to. You’ll receive this email almost immediately. It will contain a link that will allow you to activate your account and to set your password.
3. The link will take you to this page where you can then select your Username and set your Password.
4. After you click “Signup,” the next page looks like this and it’s where you use the email address you’ve entered, or you may add a new one, and you will also see where you can add your image (YES!!!) by just Clicking Here!!! Yippeeeee again!!!
5. Here’s the page where you will be able to, at long last, upload your photo! Yes! Yes!
Click the Browse button to upload your photo.
6. This is the page where you can crop your photo using the buttons below the photo.
You can see a preview of the final result before clicking the ‘Crop & Save’ button at the bottom of the screen, so you won’t be left in any doubt as to how it will look on your posts etc..
If when you upload your photo your head is cut off at the top or you lose your chin just click on the back button next to the address bar at the top of your web page.
You will have a better result if you choose a photo that isn’t just a tight headshot. Use one if you can that has a bit more background and your facial image is a little smaller, because when you upload your picture you will be able to achieve a better result if you do. You can keep using the back button to re-upload an image until you get one that satisfies you.
7. Once you’ve clicked the ‘Crop and Finish’ button you will then go to this page to choose the rating for your photo.
8. Once you’ve done this you will then go to the Manage Gravatar page where you can access the Help Menu as well as edit and view your profile and perform any other tasks by clicking on the My Account tab.
And you’re done! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Note from the editor: A special thanks to Zoë for solving this riddle that plagues many. Now that you know how to find that magic button, if you need tips for getting the right photo, see our tutorial on headshots here.]
Zoë Lake is a professional actress, classically trained as a dancer and singer, and enjoyed a long career in the professional theatre; she is also a jazz singer and toured extensively throughout Australia and the United States. Currently living in Tasmania, Australia with her husband, author T.D.McKinnon, Zoë works as a freelance book editor, instructional designer and remedial massage and Bowen therapist. She also rescues abandoned and abused cats.
It worked!!
Thank you.