First you need to transfer a digital image to your computer's hard-drive. Consult the instructions for your digital camera. You will probably need to connect your camera with a USB cable. Choose a location to store the photo that you can remember. This could be your "Documents" folder, or your Desktop. It is a good idea to resize the photo before you upload it on the internet. You can do this very easily with FREE Irfanview software.

Once your photo is on your computer, it is easy to place that photo in your Forum post. You can do this two ways:

1. Host the photo with a third-party site such as Tinypic.com or PhotoBucket.com, then paste the code in your message.

2. Attach your photo to your post with our software. This way the photo will appear as a thumbnail. We do pay for bandwidth, so we prefer option #1, but using our system may be easier if you want to post multiple pictures.

HOW TO SIZE YOUR PHOTOS CORRECTLY Most digital cameras create very large image sizes by default, as many as 3000 pixels wide. A good size for a Forum post or classified ad is 640x480 pixels. So, you may need to "down-size" your photos before posting them online. 800x600 pixels is the largest size you should try to post. You should resize your pictures BEFORE you post. It's easy to re-size your photos. Just open them in an image display program with sizing controls. MAC users can do this easily with I-Photo. For PC Users, we recommend you download the FREE Irfanview image-editing software. Then simply open the image with Irfanview, select "Image > Resize/Resample" and choose 640x480 or 800x600. Then "Save As" the photo with a new file name. It is very important to CHANGE the FILE NAME or you may alter your hi-rez original!

UPLOAD Your Image to a Photo Host The simplest way to add in-line photos to a Forum post is to use a third-party host such as Tinypic.com. It is quick and easy to upload a photo to Tinypic.com and place a link directly into your message. Here's how: 1. In our Forum, click "New Topic" or "Reply" to begin your post. 2. Open a new browser window and go to www.TinyPic.com. Click "Choose" to select an image on your computer. 3. Click the green "UPLOAD NOW" button. This puts your picture on the internet and takes you to a page with five different types of links. You want the second type of code, "IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards". 4. Click the BLUE "Copy" button, second from top, when the next window opens. Or, with your mouse, Copy the second line, under the title "IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards". 5. Go back to the AccurateShooter Message Board where you were writing your message. Paste the line you copied from Tinypic.com. Make sure it starts with [IMG] and ends with [/IMG].

Using a Previously-Hosted Photo If you've already hosted a picture on the web, say on your personal web page or photohost, first get the URL. (You can find that by right-clicking the photo and selecting "Properties". The URL appears to the right of "Address".) Now go to the Message Board entry window. You'll see a small icon that looks like a picture frame. Click that. It will ask you for the "Image URL". Type in (or copy/paste) the URL of the picture. Our software will automatically add the [img] + [/img] tags. Now finish writing your post and click "Post Message."

ATTACH Your Photo to Your Post If you prefer, you can simply attach an image file to your Forum Post. Your attached photos will display as a thumbnail. When you click on the thumbnail a full-size version of the photo appears. You do NOT have to use a separate photo host if you upload your image as an attachment. 1. Click on "Manage Attachments" at the BOTTOM LEFT corner of the text window that comes up when you start or reply to a post. 2. This brings up a window that says "File to Upload". Click "Browse" to Navigate to the file on your computer hard drive. Select the photo you want. 3. Click "Upload". That's all there is to it. The software automatically creates a thumbnail picture for you. Thumbnails are handy because they load quickly. People can click the thumbnail to see a bigger version. It will appear in your post, like this: Attachments: