Step 1: Find a photo. Photo manipulation is outside the scope of this tutorial, but you can start by checking out my tutorial on color correction.
Step 2: Make sure you have the Selection tool selected, and then use the drop-down menu to make it a "Fixed Aspect Ratio"
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5odpQcj9h8-s8h27GAWGdNhyphenhyphenYflGGUpY2e240OxwCTUplPHyQYfx0a8Wj41ODSHw4UDTLtooFy1xt8CCe7N6nElPwJeAHISbtn-HSTPgzTmZbukctbnxrzlsAB0mjs_08JXl/s400/Sig-Tutorial1.jpg)
Fixed Aspect Ratio
Step 3: Set the Aspect Ratio to the size required by your Forum software (in this case it is 500x200).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbvdevTuv9fNOLqsgk3VIQ6yFeFmYedQTqmdZgOo0pd1PLpeQTbTZaCRrSDRny6jD8U6RK5XUNQjDmsx-AyWo30cJ4JzL5tsDEkxBvdyx8Od5lbgk6Rd0ETlsKMXHboYvh8hR/s400/Sig-Tutorial9.jpg)
500 by 200
Step 4: Select the area you want, and then choose Image->Crop Image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kbYpl4-de-hJWfdkryVfzmgRUbJK_9cqtp8o6lZFaDmmYKcVVJFNixO9ijESkxq2FybW8s4nEzOg2kcPFw_iNAqegUrPcklNe2VvjmUyckHilBL2_mLOj2XOi2vuujzSD-OZ/s400/Sig-Tutorial2.jpg)
Crop
Step 5: Now go to Image->Scale Image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNizrW_CifP2VrUC4p76I-evMHLHkSMkfHwU2oyRQk-6dFrJveWbrgmNP0zvmoxo3UDbN8pbpfmCLKuQ3RIdrEr9W-IQeQnkBV_CM-uhZyhJyBoIEtvZBoaCv4lmnmHjA6TqT_/s400/Sig-Tutorial3.jpg)
Scale
Step 6: Make the image the proper size (in this case, 500 by 200 pixels).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvCaB3IQndvd8TCFahAkIKFbE8r4nUGER80aSwgZ9tihS7KRyaFKCX3W2mss-xVNemYiQUIaot8-zviee93-CLWxQHOsYWIJXperK6FgK4GTzPcHszKqqSlKrEj0NkD8frK3e/s400/Sig-Tutorial4.jpg)
Resize
Step 7: Now go to File->Save As.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoag6aokJdZAsY-rCxRKyJCdsnxYCq21chQZ_bIj8pAoEe74hAfgb1M37Zs-pNKcHKDh8ZbTHT12e79UGd0Dj0N5y4xKtdwGO0LpuyLsTixhdOdEMBWMRiERINQHCASQsX7aNB/s400/Sig-Tutorial5.jpg)
Save As
Step 8: Name your file, and make sure you select the JPEG File Type before you Save.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvBv6QanHurX5w6poyA_TCLqSvi0bSrOfsLupbp73Gs4vPwc8y63aclYzMht1JpjbgIsdosBrdBSmnzhcqcks45FvSW21pxQ91DIO1z8sbnjRX8Z2zf4l1iz7jxhfT0sqUSBZ/s400/Sig-Tutorial7.jpg)
JPEG
Step 9: Choose your quality setting. 85 is just fine*.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-18vlbo4wYCrQBB0fs_BUAltHlwwu1Z3d_-BWFAZuhb2tnoMxgCg6d-mmz5ozjt7nZ-xs9OdQESy3ojnAbAFrJDABCAAeqWnE22-I1TmPmtd9VEE4al5IDghyphenhyphenbANgGpPoiIz/s400/Sig-Tutorial8.jpg)
Quality 85
Step 10: Go back to the Forums and upload the image from your computer.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbvdevTuv9fNOLqsgk3VIQ6yFeFmYedQTqmdZgOo0pd1PLpeQTbTZaCRrSDRny6jD8U6RK5XUNQjDmsx-AyWo30cJ4JzL5tsDEkxBvdyx8Od5lbgk6Rd0ETlsKMXHboYvh8hR/s400/Sig-Tutorial9.jpg)
Upload
*If you'll notice, for these forums my image must not only be within the 500x200 pixel restraints, it must also be no larger than 29.3KB. So, I actually had to open my image again (which was 31KB) and resave it at a quality of 60 so it would be small enough. You will likely have to do the same.
So, there you have it: How to make a signature image for your favorite forums.
~Luke Holzmann
Your Media Production Mentor
3 comments :
What's Fix Aspect Ratio?!!
A fixed aspect ratio is where the box will always be the same shape (so tall by so wide) no matter how big or small it is. For instance, a square has a fixed aspect ratio of 1:1... it is always as tall as it is high. So if it is 170px high, it will be 170px wide.
If your ratio is, instead, 2.35:1 then the image will always be that way... so, if it is 800px wide it will be 340px tall.
Did that make sense, Bernice?
~Luke
yeah, thanks.
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