A. Picture file types:

• Picture file types can end in .jpg, .gif, .tiff, .bmp, .png, etc.
• Blackboard can display files that end in .jpg and .gif.
• If your picture is of another type, use a photo editing program (Microsoft Photo Editor, Adobe Photoshop, etc.) and save the file as .jpg or .gif.
• Jpgs tend to be photos, while gifs tend to be line drawings.

B. Making photos the proper size:

• One way to calculate how big your pictures should be is to think in pixels. Most computer screens are set at 800 x 600 pixels.

• For example, if you want your picture to cover half the screen, resize it so that it is a little under 400 pixels wide.
• Use a photo editing program to resize your pictures. Be sure that resizing options are set to constrain proportions or do not allow distortions. This means that the height to width ratio will be kept intact. It also means that when you change one measurement (height or width), the program will automatically change the other measurement in order to keep the ratio intact.

• Crop your pictures using a photo editing program if you want to display only a part of your picture.

C. Adding a course banner

• Consider the size you want for your banner, then crop and resize accordingly.
• Go to the Control Panel and select Course Images, and then Course Banner

• Click on the Browse button to find the file you want to use as your banner, or
• check the box to remove the current banner.

D. Adding pictures to your content.

• You can upload a picture file as an individual item or as part of another content item.
• Upload it as you would do with any other document. When you attach the file, you may choose to display your picture file on the page instead of creating a link to it.

• If you chose to display the file on the page, you will be able to set the alignment, placement and border options on the next screen (see below).
• You may add alternate text (this is text that appears if the picture is unable to display; this text is also read out loud if the viewer is using assistive technology for the visually disabled).
• You can make the picture a hotlink to a web page; if you do, you can set whether that web page will open in a new window.

E. Adding pictures to a test

• If you wish to add images to your questions and/or answers, click on the Advanced button when adding or modifying a particular question.

• You can add images to a question and/or its answers.

• If you decide to add an image, you can display the image right on the question screen.