How to Upload Photographs

Two common computer and Internet terms are "upload" and "download." Downloading refers to copying files onto your computer. Uploading refers to copying files from your computer onto a website. Digital photographs often are uploaded to social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace. Once the photographs are uploaded they can be shared online with friends. Uploading photographs also is necessary when using websites such as Shutterfly or Snapfish to create prints, photo books or other projects. While each website has its own upload page design, overall the process is similar for all websites.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Digital photos
• Internet access

1. 
    

   Click on the link to upload the digital images. When on a web page where you intend to upload photographs, there should be a link that says "Upload" or "Browse." If your photos are not in digital format, they will need to be scanned and saved on your computer as an image file, such as JPEG.

2. 
    

   Create an album for the image file you are preparing to upload. To help organize the photos you upload, many sites allow you to create albums. For example, you might want to create a file called "Honeymoon" where you will place your honeymoon pictures. Typically, you can choose the option to save to an existing album or create a new album. If you don't name your album, a default album name will be assigned, such as the date of your upload.

3. 
    

   Click the option to choose the image file from your computer to upload. This may be a link that says "Browse," "Choose Files" or a similar command.

4. 
    

   Browse through your computer files to locate the photo you wish to upload. A new window will open that will display the files on your computer. Locate the file you wish to upload.

5. 
    

   Click on the image's thumbnail. This will will choose that photo for upload.

6. 
    

   Add more image files to your list. Typically you can choose more than one photo to upload. Often the photos you choose will appear in a list.

7. 
    

   Click "Start," "Upload" or a similar command to begin the uploading process. If photos are having difficulty uploading, one or more may be too large, and you will need to reduce the file size before uploading. Refer to the website's guidelines on image size.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are uploading an image file for printing, there will be a minimum file size for print quality. Refer to each website for file size guidelines. If adding a photo to a social network website, go to your profile and look for a link that says "photo" to begin the process. Website design may vary.
• When resizing photos, don't resize and save as the original image file. Always make a new file, with a new file name, so that your original file will remain unchanged.

Resources

• Uploading Photos